Reviews
Apple HomePod Mini Review
It’s time to upgrade your Apple household with this smart device.
There are many useful everyday things – apart from playing your favorite beats – the smart speaker can do for you, in order to make your life more convenient and relaxed: Whether you want to ask about traffic, make phone calls, send messages, make notes, set alarm clocks or timers, or request appointments in your calendar, the Apple HomePod Mini makes it a no-brainer.
With the HomePod mini, Apple manages to close the gap in the smart speaker segment against Google and Amazon. What strikes us is how easy and intuitive it is to set up and operate the smart speaker. The device feels high-quality, as you would expect from an Apple product. Moreover, the price for this smart device is pretty good considering the design, features and great sound for its compact size. If you want to unleash the full potential of the HomePod mini, you should use its stereo mode. It also scores with a focus on privacy protection and deep integration into the Apple ecosystem. Apart from that, we like the fact that you can effortlessly control the HomePod mini by voice with Siri.
The only drawbacks we could find are that other assistants are still more powerful compared to Siri and that this smart speaker is not suitable for Android users since at least one iOS device is required.
Product Features
- Full-Range Driver
- Dual Passive Radiators
- Built-In Siri
- Four-Microphone Array for Far-Field Siri
- Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 5.0 Connectivity
- Touch Surface
What do we think of the design of the Apple HomePod Mini?
The HomePod mini is available in five different color versions: You can opt for the space gray, white, orange, yellow or blue version. The details of the color scheme are remarkable and aesthetically pleasing. Even the power cable and the underside come in the specific device color. This way, the HomePod mini matches well with other Apple devices like iMac, iPhone or iPad.
These eye-catching speakers are surrounded by a textile surface, which has a high-quality and pleasant feel. The control panel sits on top of the HomePod and lets you easily adjust the volume by touch. In addition, there are multi-colored LEDs below the surface which light up differently depending on the function you want to use. The LED swirls around when Siri is listening, and it glimmers white when music is being played. The power cable is fixed in this apple device, and a USB-C plug hangs on the other side. This apple device can be powered from a wall socket via a corresponding power adapter.
What is the sound of the Apple HomePod Mini like?
Even though the Apple HomePod mini is quite compact and small, the sound of this intelligent device is well-balanced and room-filling. Both music and podcasts sound really good. Frankly speaking, you cannot expect the sound to keep up with big speakers, such as the Sonos Move. However, for its size, you would be surprised to see what it is able of reproducing. Still not satisfied? No problem: Improve the sound even further by pairing two HomePod Minis together to form a stereo couple.
The overall balance of the sound is exactly what makes this product so appealing. The smart speaker can easily perform an array of tasks without ever sounding bad. It doesn´t matter whether it´s a quick update of the morning news, songs that motivate you to hustle at work, or some relaxing jazz music when chilling on the sofa at night: The HomePod mini will be your perfect companion and won´t let you down.
This smart Apple product comes with a full-range driver, two passive woofers, and a built-in S5 chip. This way, Apple is able to keep its promise to deliver a 360-degree listening experience, meaning that the sound will be fully automatically adjusted to the environment. So, the quality of the sound remains good and won´t fluctuate, when walking around the speaker.
Pros:
+ Easy to set up
+ High-quality workmanship
+ Reasonable price
+ Completely controllable via Siri voice control
+ Warm and rich sound despite small dimensions
Cons:
– Non-Apple users cannot use it
– Siri is not as versatile as other assistants
Verdict
In our opinion, the Apple HomePod Mini is an absolute bargain at this price! Frankly speaking, you simply can’t go wrong buying one of these classy and elegantly looking smart devices that give you the usual premium feel of an Apple product. On top of that, the sound of the HomePod mini is truly amazing considering its compact size. If you are already a supporter of the Apple ecosystem, then you won´t have any trouble to integrate it seamlessly.
Click here to watch Apple’s full HomePod Mini presentation on CNET.
Click here to see our full range of Apple HomePod Minis: Pick your favorite color and make your home smarter today!