Apple is the company that tops the list of my favorite multimedia accessories: the Apple TV in the first place and the HomePod in second. I think they are the only two devices that do not have any kind of role in my work, so they help me to disconnect after a long day. With the Apple TV, I can calmly watch a series, movie or play an Apple Arcade game. With HomePod, I listen to music – my favorite activity all day.
For just over a year I have had a HomePod (launched in 2018) in my bedroom, and to this day I am still amazed by its careful design, its incredible sound and that powerful bass. I decided to place it in my room because that room is where I can also disconnect: sit in the armchair to read a book or lie in bed while I order my collection of Apple Watch bands. Mind you, I was missing one in my office, and this is where the new HomePod mini comes into the picture.
The company announced the HomePod mini by surprise at the Apple Event in October. However, months ago there was already rumored a possible launch of a cheaper HomePod by Apple, so for months, I had resisted the temptation to buy another HomePod for my office and wait to meet my little brother. As soon as it was announced and the reservations started, I didn’t hesitate to reserve a model.
To this day, I really regret that purchase, but because I only ordered one unit instead of two. Now, I have to wait several weeks to receive my second blank unit, because they sell out instantly, and the truth is that I am not surprised. In this review, I will tell you my experience and personal opinion after several weeks with a HomePod mini.
HomePod mini: Plug it in, bring the iPhone closer and you’re done
One of the features that I like the most about apple devices, like this HomePod mini, is the fast synchronization with our Apple ID and with all our products associated with our account. Just by linking the HomePod mini to the iPhone, it is already synced with the Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac or iPad.
But how is it configured? You just have to connect the HomePod to the current and bring our iPhone closer. The iPhone will automatically display a notice that a HomePod mini is nearby. We click on ‘Configure’, we accept permissions, we place the iPhone in the upper area of the speaker so that it can scan the code and voila, in a few seconds the HomePod mini will be configured and synchronized with our Apple ID. If we have an associated Apple Music account, it also syncs. There are no third-party apps to download, no waiting minutes for setup to complete, no error messages. Sun
Setting up the HomePod mini couldn’t be easier: five steps on your iPhone and you’re ready to play music.
When the configuration is finished, the HomePod mini will appear in the Home app, where we can also change some settings, such as Siri’s voice tone, control playback, add an alarm or configure some accessibility parameters. From the Home app, we can also update the speaker.
The Home app has a very simple interface. We can order our smart devices by room, or we can see all the accessories and connected speakers in the main tab. The HomePod Mini will appear as one more accessory, as will compatible lights or Apple TV. From there we can also activate or deactivate it to play music.
By holding down we will access the control of the speaker through the application. The main tab will show what is playing, as well as the classic playback control: volume, a button for next track, previous song and the playback bar. We also see the AirPlay button in case we want to broadcast the music on another device.
When sliding we will see the possibility of adding alarms in the HomePod Mini, it is very useful if we have the device in the bedroom. The HomePod mini will emit a melody and we can stop it through our voice or by pressing on the device screen. In addition, the Home app gives us the possibility of playing an alarm tone or content.
If we slide further down we enter the configuration panel, where we can adjust the different parameters of the HomePod mini. For example, name, location, user, etc. Also some Siri parameters, such as the possibility of the speaker playing a small sound when saying ‘Hey Siri’. From the HomePod settings, we can also create routines, which I will talk about later.
Yes, it is true that the Home app and the HomePod mini configuration options are not as complete as the Alexa app, for example, but this is precisely one of the points that have made me opt for the Apple smart speaker as the center control of my home and as my smart speaker: the simplicity when it comes to configuring and using it , without having to be linking accounts of my music services, configuring the lights in different applications or with many sound adjustment controls that at the final make you never decide which is the best configuration. I prefer a thousand times the simplicity and experience that Apple offers with this HomePod mini.
Design: small and cute, very pretty
The HomePod mini inherits the design line of the HomePod launched in 2018 but adapted to a more compact size. Personally, I find it to be one of the most beautiful smart speakers currently on the market. It looks good anywhere in the home, and its compact design means it can be placed anywhere.
The HomePod mini is covered with a kind of mesh that depends on the model is in White or Space Gray. It doesn’t have any protruding buttons, just the braided wire at the bottom. Navigation is done through an LED screen that is in the upper area. The LED panel covers the entire front and lights up when we summon Siri or put a song. On that small touch screen, we also see the drawing of the volume up and down buttons.
They are not backlit, so depending on the moment (when there are reflections or low light) it is difficult to distinguish them. Although the location is easy to get used to and after several uses you no longer need to look at the HomePod mini to control the volume.
What can we do with the touch screen? As I have commented, raise and lower the volume. But not only that. You can also control playback through simple gestures:
- One-touch: pause or start music playback.
- Two touches: next song.
- Three touches: go back to the previous track.
