{"id":68212,"date":"2020-11-23T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=68212"},"modified":"2020-11-24T14:06:31","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T20:06:31","slug":"homepod-mini-review-functionality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/68212-homepod-mini-review-functionality\/","title":{"rendered":"[REVIEW] HomePod mini: Functionality to the Max"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1050\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"The HomePod mini in Space Gray. Photo by Steven Sande\" class=\"wp-image-68238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-scaled.jpeg 1400w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-160x120.jpeg 160w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-284x213.jpeg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-190x143.jpeg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-160x120@2x.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-284x213@2x.jpeg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/IMG_1402-190x143@2x.jpeg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption>The HomePod mini in Space Gray. Photo by Steven Sande<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This last week has been like Christmas for me \u2014 a new iPhone 12 Pro Max, an M1-powered MacBook Air, and a&nbsp;<strong>HomePod mini<\/strong>. While I&#8217;ve owned iPhones and MacBooks before, the&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/homepod-mini\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HomePod mini<\/a>&nbsp;is an entirely new Apple product for me. The original HomePod was too large and expensive ($299) for my tastes, but the $99 mini version was too tempting to pass up. Here&#8217;s my review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-design-of-the-homepod-mini\">Design of the HomePod mini<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The HomePod mini is small enough to be placed in just about any room. It  provides audio content and Siri-based control without dominating the decor. It&#8217;s 3.3 inches (84.3mm) tall and 3.9 inches (97.9mm) wide. Weight is just 0.76 lb. (345 grams), and it&#8217;s powered by a 20W USB-C based adapter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A sound-transparent woven material covers the device in either white or space gray. The HomePod mini is topped with a touch display that glows lightly while music is playing. Summon Siri, and that light glow turns to a red and blue &#8220;smear&#8221; that resembles the Siri icon on other Apple devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pausing the device with a tap turns off the glow, making this a perfect device for a nightstand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tap-on-top\">Tap on Top<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are five very easy gestures you need to figure out to use the HomePod mini. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Tap<\/strong> &#8211; Play\/Pause music or Siri<\/li><li><strong>Double-tap<\/strong> &#8211; Skip<\/li><li><strong>Triple-tap<\/strong> &#8211; Skip back<\/li><li><strong>Touch and hold<\/strong> &#8211; Siri<\/li><li><strong>Tap or hold + or \u2013<\/strong>     Volume&nbsp;up\/down<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also use &#8220;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?s=hey+siri\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Hey, Siri<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; to command the mini from across the room. For example, saying &#8220;Hey, Siri, next song&#8221; jumps to the next song. As I&#8217;ll point out in the Functionality part of this review, Siri also controls HomeKit devices through the HomePod mini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sound\">Sound<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The HomePod mini puts out a surprising amount of sound for its tiny size. It does this through computational audio, constantly tuning the speaker for its surroundings. There&#8217;s a full-range driver and dual passive radiators in the little sphere that pump out music with crisp highs and good bass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re really looking for pounding deep bass, you&#8217;ll probably want to get the full-sized HomePod. Listening to the mini in a home office, the speaker is more than adequate and produces sound quality beyond my expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To receive commands, there are four microphones strategically placed in the unit. I found that they were extremely sensitive \u2013 I could whisper commands from 18 inches away, and it responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two HomePod minis can be set up as a stereo pair. With multiple HomePod minis scattered around the house, a new Apple feature will sense your proximity (available later this Winter) if you have an iPhone with Apple&#8217;s U1 Ultra Wideband chip. Music &#8220;follows you&#8221; from room to room and can be handed off to your iPhone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-homepod-mini-content-sources\">HomePod mini Content Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To use HomePod mini, you&#8217;ll need a compatible device on the same Wi-Fi network. Those devices include iPhone&nbsp;SE, iPhone&nbsp;6s or later, or iPod&nbsp;touch (7th generation) with the latest iOS; or iPad&nbsp;Pro, iPad (5th generation or later), iPad&nbsp;Air&nbsp;2 or later, or iPad&nbsp;mini&nbsp;4 or later with the latest iPadOS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Content can come from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Apple&nbsp;Music<\/li><li>iTunes music purchases<\/li><li>iCloud Music Library with an Apple&nbsp;Music or iTunes&nbsp;Match subscription<\/li><li>Third-party music services<\/li><li>Apple&nbsp;Music Radio or episodes on demand<\/li><li>Radio stations from TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Radio.com<\/li><li>Apple Podcasts<\/li><li>News briefings<\/li><li>AirPlay other content to HomePod&nbsp;mini from iPhone, iPad, iPod&nbsp;touch, Apple&nbsp;TV, or Mac<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-homepod-mini-setup\">HomePod mini Setup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The HomePod mini is stupidly easy to set up. You just plug it in, wait for it to make a sound, and then bring a compatible device near it. Instructions on the device tell you what to do, which is basically point the camera of the device at the top of the mini. In seconds, the pairing is complete, the HomePod mini is attached to your Wi-Fi network, and it&#8217;s ready to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll also need to train Siri with some very