Apple (Finally) Announces HomePod (2nd Generation)

Back in 2018, Apple got into the smart speaker game by releasing the first generation HomePod. In November of 2020, the HomePod mini was released, followed by the discontinuation of the first generation HomePod the following March. Unfortunately for those that picked up the device, came to find that overtime, the device didn’t have the reliability that they were expecting.

Personally, I’ve only ever owned HomePod minis, but I can remember Marco and the gang on Accidental Tech Podcast talking about the issues with the full-size model. Up until now, fans of the hardware haven’t been left with a replacement option, short of downgrading to a HomePod mini. Today, Apple finally rectified that issue, unveiling HomePod (2nd Generation). Per the press release, the device is:

…a powerful smart speaker that delivers next-level acoustics in a gorgeous, iconic design. Packed with Apple innovations and Siri intelligence, HomePod offers advanced computational audio for a groundbreaking listening experience, including support for immersive Spatial Audio tracks. With convenient new ways to manage everyday tasks and control the smart home, users can now create smart home automations using Siri, get notified when a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is detected in their home, and check temperature and humidity in a room — all hands-free.

The latest model of HomePod is available to order online and in the Apple Store app now, with the availability date set for Feb. 3rd. In terms of design, the new HomePod is fairly similar to the previous one, coming in two colors: white, and an all new color: midnight, which serves as the black model.

It’s been a lot of fun going though my timeline on Mastodon today as a lot of the Apple people I follow are pretty excited about the announcement, despite the fact that not all of them will be buying one right this moment. Personally, my thoughts immediately went to Marco, who I’m sure has stocked up already, just in case this one winds up discontinued in a few years as well.

It’s also been interesting watching the conversation around how the device is going to sound. John Voorhees over at MacStories put up a great article about the new hardware, including a comparison to the first generation model. The conversation around sound quality has stemmed from the revelation that there’s only five tweeters in this model, as opposed to the seven in the original.

Personally, I have no need for a full sized HomePod with my current living arrangement and my HomePod mini does just what I need it to, but I do look forward to seeing the reviews on this one (and hopefully checking one out in stores one day). When the day comes where I get to set up a proper media room, I’d be very open to having two full-sized HomePods as my speaker system, but by then we might be on the HomePod (3rd Generation)!

That doesn’t mean that I came out of today’s announcement with nothing to show for it, however. On the HomePod product page, there’s a section comparing the mini with the new larger offering and both of them do list the temperature and humidity sensor, with the footnote only reading:

Temperature and humidity sensing is optimized for indoor, domestic settings, when ambient temperatures are around 15º C to 30º C and relative humidity is around 30% to 70%. Accuracy may decrease in some situations where audio is playing for an extended period of time at high volume levels. HomePod requires some time to calibrate the sensors immediately after starting up before results are displayed.

Surprisingly, this isn’t a refresh to HomePod mini, but rather it looks like they’re activating hardware that I’ve read has been in the device since day one. Personally, I’m really excited to see how that works, practically, as in the winter the different rooms in our house that have HomePod minis in them can have vastly different temperatures due to sizing. The heater can get my bedroom sweltering before the living room and kitchen even feel a change.

What do you think of Apple’s latest HomePod announcement? Let’s keep the conversation going down in the comments below!