By holding down we can also summon Siri to perform a command. When Siri is on, the HomePod mini will display a different animation with the assistant’s colors. A curious detail is that depending on the model, the border that is created around it is one color or another: black for the HomePod mini in Space Gray and white for the HomePod mini in White. It is a clear example of those small details that Apple cares so much about without forgetting the quality of its products.
At the bottom, it has a small silicone base so that the HomePod mini does not slip. This stand is a bit high, which makes the rounded shape of the speaker look like the HomePod mini floats.
How does the HomPod mini sound?
The HomePod mini is a very nice device and its setup and pairing is very simple, but… how does it sound?
In Apple’s HomePod mini you have a sound system very similar to the HomePod. It has a speaker that offers 360-degree audio, which in this case is emitted thanks to a full-range transducer and two passive radiators for bass and treble. All this supported by Apple’s S5 chip technology, which allows the sound to be perfectly balanced thanks to computational audio technology.
All of this translates into one sentence: for the price, the HomePod mini’s sound is truly incredible. No 100-euro smart speaker has that clarity in sound, that well-calibrated bass and that volume control: with minimal sounds the music continues to be tuned to perfection, highlighting both the voices and the instruments. The HomePod mini is a joy to play all kinds of music.
Huge sound in a device that you can hold in the palm of your hand.
In addition, it manages to capture the area where it is located very well, making the sound expand at all angles: it sounds just as well when you are in front of the speaker, behind or 3 meters away. It is really surprising how good this small product sounds, it reaches the height of some speakers of more than 300 euros.
The HomePod mini microphones
The HomePod mini also features a set of four long-range microphones. These microphones allow us to summon Siri even from meters away, or even if the speaker is playing music at full volume. Of course, I did several tests to see if the speaker responded to my commands in different scenarios: with the sound at maximum, with a low voice, several meters away…. These are the results.
Stage | Distance | Command | Do you perform the action? |
No playback and normal voice tone | 0.5 meter | “Hey Siri, turn off the desk light” | Yes |
No playback and normal voice tone | 5 meters | “Hey Siri, turn on the desk light” | Yes |
Music at 100% volume and normal voice tone | 0.5 meter | “Hey Siri, turn off the desk light” | Yes |
Music at 100% volume and normal voice tone | 5 meters | “Hey Siri, turn on the desk light” | Yes |
No playback and low voice pitch | 0.5 meter | “Hey Siri, turn on the desk light” | Yes |
No playback and low voice pitch | 5 meters | “Hey Siri, turn off the desk light” | Yes |
Music at 100% volume and low voice pitch | 0.5 meter | “Hey Siri, turn on the desk light” | Yes |
Music at 100% volume and low voice pitch | 5 meters | “Hey Siri, turn off the desk light” | No |
In most of the tests carried out, the microphones managed to capture the voice for the assistant to carry out the action.
“Hey Siri, put on the latest Taylor Swift album”
Siri is Apple’s smart assistant. Of course, it is present in the HomePod mini. We can ask Siri just about anything and ask for any action. In most cases, Siri responds quickly and with the necessary information, although there are some commands – the most elaborate – that he still does not understand.
I use Siri on the speaker for everything: from music playback to home control. In my case, I have been an Apple Music subscriber since I have an iPhone, mainly due to the synchronization between Apple devices. With the HomePod mini I am getting a lot, but a lot out of the App l e streaming music service. Since the device is synced with my Apple ID, and therefore my Apple Music account, I don’t need to have my iPhone around to ask for music.
The HomePod itself integrates Apple Music (as long as we have a subscription). Therefore, even when we move away from the speaker with our iPhone, the music will continue to play on the HomePod mini.
What commands does it support to play music? From the most basic, like asking for a song, to recognizing the music that is playing in the environment. These are the commands I use the most when playing music with the HomePod mini
- Hey Siri, play Taylor Swift’s latest album
- Hey Siri, play my music
- Hey Siri, put on music that I like
- Hey Siri, Play (to play what was playing previously)
- Hey Siri, stop the music
- Hey Siri, next song
- Hey Siri, play the previous song
- Hey Siri, put the PlayList “Taylor Swift, essentials”
- Hey Siri, turn the volume down/up
- Hey Siri, play 80s music
- Hey Siri, what song is playing?
In some cases, the wizard performs the action without giving a response. In other cases, such as when we ask him to play an album, playlist or song, he does confirm the action with a message such as: “Taylor Swift is playing”, “Okay, playing ‘Taylor Swift, essentials”. And of course, when we ask him what song is playing, he responds with the name of the track and artist.
An interesting detail that I mentioned in this article about the Apple Watch, with the Apple watch we can control the playback of the HomePod mini. Very useful if we do not want to raise our voice but change songs or adjust the volume and we are far from the speaker.
