Apple unveils 2nd gen HomePod smart speaker
The new HomePod smart speaker will be available starting February 3 and can be pre-ordered now for $299.
If you’re in the market for a new smart speaker, you may want to take a closer look at Apple’s newly unveiled second generation HomePod. Announced earlier today, the new Apple HomePod comes with a wealth of features that complement its stellar sound quality including support for Spatial Audio, enhanced Siri capabilities, and even things like notifications when a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm has been detected in the owner’s home.
“Leveraging our audio expertise and innovations, the new HomePod delivers rich, deep bass, natural mid-range, and clear, detailed highs,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With the popularity of HomePod mini, we’ve seen growing interest in even more powerful acoustics achievable in a larger HomePod. We’re thrilled to bring the next generation of HomePod to customers around the world.”
The second generation HomePod will be available starting February 3, but can be pre-ordered now through Apple’s website at a price point of $299 (USD). The speaker is designed with 100 percent recycled mesh fabric and is available in color options including Midnight and White.
In regards to specs, Apple notes that the new HomePod offers a “remarkable 20mm, built-in bass-EQ mic, and beamforming array of five tweeters around the base.” It utilizes Apple’s S7 chip and supports other Apple tech, such as being able to pair easily with Apple TV 4K “for a powerful home theater experience.”
Other features offered with the new HomePod include Matter support. As noted by Apple, Matter “launched last fall, enabling smart home products to work across ecosystems while maintaining the highest levels of security.” With this, HomePod can reportedly connect to and control all Matter-enabled accessories.
As previously mentioned, the speaker’s mesh fabric is 100 percent recycled though this isn’t the only sustainable aspect of its design. Inside the speaker is 100 percent recycled gold within the plating of multiple printed circuit boards as well as 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in the speaker magnet.
Overall, Apple’s new HomePod looks like a solid little home speaker. To learn more about the new HomePod, be sure to read through Apple’s recent announcement post about the device. For more on Apple, also check out some of our previous coverage including how Apple is rumored to be announcing a VR headset later this spring, and how Apple recently revealed its new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips that will be included in upcoming models of the MacBook Pro and Mac Mini.
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