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The HomePod mini has been available for pre-order from Apple since last Friday. Delivery will begin on November 16. The first reviews have now been published.
The HomePod mini is significantly smaller than the classic version and is intended to appeal to more price-conscious customers. At the same time, the new Siri speaker is seen as a challenge to Amazon's Dot and other competing products. But what do the first testers say? According to TechCrunch The €96.50 HomePod mini offers "remarkably big sound" for its size and price. The 360-degree sound was particularly highlighted:
While Amazon has switched to a front-facing speaker for the new Echo, Apple continues to rely on 360-degree sound. Your preference may depend on where you place the speaker, but this model is more versatile, especially if you don't just sit in front of the speaker all day. I've used a lot of different smart speakers in my time and honestly, I'm really impressed with the sound the company was able to get out of the 3.3-inch device. It's full and clear and impressively powerful for its size. That goes double if you opt for a stereo pair, of course.
HomePod mini: Room-filling sound with a catch
Also Engadget praised the sound quality of the HomePod mini but pointed out that it is “still a small speaker”.
Ultimately, the HomePod mini sounds pretty great - but it's still a small speaker. The HomePod mini is very good quality-wise compared to the Nest Audio; I was surprised at how close the overall bass presence is between the two and the HomePod mini seems a bit clearer, especially with vocals. But Google's speaker has a slight edge in overall volume and the clarity differences are less pronounced at higher volumes. Apple says its new speaker delivers room-filling sound but that's only true if the room isn't very big.
The Verge on the other hand, find the sound good, but not as good as competing products in the same price segment. The test report states:
It sounds good but I can't say the HomePod mini sounds great. And next to the larger Echo and Nest Audio, both of which cost the same, it just can't compete. It doesn't have the presence, volume or soundstage of either and it certainly can't match the Echo's bass output. As the saying goes, there's no substitute for displacement.
While the HomePod mini can't quite match the Echo's sound performance, it sounds pleasant for most genres of music and for podcasts and other vocal performances. It has a good balance in the midrange and a very vocal-forward sound profile. You'll easily hear the lyrics of your favorite song without being overwhelmed by the bass. The bass that is there can be heard but not felt.
HomePod mini: The price-performance ratio is right
CNBC tried out the improved Handoff features during testing and found that some features will only be available in a future software update:
I really like that I can play a song on my iPhone and when I tap the HomePod mini, it will transfer to the speaker. Or a song can start on the speaker and I can walk past and transfer it to the iPhone with another tap. Apple will be releasing an update in the coming months that will improve the handoff experience with vibrations and colors, making it feel more like a song is being transferred from one device to another.
Generally, the consensus among early reviews seems to be that the HomePod mini is an excellent speaker for its price-performance ratio, especially for people already deeply entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. Devices like the Amazon Echo still have the edge for non-Apple households due to cross-platform support. Have you already discovered the early Black Friday offers on Amazon? It's worth being quick. (Image: Apple)
