Those who have Apple products are usually die-hard fans. Since switching to a Mac in film school, I haven’t gone back, and that was over a decade ago. I’ve had only Apple products since, save for Echo Dots.
When writing some articles about Alexa’s skills, the smart assistant was so frustratingly incompetent for what I was asking her to do during my tests that I was ready to chuck her out the window and get a HomePod Mini myself. I haven’t yet, but the idea is firmly planted in my mind.
Being an Apple user, switching to HomeKit and a HomePod Mini makes sense, with Siri as the smart assistant to control everything. If you’re an Apple user, too, and are building out your smart home, read on to discover what makes this smart speaker one for the books.
Features
The Apple HomePod Mini is an advanced smart home speaker that can be used as a home hub, a sound system, intercom, and even stereo speakers. The sound quality is excellent. I have a friend who creates visual effects professionally and he was so impressed with the sound quality of the HomePod Mini that he chose to use two as his stereo speakers for his work.
Siri, as an AI, has improved drastically over the years. Apple has upgraded the AI’s technology to recognize natural language and deliver accurate results while adapting to our interests. All the major companies that utilize AI have been improving, but Siri is arguably the most intelligent of the AI personal assistants available.
Here’s what you can enjoy with your Apple HomePod Mini:
Design
- Elegantly designed with mesh fabric and an attractive backlit touch surface on the top
- Comes in five colors: White, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Space Gray
- Small footprint at just 3.3 inches tall
Sound
- Big sound—360-degree audio that fills your room, using the Apple S5 chip for balanced, fine-tuned sound at any volume, with force-cancelling passive radiators for bass extension
- Four microphones for noise-cancellation and to listen for your call of, “Hey Siri,” no matter the noise level of your environment
- Create a speaker system with multiple HomePods, use them as intercoms throughout your home, or turn them into a stereo pair for left and right channels
Smart Home
- Intercom also works on CarPlay, Airpods via iPhone, or Apple Watch
- Control your smart home with Siri using the HomePod Mini as a smart home hub
- Automatically added to the Home app when you set it up
- Works seamlessly with the iPhone and other Apple devices—pick up incoming calls, listen to music on your Mac, watch your favorite shows on Apple TV,
- Siri can create a personalized experience for up to six family members on the HomePod Mini, keeping music tastes separate, as well as information from Calendar, Messages, Reminders and Contacts private, but accessible by each person via their voice
- Discover Tab in the Home app shows you the possibilities with your HomePod Mini
Privacy
- Apple values your privacy and security—Siri is not always listening, Siri only listens for the command “Hey Siri,” and when you ask something, your request isn’t tied to your Apple ID, a random identifier is used instead, and when it works with your iPhone (such as Messages or Notes) it doesn’t reveal any information to Apple
- HomeKit Secure Video support recognizes familiar faces, pets, and cars on the feeds of your supported cameras, and processes/sends encrypted recordings to iCloud, so you’re the only one who sees them
Where to Buy
You can buy the Apple HomePod Mini for $99 on Apple’s website. Though it’s twice the cost of the Google Nest Mini, it has more features, is larger—hinting at superior music quality, and works seamlessly with all Apple products, and the great many thousands of HomeKit/Siri compatible ones. If you’re someone who has all Apple products (or mostly), the Apple HomePod Mini may be one to consider—even that intercom feature is enough to have this writer saying yes to Apple’s smart home hub. I’m ready to make the move! Are you?
