Taken from NCBI Technology page.
Earlier this month saw the release of the much-anticipated Apple HomePod mini
smart speaker in Ireland. How is the HomePod mini set up and what features does
it offer in a market already dominated by Amazonâs Echo products and the
similar Nest offerings from Google?
So what is it?
The HomePod mini is a smart speaker made for users of Apple devices. It can be
controlled with your voice using the wake word âhey Siriâ. It is a small
device, 9cm tall and 10cm wide, about the size of a tennis ball, maybe slightly
bigger. It is spherical in shape and comes in two colours, space grey and
white, and is wrapped in a mesh fabric. A touch sensitive panel at the top
lights up when receiving Siri commands. There is also a plus and minus for
volume and you can double tap to skip forward, triple tap to skip back, and
single tap to play and pause.
Setup
First you will need an Apple device such as an iPhone, or iPad and Apple ID to
set up the HomePod mini. So, as you can see this is only for people who are
already imbedded in the Apple ecosystem.
Setting up the device is an easy and relatively quick process. Just plug in
your HomePod mini and bring your iPhone close to the device and a pop-up menu
will appear on your phone and prompt you to start the process.
The speaker will be now linked to your Apple ID, connected to your WiFi and
your Apple devices. The setup is similar to setting up other Apple accessories,
like AirPods and AirTags. So, if you have previously done this it should be an
easy process. You can set software updates to be automatically installed so
this will keep the whole process hands free.
Sound
Apple has packed in a lot of technology to make this small speaker sound
superb. It has 360 degrees audio that channels the sound down through the
bottom of the HomePod mini, so itâs best the device is left on a hard surface
such as a shelf or a sideboard. It has room filling sound with no noticeable
distortion.
It supports multi-room playback, so you can start playing something in the
kitchen and then you can ask Siri to carry on playing in the sitting room. When
you have HomePod minis in multiple rooms you can also use the intercom feature
to broadcast an announcement.
It can be paired with other HomePod minis for stereo sound. This can also be
useful if you pair the HomePod mini with your Apple TV and use it as a speaker
for a better audio experience.
Siri can recognise the voices of your other family members, which will help you
get personalised results for music and podcasts and so on.
Even when music is playing at volume the HomePod mini will pick up your voice
as it has four microphones. It uses advanced signal processing to help
recognise the hey Siri command and take action quickly. One of the microphones
is for echo cancelation which helps Siri hear you over the music and provides
noise cancelation to cut out background noise.
Handoff
The HomePod mini has a new proximity feature which allows you to hold your
iPhone close to the device and hand off music, calls and other audio to play on
the speaker. Also, you can check out what is playing on the HomePod mini by
holding your phone close to the device. The HomePod mini works with the iPhone
SE, iPhone 6s or later, as well as the fifth-generation iPad or later. Siri and
the HomePod Mini can also send information to your iPhone, just ask Siri to
search for something and the results can appear on your iPhone if required.
Intercom
A feature called Intercom has been introduced to the HomePod mini. This is
similar to features found on other smart speakers such as broadcast from Google
Home, and Drop in from Alexa.
Intercom allows you to broadcast announcements to the other HomePod minis in
your house or to send quick messages to your other Apple Devices such as
iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
HomeKit
Another main feature of the HomePod mini is its ability to control smart home
devices. It does this through Apple HomeKit. You can control lights, heating,
locks, security, power outlets and more.
Apple HomeKit works with most of the popular smart home devices such as Philips
Hue, Yale, Ikea, and Hive Home to mention a few. A full list can be found on
Appleâs website.
When you use the Apple HomePod mini to control your smart home devices it can
work as a smart hub in your home so there is no need to install multiple hubs.
Conclusion
The HomePod mini is a very good smart speaker, especially for those who like to
use Siri and Apple devices. Note this cannot be set up with an Android device.
We have written a lot about Siri in the past and of course it can do all the
basic Siri commands such as create notes, set timers, set reminders, alarms,
and even send messages and make calls as well as the added features mentioned
above. It can also perform Siri commands from the Shortcuts app on your iPhone,
which will be a really useful feature for some people.
The Apple Home Pod Mini retails at â¬99 from the Apple Store Online
<https://www.apple.com/ie/shop/buy-homepod/homepod-mini> .
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