Almost five years after introducing the first HomePod, Apple has finally released the next-gen HomePod. The company still calls it HomePod (2nd generation). The predecessor couldn’t meet Apple’s expectations and was discontinued in March of 2021. Not many people hoped that the company will launch the successor, but Apple had other plans. HomePod 2nd Gen is actually cheaper than the original HomePod. But how the HomePod 2nd Gen is different from the original HomePod? Although the 2nd Gen HomePod is still not in the market, so it will be tough for me to tell you the performance improvements. But we can actually judge the difference based on the specs sheet to find out the hardware and design changes.
HomePod 2nd Gen vs HomePod
| Spec | HomePod 2nd Gen | HomePod |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | $299 |
| Dimensions (inches) | 6.6 x 5.6 | 6.8 x 5.6 |
| Weight (pounds) | 5.16 | 5.5 |
| Processor | S7 | A8 |
| Speakers | High-excursion woofer 5 horn-loaded tweeters | High-excursion woofer 7 horn-loaded tweeters |
| Microphone Array | 4 | 6 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Temperature Humidity System sensor | Accelerometer |
| Connectivity | 802.11n Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5.0 Matter Ultra Wideband | 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Colors | White, Midnight | White, Space Gray |
Design
There is no big change in the design of the 2nd Gen HomePod. The touch display on the top now stretches edge to edge. The top side is also slightly flatter. Apple has decreased the number of tweeters from seven to five. So the new HomePod has slightly lesser height and weight. The new HomePod measures 6.6 inches tall as compared to 6.8 inches in its predecessor. The new model is also 200g lighter than the original.
Features
The 2nd Generation HomePod packs S7 that was released in 2021 for Watch Series 7. It is almost a decade newer chip than the A8 that was used in the original HomePod. The improved chip will surely bring better performance and improved sound reproduction.
Apple’s Spatial Audio system is also there in the HomePod 2 for offering immersive audio with either a single HomePod or with a stereo configuration. You can pair HomePod to Apple TV 4K and enjoy impressive TV audio via HomePod 2.
The number of microphones has also been decreased by two. So, the new HomePod has only a four-microphone array as compared to six microphone array in the predecessor.
The new HomePod features 802.11n Wi-Fi as compared to 802.11ac Wi-Fi in the original HomePod. Bluetooth 5.0 is the same that was in the original HomePod. The 2nd Gen HomePod also has Matter and Ultra Wideband for better connectivity and pairing. The Matter is a global smartphone standard that ensures that all smart home products talk to each other. So, HomePod 2 can now become a hub of your smart home design to control light bulbs, security cameras, and other accessories from other IoT companies.
Apple has also added temperature and humidity sensors to the HomePod 2. So, the new HomePod 2 can measure indoor levels. Users can ask Siri to know the room temperature and also set up automation based on the room data. It can also listen out for a smoke alarm or carbon dioxide alarm to send you notifications to alert you.
Sound
Apple has ditched two of the tweeters in the HomePod 2nd generation. But the company claims that the HomePod 2 will offer improved audio performance. The S7 chip will also have an important role to play in offering better audio performance. We will have to check and compare the sound performance when the device is available in the market. At this moment, I am believing what the company claimed in the market video.
Pricing
The original HomePod was launched at $349 but later the price was dropped to $299. The new HomePod is being launched at $299. So, pricing remains the same but the product has been improved. It is still a lot more expensive than HomePod Mini which costs $99. Although both the products offer different propositions, most people still think of buying the HomePod mini due to the cheaper price.
It is worth noting that you need an Apple device to set up and control the HomePod. So, buy it only if you have an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook.
Early verdict
I have not used the new HomePod, so I can’t how much better it sounds as compared to the previous HomePod. The previous HomePod was a good sounding smart speaker and the improved chip should make it better. The company has also added Matter support and Ultra Wideband to make the new one more appealing.
