Apple HomePod (2nd gen) review: A smarter smart speaker

When Apple debuted the HomePod in 2018, it was already late to the sensible speaker sport. Positive, the corporate has by no means been nervous about tardiness, selecting as an alternative to give attention to being the very best. Sadly, that wasn’t the case with its first try. The HomePod sounded good, however lacked a variety of the essential performance and voice assistant smarts the likes of Amazon and Google provided. Apple has spent the final 5 years enhancing each HomePod and HomePod mini, including options like multi-room audio, multi-user help and an intercom software.

In 2021, Apple discontinued the unique mannequin in favor of the $99 HomePod mini. However now, the bigger model is again with a well-known look, however plenty of modifications on the within. Like the primary, the brand new HomePod ($299) is greatest suited for individuals who’ve dedicated to Apple’s ecosystem. So if that’s not you, I perceive when you don’t wish to go any additional. Whether it is, simply know that the corporate has given its speaker much more instruments than it had at launch 5 years in the past, together with extra succesful help from Siri and extra sensible dwelling skills. Plus, the second-generation HomePod is $50 cheaper than the unique was at launch.

A well-recognized design up to date on the within

Should you had been hoping for a wholesale redesign with the brand new HomePod, Apple undoubtedly dissatisfied you. Nevertheless, there are some noticeable modifications upon shut inspection. First, the speaker’s contact panel is now barely recessed just like the HomePod mini. On the unique model, that panel sits flush with the highest rim. Whenever you set off Siri, lighting for that panel now goes all the way in which to the sting too. Subsequent, the ability twine is now removable. This implies when you have a problem with that very essential part, it must be simpler to get a alternative (by way of Apple Care). You probably have glorious imaginative and prescient, you may additionally be capable of discern the 2023 mannequin is 0.2-inches shorter at 6.6-inches tall (vs. 6.8 inches) in the event that they’re sitting facet by facet.

On the within although, Apple made a bunch of modifications. Each variations have an upward dealing with woofer with a bunch of tweeters across the backside. For the second-generation, Apple decreased the variety of tweeters from seven to 5, angling them barely upward the place beforehand they had been virtually completely side-firing. The corporate additionally lower the variety of voice microphones from six all the way down to 4. And maybe an important change internally, Apple swapped the iPhone 6’s A8 chip for the rather more trendy S7 – the silicon that powers the Apple Watch sequence 7.

Software program and setup

Regardless of the shortage of modifications on the skin, the second-gen HomePod is a greater speaker as a result of Apple has been enhancing it and the HomePod mini over time. The corporate added stereo pairing and multi-room audio alongside AirPlay 2 just a few months after launch of the primary technology mannequin. Multi-user help and audio handoffs had been added in 2019 and the intercom function arrived forward of the HomePod mini in 2020. And in 2021, HomePod gained the flexibility to play any TV audio by way of an Apple TV 4K over eARC and each spatial audio and Apple Music lossless streaming. So most of the key options Apple is chatting up on the brand new HomePod are issues it has been slowly including since 2018. And plenty of of which, I’d argue, ought to’ve been there from there from the beginning.

Every part you should arrange and management the HomePod is present in Apple’s Residence app. First, you’ll want so as to add a brand new speaker such as you would another sensible dwelling gadget with this software program, together with assigning it a room or location in your house. The app lets you arrange Automations and Scenes together with configuring the way you’d wish to work together with Siri.

You could have the flexibility to disable voice cues or the lengthy press on the HomePod’s contact panel to be able to activate the assistant (each are enabled by default). You can even have the speaker mild up and play a sound when utilizing Siri – or do one or neither. The Residence app will allow you to use Siri for Private Requests too, the place the speaker can acknowledge your voice for issues like messages, calls and reminders as long as your iPhone is shut by. The software program lets you disable the HomePod’s intercom function as nicely, must you want to not use that software.

Like the primary HomePod, the 2023 mannequin is supplied with room calibration. This detects reflections off of partitions and different surfaces to configure the sound for the very best efficiency. The HomePod does this the primary time you play music, but it surely isn’t fixed monitoring. As an alternative, prefer it did on the earlier technology, the setup leverages an accelerometer to find out when it has been moved. If it has, the speaker will then reinitiate the room sensing course of when music is performed.

A wise dwelling with Siri

Once we reviewed the unique HomePod in 2018, considered one of our largest gripes was with Siri’s restricted skills. Positive the speaker sounded good, however the lack of polish with the voice assistant made it look like a piece in progress. Apple has carried out quite a bit to enhance Siri over the past 5 years, so a variety of these points with the unique have been mounted.

First, the HomePod, like Siri on Apple TV, is able to recognizing a number of customers. Private Requests can enable it to peek at your Calendar, Notes, Reminders, Messages, Discover My and extra if you ask. Plus, HomePod can provide every member of your loved ones (as much as six individuals) their distinctive responses from sure iPhone apps. What’s extra, Siri can create recurring dwelling automations with out you having to choose up your cellphone and swipe over to the suitable app.