standard commands. Multiple people in a household can use Siri with the HomePod mini. Each is able to issue commands tied to their voice \u2014 my wife could say, &#8220;Hey, Siri, play my Classical playlist,&#8221; and it would play her playlist\u2026which is unique from mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-functionality\">Functionality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I bought the HomePod mini for two reasons; to listen to music (I can&#8217;t use earbuds because I wear hearing aids) and for the <strong>Intercom<\/strong> function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The HomePod mini produces much better audio than my Macs, which is exactly what I wanted. The Intercom function? Well, when you&#8217;re hard of hearing and it&#8217;s getting worse with each passing year, your significant other may get tired of yelling to be heard. That&#8217;s where Intercom comes in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"945\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM.jpg\" alt=\"Intercom can address individual rooms or all devices in a home. Image via Apple\" class=\"wp-image-68240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM-178x120-1.jpg 178w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM-284x192-1.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM-190x128-1.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM-1536x1037-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM-2048x1382-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM-178x120-1@2x.jpg 356w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM-284x192-1@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Screen-Shot-2020-11-20-at-2.33.06-PM-190x128-1@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><figcaption>Intercom can address individual rooms or all devices in a home. Image via Apple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-intercom\">Intercom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Intercom requires a few key pieces: a HomePod or HomePod mini, the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, or watchOS, and the Home app. Once a HomePod or HomePod mini has been added to a network, it appears in the Home app. At that point, anyone on the network can use Hey, Siri to speak to all, or individual HomePods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, let&#8217;s say that I&#8217;m in my upstairs office working away on an article and listening to music on the HomePod mini. My wife can say, &#8220;Hey, Siri, ask the Office if he&#8217;s going to come downstairs for lunch,&#8221; and I&#8217;ll have that message announced on the mini. With a simple, &#8220;Hey, Siri, reply &#8216;As soon as I&#8217;m done with this paragraph'&#8221; she knows what&#8217;s going on, and neither of us has to raise our voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Intercom can also be used with CarPlay, so as I&#8217;m driving, I can say, &#8220;Hey, Siri, tell everyone that I&#8217;m about ten minutes away from home,&#8221; and all Intercom devices in the home receive that message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-homekit\">HomeKit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A key feature of the original HomePod was the ability to command HomeKit-compatible home automation devices using Siri. That&#8217;s still possible with HomePod mini, and much more affordable. One can purchase three HomePod minis for the price of a single HomePod, so they&#8217;re much more likely to make it into homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-security\">Security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Years ago, I bought an Amazon Echo device to test the Alexa intelligent assistant. I didn&#8217;t like that it was constantly &#8220;listening&#8221; and sending every word in my home to Amazon for processing. I turned the microphone off to keep it from eavesdropping, but that meant I had to enable the mic again when I wanted Alexa to do something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple ensures the privacy of its HomePod customers by listening for the key words &#8220;Hey, Siri&#8221; or a tap on the top of the HomePod mini. Once that happens, any query is sent to Apple&#8217;s servers for processing, but the data is anonymized \u2014 there&#8217;s no connection with your Apple ID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve been holding off on purchasing a HomePod because of the high price, the HomePod mini is a perfect solution for you. It provides excellent sound, it&#8217;s tiny and unobtrusive, and the Siri-powered functions, including Intercom, are useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, if you already have a HomePod, the HomePod mini is a great compliment. And if you don&#8217;t have one but want to beef up your system, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/item\/Apple\/MQHW2LLA\/\">get one on MacSales.com for only $219<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-default\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-related-reading\">Related Reading<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-related-links\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/67560-iphone-12-pro-max-iphone-12-mini-homepod-mini\/\">iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini, and HomePod mini Available for Pre-Order Today<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/49470-how-to-create-a-homepod-stereo-pair-for-use-with-your-mac\/\">How to Create a HomePod Stereo Pair for Use with Your Mac<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/66862-closer-look-2020-iphone-event\/\">Deeper Dive: A Closer Look at the 2020 iPhone (and HomePod mini) Event<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/47584-how-to-use-siri-to-help-with-spelling-in-macos\/\">How to use Siri to help with spelling in macOS<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This last week has been like Christmas for me \u2014 a new iPhone 12 Pro Max, an M1-powered MacBook Air, and a HomePod mini. While I&#8217;ve owned iPhones and MacBooks before, the HomePod mini is an entirely new Apple product for me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":68251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"class_list":["post-68212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fresh-from-apple"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.2 (Yoast SEO v20.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>HomePod mini Review: Functionality to the Max!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The original HomePod was too large and expensive for my tastes, but the $99 version was too tempting to pass up. 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