HomePod Mini is the first Apple speaker to arrive in Italy. A little late compared to others, you are right. However, this does not mean that it is automatically rejected, on the contrary. We have therefore been using it for some time and now we are ready to answer the only question that matters: is it worth buying?
Let’s try to answer this review.
The HomePod Mini review
HhomePod Mini is a smart speakerhence a smart speaker that takes advantage of the capabilities of Siri, Apple’s voice assistant.
What is it for? In reality, you can use it for a lot of different activities, starting with phone calls. To start one you just need an iPhone connected to the same Apple ID. That’s all. The rest is managed by HomePod Mini, entrusting it to you to microphones that boast excellent range and allow you to converse without getting attached to the speaker.
Plus you can transfer calls from HomePod Mini to your phone and vice versa simply by bringing the iPhone close to the small speaker. Really a nice convenience.
HomePod Mini also allows you to send text messages, both classic and with WhatsApp and Telegram. But be specific with Siri. You have to tell her which app to use, otherwise she will automatically opt for iMessage.
It is also possible add reminders or appointments to your calendar, find iPhone, iPad and AirTag and use the speaker as a kind of intercom to communicate with other HomePods in your home or with Apple family devices, regardless of where they are. This is not an absolute novelty – Alexa does, for example – but it is very useful if you have a very large house or if you have a large family.
Here, a small specification: Intercom does not initiate a two-way communication. It’s not like an internal phone call to understand us. Just send a voice message.
The smart little speaker from Apple integrates seamlessly with HomeKit to help you control the smart home. It’s just a pity that this standard is a little less widespread than those used by Google and Amazon.
Finally we have the most classic functionality, the one that allows you to ask Siri the classic questions with which we storm the voice assistants: what’s the weather like? How tall is Tom Cruise? What is the name of the latest Spider-Man movie?
The quality of the sound
So far we have talked about the smart part, but we are still faced with a speaker, therefore born to play music.
To ensure an optimal result, Apple has focused on a custom full-range driver, on a specially designed coating e sul chip S5, which enables audio computation and uses complex algorithm to adapt the rendering in real time.
The result is very clear sound, che separates the instruments, offers good bass and crystal clear highs. At full volume, there is no sign of distortion.
Also know that HomePod Mini supports multiroom so if you want you can play the same song all over the house. Or not. Just say “Hey Siri, play some jazz in the kitchen” to avoid everyone listening to the same music.
You also have the Stereo functionality which can come in handy mainly if you pair this speaker to your Apple TV.
The HomePod Mini review: the flaws
But now comes the first bad news: HomePod Mini DOES NOT support Spotify. You can use Apple Music, Deezer or the good old radio.
This product also can only be configured with iPhone, so if you have an Android device you can’t use it. On the one hand this means that Apple developers have focused 100% on integration with the ecosystem, on the other it cuts out many consumers. A choice of brands that all in all we expected from the Cupertino company.
Then there is another limitation that concerns our country: the recognition of people in Italy does not work, at least for now. HomePod Mini will not distinguish family members and will therefore not be able to better customize the experience as it happens with Google Home and Amazon Echo.
For example, if you ask him to make a phone call he will do so using the account of the person who set up the speaker.
What about privacy?
As per tradition, Apple proves to be sensitive in terms of privacy. That’s why this little one it only activates when you hear “Hey Siri”. The recordings are then not sent continuously to the server and each request is associated with a random identifier and not with your personal data. On the other hand, all personal requests, such as messages, are processed within the device, without sending the information abroad. And finally, the communications between the device and the smart home are encrypted.
The design
Let’s conclude by talking about design. Basically it is a small sphere that has been coated with a plastic net that feels like fabric to the touch. At the top we have a backlit touch panel which allows you to control playback and which we found very convenient.
Apple has taken its commitment to the environment very seriously so 99% of the rare earths used for this product are recycled, 90% of the plastic on the net is recycled and the packaging is made of wood fibers that are either recycled or sourced from responsibly managed forests.
HomePod Mini is available in 5 colors: white, space gray, orange, blue or yellow like ours.
The HomePod Mini Review: Is It Worth It?
HomePod Mini arrives to us a little late compared to other smart speakers and in most part disadvantaged because Siri, despite being ten years old, is still not in great shape compared to the competition. Sometimes he doesn’t understand, he still struggles to understand the titles of the songs and for now he doesn’t distinguish the members of the family.
However, if you are already immersed in the Apple ecosystem, with 99 euros you can take home a new member of the family which manages the smart home, offers you high audio quality, allows you to make calls and if necessary works as an intercom.
In short, it’s not bad at all but it depends on what you are looking for.
PRO
- Small and elegant
- Packed with features
- Excellent audio quality
- Privacy first
VERSUS
- It does not support Spotify
- If you configure only with iPhone
- The recognition of people does not work in Italy