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The HomePod Gen 2 and the HomePod Mini Gen 2 have finally made their way to Malaysia, and we’ve got to say, as iPhone users, we’ve been sorely missing out.
We’ve finally got our hands on both models of the HomePod, and here’s what we think about it!
Design & Build
Our HomePod Gen 2 was in Midnight, while the Mini was in White. Both versions of the HomePod maintain Apple’s sleek, modern aesthetic, featuring a stylish mesh fabric cover that would look coherent in just about any theme. Both also feature a backlit touch surface at the top for easy controls.
The HomePod Gen 2 is not exactly the most compact speaker we’ve seen. Measuring about 6” in height and weighing about 2kg, it really lives up to its name in the sense that you’ll probably want to leave this at home instead of bringing it about.
If you prefer smaller speakers, the HomePod Mini Gen 2 is the one. It features a round, pebble-like shape that fits just a little bigger in both hands, so this is better if you’re short on desk space.
Performance & Sound Quality
The unboxing and pairing process is very much what you’d expect from Apple: smooth and very easy, especially for those already in the Apple ecosystem. They pair instantly with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Pretty much all we needed to do was move the phone close to the HomePods, and voila, we’re connected!
Not only do these guys have great audio quality, but they’ve also got some really amazing smart home capabilities which basically made us go all in.
Both models integrate seamlessly with Apple Music, offering access to a vast music library and various audio setup options, including multi-room and stereo configurations where you can pretty much listen to your music no matter where you are for a seamless experience.
There’s also easier continuity with Apple Music. All you have to do is go near the HomePod, tap on it, and the music will continue seamlessly.
The HomePod 2 gave us really high-quality sound with features like computational audio, a high-excursion woofer, and a five-tweeter array for spatial audio experiences. The HomePod mini, while smaller, still promises big sound through its innovative acoustic design and computational audio tuning.
And if you’re wondering throughout this whole article why we even needed two HomePods, here’s why. When used with the Apple TV 4K, both HomePods can be paired together and used as the left and right channels. And trust us, the surround sound system is just, literally, out of this world.
We absolutely loved the sound quality of the HomePods. The bass is incredible, especially when the HomePods are placed on a flat surface with decent sound resonance like a wooden table. While that might not be everyone’s preference, the vibrations we got out of the speakers are really impressive considering their size.
If heavy bass isn’t your preference, there’s also a reduced bass option that you can activate on your iPhone.
And, as Apple most famously said,
One More Thing
The HomePods also support smart home automation through Siri, so you can manage tasks, monitor your home, and control your home environment through smoke and carbon monoxide detection and temperature and humidity sensing. These sensors actually come built into the HomePods, even the Mini!
If you’re using external alarms, the HomePods also have sound recognition capabilities that can alert you to alarms through your phone when you’re not at home.
Now, unfortunately, Apple is still insisting on ecosystem exclusivity, which means that the HomePods’ biggest pain point is the integration of non-Apple devices. Therefore, if you’re not already in the Apple ecosystem, it might not be the best idea to get the HomePod.
Besides that, Siri isn’t the most powerful voice assistant out there, and the HomePods being very Siri-dependent means that there are huge limitations in what the HomePods can actually execute.
Price
Priced at RM1,549 for the HomePod 2 and RM529 for the Mini, the HomePod Gen 2 and Mini Gen 2 are impressive updates that offer Apple users a rich audio experience coupled with robust smart home capabilities. You can also get 6 months of free Apple Music subscription when you purchase one of them!
