What Apple has always sought with its products is that users can perform certain actions with all possible facilities, and the HomePod perfectly complies with that premise, from day one it encourages you to listen to music, however, for many its high price It made it inaccessible, well, for all of them the HomePod mini has arrived, a device that inherits all the benefits of its older brother at a much more accessible price. Do you want to know their differences? We will tell you all, below.
How do the HomePod and HomePod mini work?
In this section the operation to listen to music is identical in both models and believe me that it is really simple.
First of all, if we want to use the HomePod or HomePod mini independently of our iPhone or any other Apple device, we have to have Apple Music contracted. Here we make a point, I ask the question, can you use the HomePod and HomePod mini without Apple Music? Yes, is it worth it? Absolutely not. We continue, as I said, if we want to use either of the two independently we have to have hired if or if the Apple Music service, in this way, when we configure the HomePod or HomePod mini through our iPhone, it will automatically connect with our Apple Music account, so that, in this way, we can ask you, through the famous command “Oyer Siri”, to put any song, any album or any playlist. For example, if I wanted to play the song “As if you were going to die tomorrow” by Leiva, I would only have to say the following, “Hey Siri, put As if you were going to die tomorrow, by Leiva” and it would automatically play on the HomePod or HomePod mini.
The other option is to play music through another Apple device on either of the two HomePods, that is, send the music through AirPlay from an iPhone, iPad, iPod or Mac to the HomePod or HomePod mini. In this case, it would not be necessary to have Apple Music contracted since, for example, we can also do this from the Spotify App.
Size, the mini is really mini
One of the biggest differences between the two devices is, without a doubt, their size, it is obvious, it is really evident. On the part of the HomePod we have a large device, with the following dimensions:
- 14 cm wide.
- 17 cm high.
In contrast, the HomePod mini stands out for its small size, and believe me, it is really small, in fact, the first impression you get when you see it is, “Is something so small going to sound as good and as loud as they say?” Well, yes, and I won’t tell you more because we’ll talk about it later. Let’s go with the dimensions of the HomePod mini:
- 9.8 cm wide.
- 8.4 cm high.
Main features
Obviously, in this section, the HomePod is the winner, it really cannot be otherwise, we are talking about the same product, but different ranges and focused on two different audiences, therefore, here, each one is in its place. However, let’s see how, perhaps there are not as many differences as the difference in size and price between the HomePod and the HomePod mini can suggest.
- Sound technology. In the case of the HomePod we have long excursion bass speakers and a set of seven tweeters. For its part, the HomePod mini has a full-range transducer and two passive radiators.
- Spatial detection. In the case of the HomePod if we can enjoy this functionality, however, in the HomePod mini, no.
- Both have multi-zone audio.
- Both are compatible with another stereo pair, that is, two HomePods can be connected to reproduce stereo sound and two HomePod mini can be connected to reproduce stereo sound, what we cannot do is connect a HomePod with a HomePod mini to reproduce stereo sound. What we can do is reproduce the same thing through the two speakers, but these would not be offering us a stereo sound.
- The HomePod can be used as a Home Cinema with the Apple TV 4K, something the HomePod mini cannot do.
- They both have Siri as their assistant, of course.
- Both can use the intercom function.
- Both can function as an accessory hub.
Siri something new?
In this case we do not find any difference, we have the same assistant in both the HomePod and the HomePod mini, and therefore, we can do exactly the same with both. We are going to review some of the main actions that we can do with both devices.
- Consult information of any kind, such as the time or date of birth of a public figure.
- Send messages.
- Start a timer, stopwatch, or even set an alarm.
- Add items to any of the lists you have in the “Reminders” app.
- Control, of course, all HomeKit-compatible devices
- Make and receive calls.
- Make use of the intercom.
Actually, this is the point to improve, in addition, ostensibly, by Apple on both the HomePod and the HomePod mini. Currently Siri is far behind its competitors, Alexa and Google Assistant, capable of integrating much better and more easily into the home since it has a wide compatibility of home automation devices and the interaction with them more natural than with Siri. This has been a demand that many of us have been asking Apple for years, but that it refuses to give us.
Sound and volume
When Apple introduced the first HomePod, it was aimed at a specific audience, those who wanted a high-quality speaker and who, also, as an extra, carried the assistant they had on their iPhone, Siri. Because if the HomePod stands out in something, it is in that, the great sound quality it offers, in addition to having a volume capable of filling an entire room and giving you really special moments with your people and your favorite music.
And beware, the HomePod mini is not far from these audio and volume features offered by the HomePod, its older brother. Obviously, for physical reasons, you have already seen the difference in size between one and the other, the HomePod mini cannot match the sound quality or volume of the HomePod, but there is not as much difference as you would expect given the size of one and the other, and given also, the difference in price between both devices.
Definitely, in this section, Apple is above the competition, the Cupertino company has strived to offer the best possible sound, so that we can enjoy our favorite songs from any corner of the house, we choose one and the other, we will really stay satisfied in this section.
Price is the difference justified?
This is when the HomePod mini takes on a lot of weight, because, once you know the price of one and the other, you will surely wonder, is there really so much difference in performance that there is this difference in price? Well, surely not, of Hence, the HomePod mini has entered the market through the big door.
Currently, the price of the HomePod mini is 99 Euros, yes, it does not reach three figures, there are straps for the Apple Watch that cost more money than a HomePod mini. On the other hand, if we want to acquire a HomePod we can do it from 329 Euros, a much higher price than the HomePod mini.
We were all really surprised by the price of this device when Apple released it in its respective Keynote, but it was even more surprising when we saw that the Dollar to Euro conversion was 1 to 1, that is, the HomePod mini costs 99 Dollars in the United States. United States and 99 Euros here in Spain, and we say that it was surprising because Apple does not usually make this conversion so favorable, in this case, for our market. This is a clear movement of what Apple is looking for, to get fully into our homes with a device that enjoys a quality / price ratio that is difficult to achieve by other devices
Which one is more worth buying?
To answer this question, each user must carry out a reflection exercise and ask themselves, what am I looking for? Do I want a speaker that gives me one of the best sound performance? So your choice should be the HomePod, now, do you want a speaker that gives you good sound quality and you don’t want to spend a lot of money? Then your choice is clear, the HomePod mini.
In addition, if you even want to create that attractive stereo sound, the most interesting option would be to acquire two HomePod mini, whose purchase would amount to 198 Euros, perhaps this is the most interesting option if you are considering introducing the HomePod into your ecosystem.