Apple looks set to launch its HomePod mini in many new countries in 2022. One of those countries is Belgium. The smart speaker already received the Dutch-language Siri via a software update at the end of 2021 and that now seems to precede an official launch.
In the news: From HomePod mini may already date from October 2020, this smart speaker from Apple is still current. Many enthusiasts already bought the device online or through one of the few stores in our country that sell it, but the HomePod mini could also be officially launched in Belgium in 2022.
- It’s the Swedish website MacRadion who released news about the HomePad mini earlier this week. They learned from various sources that Apple would have delivered a special beta version of the HomePad mini in Swedish to testers. That seems to precede a launch in the country.
- The Thai blog website AppleForward noted a few days earlier that the Thai version of Apple’s website has a link to the HomePod mini. Although that link still gives an error for the time being, this also seems to predict a launch.
- In addition, Apple added some languages to the HomePod mini with a software update in December 2021. These are Dutch, Dutch (Belgium) – called Flemish -, French (Belgium), French (Switzerland), German (Switzerland), Italian (Switzerland) and Russian. These countries can also expect an official launch of the HomePod mini in 2022.
- Since the launch of the Apple HomePod mini in October 2020, the device has been officially available in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Austria, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
What does the official launch of the Apple HomePod mini in Belgium mean for users?
- Since the Dutch Siri was added to the Apple HomePod mini, a lot has changed for users in our country. You can now give the device commands in Dutch and also have it say things in Dutch.
- Although most analysts are enthusiastic about the update, many of them note that the operation in Dutch is slightly less smooth than in English. Apple has clearly invested much more money and time on the English-language Siri than on the Dutch-language one. With the launch of the HomePod mini in Belgium and the Netherlands, this may change. Apple is known for only launching things once they are 100% working.
- The HomePod mini currently does not have speech recognition in Dutch. As a result, various users cannot make personal requests – such as sending messages, calling contacts or consulting your calendar. This is currently only possible for those who have set up the HomeKit with their iPhone, other residents cannot use this. It is hopeful that Apple added speech recognition in languages such as German to the HomePod mini in December 2021. It is therefore possible that Dutch will also receive this function at the official launch in Belgium.
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