Even with fewer microphones to choose up your voice, the brand new HomePod doesn’t undergo any efficiency setbacks. It’s simply as succesful as ever at selecting out your voice even in a loud room. And, whereas taking part in music with voice instructions was once restricted to Apple Music, companies like Pandora, Deezer and a number of other others can now be managed by way of Siri.

HomePod can also be a sensible dwelling hub, simply pairing with HomeKit and Matter equipment. The brand new mannequin is supplied with temperature and humidity sensing, and that data is displayed prominently within the Residence app. After all, you should utilize that information to create automations with different sensible dwelling units. I don’t have a appropriate sensible thermostat, however I used to be capable of efficiently set off a sensible plug as soon as the HomePod detected a sure temperature in my lounge.

Sound Recognition is arguably essentially the most notable new function that Apple is debuting with the brand new HomePod, but it surely’s not prepared but. It may well hear for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and ship a notification to an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. What’s extra, you’ll be capable of “test in” on what’s occurring by way of an audio feed or digicam. Sound Recognition received’t arrive till later this spring, so we’ll have to attend to check it.

Sound high quality

Audio high quality wasn’t a problem with the first-gen HomePod and it’s nonetheless nice right here. However like the primary model, Apple’s selection for tuning received’t appease everybody. There’s a continued emphasis on voice, so issues like vocals in music or dialog on a TV present or film take middle stage. At occasions it’s positive although, with some genres and content material, it results in a slightly subpar expertise.

Don’t get me incorrect, for essentially the most half HomePod sounds excellent, particularly if you put it up towards different sensible audio system. The actual fact is lots of these don’t sound superb in any respect, so Apple continues its observe file for making a tool that has severe audio chops and sensible options. RTJ4 has ample bass for its bombastic hip-hop beats whereas Sylvan Esso’s No Guidelines Sandy will get sufficient low-end for its synth-heavy rhythms. Because of the HomePod’s glorious readability, detailed types like bluegrass and jazz shine. Generally the bass is just a little too subdued for metallic (Underoath’s Voyuerist) or full-band nation (Zach Bryan’s 2022 stay album), and the vocals too ahead, however general, it units the usual for sensible speaker sound. And the HomePod solely shines brighter as a stereo pair.

Whenever you add the second HomePod within the Residence app, the software program asks you if you wish to use them collectively. When you inform it which facet the extra unit is on (left or proper), the app completes the setup for you, assigning the suitable channel to every speaker. Now all over the place you beforehand noticed a single HomePod icon, you’ll see two, consistently reminding you of the stereo association. The double speaker possibility is nice for music. On Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Coronary heart, the two-speaker association provides a variety of dimensionality to every observe. There was already a spatial ingredient to the tunes, however twin HomePods heightens the feeling, making it look like you’re in the course of the musicians whereas they file every music.

When you choose a HomePod to be used with the Apple TV you continue to must deselect your TV audio system. These aren’t disabled simply since you’ve requested the streaming field to additionally ship audio to a HomePod or two. TV audio with stereo pair is okay, however I can’t see utilizing a single unit for a similar function. In a multi-room setup you may wish to ship the sound from a stay occasion just like the Tremendous Bowl to a solo speaker, however having only one as your lone lounge audio from a TV isn’t an amazing expertise. Whereas the HomePod beams sound in all instructions, with a single speaker it’s clear the sound is coming from a hard and fast location – one thing that’s quite a bit much less noticeable with a pair or with a soundbar.

As is the case with vocals, dialog takes prominence with a HomePod and Apple TV. At occasions it might probably appear barely muffled when watching issues like stay sports activities. In any other case, there’s good readability, good bass and nice dimensional audio when streaming Method 1: Drive to Survive or Sluggish Horses. However, truthfully, when you’re trying to enhance your lounge audio, a soundbar and sub is a greater possibility. The driving force association in these audio system does a greater job of filling a room utterly and evenly. Plus, most corporations provide the skill to make use of changes or presets to dial in how a lot you need these audio system to give attention to dialog so you possibly can fine-tune issues to your liking.

The competitors

As a result of the HomePod is greatest suited to individuals who have married themselves to Apple’s ecosystem, the very best various to the second-gen HomePod is the cheaper HomePod mini. If all you’re after is a few Siri help along with your sensible dwelling and a speaker that’s ok for informal listening and podcasts, the $99 possibility will work nicely for you. Plus, Apple simply unlocked the smaller speaker’s inactive temperature and humidity sensor and it’s as a result of get Sound Recognition.

Wrap-up

Apple has been making ready for a new HomePod for 5 years, consistently enhancing each the unique model and the HomePod mini. And the truth that the corporate has made Siri a extra succesful companion definitely helps. Plus, there’s extra sensible dwelling skills than earlier than. Apple hasn’t strayed from its emphasis on the spoken (or sung) phrase for HomePod’s sound profile, however that’s okay. It’s clear that the corporate is concentrated on increasing the toolbox for its sensible audio system after their debut, so I’d anticipate that very like the unique HomePod, that is only the start for the second technology.

Replace 2/1/23 12:00PM ET: This assessment has been up to date to make clear Siri multi-user help is accessible on HomePod and Apple TV.