Apple's HomePod and HomePod mini arrive at last in Singapore

Apple is finally bringing HomePod and HomePod mini to Singapore. Like other smart speakers, the HomePods let you access audio streaming services, double up as a home theatre system, and function as a conduit for Siri to facilitate home automation.

In a nutshell, the bigger HomePod features advanced computational audio technology designed to maximise the acoustics of your home and the HomePod mini offers room-filling sound in a compact form factor. 

The HomePod is built around a custom-engineered high-excursion woofer, a built-in bass-EQ mic, and a beamforming array of five tweeters. It leverages the S7 chip, software, and system-sensing tech to distinguish between wall and freestanding objects (through sound reflections) and adapts the sound in real-time.

The HomePod also supports Spatial Audio tracks as its beamforming array can separate and beam direct and ambient audio in a precise manner.

HomePod mini is understandably more modest. It features a full-range driver and a pair of passive radiators, paired with an acoustic waveguide to create a 360-degree sound experience.

It's paired with an S5 chip that processes tuning models to optimise the volume and dynamic range of the music. It's also able to control the movement of the driver and passive radiators in real-time.

The mini has four mics built-in: a three-microphone array for voice pickup and a fourth inward-facing microphone that helps to isolate sound coming from the speaker to improve voice detection when music is playing.

Like most smart speakers, the HomePod lineup offers flexibility. you can pair the HomePod or HomePod mini in stereo, or hook it up to your Apple TV device via eARC to double up as home theatre speakers.

With AirPlay 2, you can also activate multiroom playback with Siri or by holding the top of the speaker. You can also play different songs on different speakers, or use the speaker near you as an intercom to broadcast messages to other rooms.

The HomePod has all the features that make it well-integrated into the Apple ecosystem. You can hand off songs and calls from your phone to the speakers, receive personalised song suggestions when your phone is near a HomePod, activate FindMy to locate misplaced Apple devices in the vicinity, or locate friends and family who share their location with you.

The HomePod lineup can recognise up to six voices; i.e. six sets of personalised preferences.

In addition, the lineup has temperature and humidity sensors for weather-related automation, along with the ability to audibly pick out smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send a notification to the user's phone.

And if you're worried that Apple is doing its own ecosystem thing again — it supports the Matter standard, which is starting to become the de facto standard for smart home devices. And as for privacy, Apple encrypts all communications from end-to-end and does not store voice requests for Siri.

The HomePod ($429) is available in white and midnight while the HomePod mini ($139) offers bold hues in the form of orange, yellow, and blue in addition to space grey and white.

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This article was first published in Potions.sg.