If we have smart lights or any other HomeKit compatible device synced in the Home app , we can ask Siri to turn it on, adjust it, or program it. These are some of the commands I use the most to control my devices.
- Hey Siri, turn the office light on / off
- Hey Siri, turn on / off the desk light
- Hey Siri, turn the nightstand lamp on / off
- Hey Siri, change the color of the light
- Hey Siri, adjust the brightness of the light
- Hey Siri, turn on the TV (turn on the Apple TV)
- Hey Siri, turn off the TV (turn off the Apple TV)
- Hey Siri, set the thermostat to 23 degrees
And of course, Siri can also respond to everyday commands. Among them, what is the weather, what time is it, how much is 2638 + 28373, what is the closest restaurant, asking you to write a message or make a call or add something to the reminders and more? Most commands recognize them very well, although it is true that in some cases we have to reformulate the question so that it understands us.
With the HomePod mini, we can also create automation. It’s one of the features that I started testing out of curiosity when I got my first HomePod, and I can’t live without it to this day. With Siri routines, we can perform actions based on our location, time or what we are going to do. Since the HomePod mini is permanently connected to a WiFi network, it can act as a control center even when we are away from home.
In this way, we can activate a routine that turns off the lights and pauses all the content when the device detects that we are not at home and turns on the lights when we are arriving.
Another routine that I use a lot is the night and morning routine. At 11:00 p.m., when I go to bed, I have a routine set up so that Siri turns off all the lights and sets an alarm at 7:00 a.m. At that time, the morning routine is activated, where she turns on the bedside light at night and the alarm goes off.
The two features I like the most about the HomePod mini
The HomePod mini includes very interesting functions that of course have to be in this review. One of my favorite features is being able to send music from the iPhone to the HomePod without touching any button or function: we just have to bring the iPhone closer to the HomePod mini and the music will be sent through AirPlay in a matter of seconds.
Sending music from iPhone to HomePod mini is extremely easy – just hold your iPhone close.
It is very useful if, for example, we come home and we have the music on with our AirPods. We put the headphones in the case, we bring the iPhone to the HomePod mini and voila, we can continue listening to music at home. Furthermore, it is also possible to transfer music from HomePod to iPhone with the same action.
Another feature that I have used a lot is the Intercom. If we have more than one HomePod at home we can use them as a kind of walkie-talkie and ask Siri to announce a message. This way, it will relay everything we say to the rest of HomePod. We can announce a message for all devices or only for one zone (for example, the HomePod in the kitchen).
Also, if we are away from home we can also ask Siri to send a message. The Intercom function works with other devices, such as the Apple Watch or the iPhone.
Price and conclusions, is the HomePod mini worth it?
The HomePod mini is on sale now and can be purchased for € 99. Is this Apple smart speaker worth it? Yes, definitely.
The HomePod mini as a child has little. In fact, when small it is only in size. This device is hands down the best purchase you can make if you have an iPhone and are looking for a smart speaker. Apple’s mini speaker offers spectacular sound for only 99 euros! The Apple Sound team has done a great, but great job. Everyone who listens to sound for the first time on this speaker is amazed at how such a small device can have such a good sound and also offer all the features of a smart speaker (assistant, home control…).
One of the things I like the most about the HomePod mini is the synchronization with the rest of Apple products: from the Apple TV to the Mac: any device can be connected to the HomePod through AirPlay, and both the latency and the sound quality it’s excellent. Siri, Apple’s assistant, does a very good job too. It responds to playback and home control commands perfectly, plus some useful commands for day-to-day use. The automation in the Home app are a real wonder.
The Apple add-ons in the HomePod mini are also very useful, especially if we have more than one HomePod at home. The function that allows you to send the content of the iPhone to the HomePod is one of my favorites: I use it daily: I select the music in Apple Music with the iPhone, I bring it closer to the HomePod mini and that’s it.
In addition, Apple is very sensitive to privacy, one of the main values of the company. The HomePod mini only hears when we say the command “Hey Siri”. Also, if we decide to share the conversations with Apple for the improvement of services, the questions are not associated with our Apple ID, but with a random identifier. Therefore, the questions are completely anonymous.
I have missed some extra features, such as being able to connect it via Bluetooth or the possibility of disconnecting the cable from the HomePod to connect an external battery and thus be able to use it anywhere.
If you prefer a device with greater sound at the bass level and clarity, you can opt for the HomePod, which is priced at 329 euros. This model is perfect for larger rooms, such as a living room or dining room or a large bedroom. Additionally, the HomePod has Dolby Atmos compatibility on a 4K Apple TV. The HomePod mini does not include this feature.
The HomePod mini is by far the best device we can buy today: beautiful, with great sound and great features. It is perfect to place it anywhere in the home: from the bedroom to the kitchen or even the bathroom. I can assure you that you don’t want to stop listening to music.