Apple
2017publishedApple’s first smart speaker, which will be launched in the first wave of cities in 2018 HomePod, and was later replaced by the small and cute HomePod Mini, which did not appear in Apple’s publicity for a while.Just when everyone is about to forget this “Mac Pro / trash can” product, it will be resurrected in 2023 and officially launched HomePod second generation。
As a speaker, HomePod uses a 20mm-amplitude subwoofer, plus (slightly minus one set) five sets of beamforming high-frequency speaker arrays, which can bring a more powerful low-frequency performance. When playing audio, it also has physical space sensing capabilities to adjust the sound at any time. Not surprisingly, it is also possible to use a pair of HomePod 2nd Generation of the same model to form a dual channel, or use AirPlay 2 to do multi-room streaming with other speakers.
Apple
For the smart part, the second generation of HomePod is clearly for Matter, and it can be used as a home hub. The most wonderful thing is that HomePod has followed up HomePod Mini with built-in temperature and humidity gauges, and it has emphasized the use of automated operations that can be used to set various and home comfort levels, and it will also know how to distinguish smoke sensor alarms. The ability to take over the playback through the ultra-wideband chip is also available. Putting the iPhone closer can switch the music being played to the HomePod. Of course, the interactive operation with the voice assistant Siri is indispensable. What’s interesting is that the Wi-Fi specification only supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n). I don’t know what kind of medicine is being sold in the HomePod that uses the S7 chip.
The second generation of HomePod is available in black and white, and the price is HK$2,299 / NT$9,300. Orders are already available in Hong Kong, and it will be released on February 3, and Taiwan is to be determined.
