The size, weight, and design of the new HomePod did each change from the previous model.
The key point is that those things didn’t change enough to make a difference one way or another.
The few media controls all stayed the same.
Tap on the top multi-color screen to toggle play and pause.
Double-tap to skip songs.
Or, press the plus and minus buttons to adjust the volume.
The speaker is available in white or midnight colors.
The midnight color on the iPhone and Apple Watch has a tendency to look blue in bright light.
I didn’t see the same thing here.
In every lighting condition, the midnight color only looked black to me.
You should consider it black when deciding between it and the white one.
Siri heard me say commands from anywhere in the room and even from the next room over.
I spent a lot of time playing music and then switching from the original HomePod to this new one.
Acoustic folk songs were bright and delicate, and jazz songs had a rich mid-range.
The HomePod was also able to handle the wide-ranging eclectic “The Mandalorian” theme from Ludwig Goransson.
The HomePod, even from the first version, has used its microphones to automatically calibrate its sound.
This happens automatically with no input needed from listeners.
For comparison, aSonos Fivehandled the same space with a more robust sound.
I tried that, and the sum was certainly greater than the individual parts.
Buying two HomePods for a$600 sound systemisn’t outrageous.
I think there are two minor things Apple could do to make a big difference.
Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek
Even with a new HomePod in the house, those same issues taunted my family.
Asking Siri to turn on or off the living room lights was still hit or miss.
Want the Apple Home app to trigger a task when a room reaches a certain temperature?
HomePod can now do that (andso can the mini following a software update).
Another nice addition is the Thread radio inside used to communicate withMatter smart home products.
Should You Buy the New Apple HomePod?
The number of people who should go out and buy the newestApple HomePodis small.
There are othersmart speakersfor less money—that still provide solid audio performance.
It got loud and thumped, usually without breaking a sweat.
Unfortunately, it just isn’t the best value because of its high price.
