Apple surprised us with an update HomePod 2 in former 2023 , just a couple of years after the original HomePod was discontinued .
What was even more of a surprise was that theHomePod 2looked very like to the previous model , and it came with an spookily like price tag .
So what is actually different and how do the twoHomePodmodels equate ? Should you ditch your original variant for the Modern manikin , or is it deserving searching out the former HomePod or else ?
Price
In the UK , the HomePod retails for £ 299 , which is slimly less than the original £ 319 cost tag attached to the master copy . However , Apple did finally throw off that RRP to £ 279 – so the fresh model is actually a little pricier .
In the US , the HomePod 2 starts at $ 299 . Similar to what happened in the UK , the speaker first launched at $ 349 but dropped to $ 299 shortly after .
Design
On first inspection , it seems the HomePod 2 is almost indistinguishable from its predecessor . Both are cylindrical speakers garment in meshy fabric which sits just under seven inches tall . Both have a firm nucleotide , a showing on the top and an attached ability cable’s length .
reckon a fiddling deeper and it ’s exonerated that Apple has made some smart tweaks to the blueprint for the HomePod 2 . None , for us anyway , are worth the upgrade but if you ’re coming in fresh then there are benefit to be had .
The great power corduroy , for object lesson , is no longer captive to the equipment , meaning if it gets fray it can plainly be swop out for a fresh one . We tried a few power cables and they all worked . Previously you ’d have to get Apple to service the HomePod to substitute a wrong powerfulness cable .
The display on the top is also larger now , disperse across the capacitive volume up and down keys . The show is n’t the most useful , used mainly for ocular cue highlighting when medicine is playing or Siri is hear , but it does look better in its turgid form .
Apple has diminish the weight slightly , slicing 200 g off the dense speaker . This is potential due to the removal of some of the intragroup components and wo n’t make much difference once the HomePod is in place .
There ’s also a venial pinch to the colours . While the white example remains the same , the Midnight version is a slight bluer than the dark grey option sold before .
There ’s really not much to set the two HomePod models aside when it comes to design . They both look round-eyed and the textile app helps them blend subtly into lounges and bedrooms . They do n’t scream “ I am a loudspeaker system ! ” as theSonos Onedoes .
Sound Quality
We have spend hours mind to both HomePods , try them with C of song from Spotify and Apple Music and the close is that they both vocalize majuscule . Though there are certainly some improvement this time around , Apple has n’t totally changed the sound signature and the overall strait is similar .
This might seem like a surprisal – Apple discontinued the original HomePod a few eld ago and releasing it again at a exchangeable terms point without a bevy of big effectual changes is singular . trueness is that the HomePod always sounded great , and the HomePod 2 continue that stunning audio break down .
Both models allow you pair two together for true stereo playback and you’re able to connect both up to anApple television 4Kfor Atmos audio from your television . Note however that you ca n’t pair up an original HomePod and HomePod 2 – they need to be from the same generation . While this seems a little lowly and a way to entice people to promote , the differences in the internal setup does intend they would n’t go the same if paired together .
There are mess of changes internally , and there ’s every fortune that the tweaked construction crap these leisurely for Apple to build . There are now five tweeters , rather than seven , plus a four in woofer and five microphones ( again , less than before ) .
Both HomePods employ those mics to adjust the sound recording depend on where it ’s placed in the room and the reducing of the amount does n’t diminish its room - filling acquirement at all . target this by a wall , behind a chairwoman or sapidity bang in the eye of a handsome way and it intelligently adapts the sound recording to the surroundings . Think Sonos’TruePlaybut without the faffy manual setup .
Do n’t let the reduction of internal component put you off though , Apple has obviously upped the speaker ’s smarts to make up for it . put them side - by - side , there are some improvements for the sequel .
spacial Audioin theDolby Atmosformat teem from Apple Music sounds , to our ears , well occur from HomePod 2 . There ’s more space between the vocals and back vocals in Beyonce ’s Cuff It , while the soundstage is wider in the hatchway bell of Fleetwood Mac ’s Dreams . The spatial issue just fathom more salient when come from the newer exemplar .
The bass is a little strong too , though the original HomePod is no slouch in this area . Pump up Kendrick Lamar ’s Humble or Rihanna ’s Pon De Replay and the bass makes itself know ever so slightly more .
Features
As excellent as both the original HomePod and the HomePod 2 are for audio recording , they both pack home - base smart too . Siri is the voice assistant of alternative and can be used to control smart home tech that is set up inside the Io and macOS Home app . you’re able to also ask Siri to diddle medicine , though this does n’t work with Spotify .
New for the HomePod is aThreadradio , allowing the talker to be used as a home station forMatter - enabled smart home base tech . This is a new standard that permit technical school from lots of brands – Google , Amazon , Apple and Hue – to speak to each other . It might not be uncouth yet but it will sure enough get more democratic and it ’s smashing to see it integrated into the HomePod 2 .
The HomePod 2 also has both an integrated temperature and humidness sensing element , so you’re able to set up an mechanization that , for instance , turns on the heating when it throw away below a sealed temperature . TheHomePod Mini also had these sensor enabled by a late update but they ’re not available on the original HomePod .
Both example permit you handoff tunes from an NFC - toting iPhone and both require an Apple gimmick for the initial apparatus .
Verdict
The HomePod 2 is lighter , packs a bigger top presentation and integrates a number of ready to hand detector inside for keeping an eye on your home . When it comes to sound though , there ’s not much to arrange the new model apart from its predecessor .
We ’ve spent hours listening to both and they both sound very skilful for their size of it , even though the HomePod 2 really has fewer inner ingredient . Sometimes we feel that the original HomePod voice well but other times the HomePod 2 mop up it , especially when wager Atmos audio recording . It ’s a tight call though and there ’s very little in it .
With the original HomePod discontinued and intemperate to witness , peculiarly at a sensible price , there ’s no reason to pursue it over the HomePod 2 modelling . Though , we would n’t say there ’s much need to upgrade if you already have one of the original good example and it ’s work fine .
