I used Homepods since the launch, and here is what I want to see from a HomePod Mini 2 – and what we really expect
Apple’s next big iPhone event arrives on September 9, and we expect a wave of new products – the iPhone 17 in several flavors, Apple Watch Series 11, AirPods Pro 3… But there have also been rumors of a new HomePod Mini 2, and perhaps a new larger homepod model.
I’m a fan of Apple’s Homepod range from the start, thanks to their surprisingly wide sound scene, its impressive level of detail and their relatively compact size. The particular homepod mini was my configuration of an office speaker for a long time, in a stereo pair – I think that a pair is the best small configuration you can get for the price.
But despite how much I like the current HomePod Mini, there is certainly room for improvement – for IT and the biggest HomePod 2. Of course, there is no guarantee that what I want to see and we will really have a crossroads, and therefore I divide this article in the middle.
The first is what I hope that Apple will change, mix thoughts both on the larger HomePod and HomePod 2; And the second is what seems more likely that Apple will change, depending on rumors and the general direction of the wind.
I must mention here that I am really not sure that new HomePods appear at this event – for me, it would be logical to wait until the new SIRI fueled by AI is ready and to publish them with this as a big update. That could Be at this event, but I think it is more likely to be closer to Christmas.
What I want to see
1. Solid reliability of rock in reading music
I mentioned above that the Homepod Mini was My configuration of office speaker for a long time. It is no longer, and it is because over time, they have become more glitch and more glitch when they play music.
The streaming above the airy of my phone stupid and would delay, and during streaming directly on the speakers, they would abandon some time, and could be stuck with songs on a loop when they return, when they are supposed to play a mixing mixture of an Apple music station.
I went to an ERA 100 of Sonos, still mainly used on Airplay, and that never has a problem – in the same room, on the same wireless network. I found that the same thing happened with HomePod 2 – and none of the two products started wobbly. They worsened over time with the updates and were sometimes better for a while, then slide.
One of the reasons for AirPods’ huge success is that their connectivity is as solid as the best wireless headphones, and that has been from the start. Faithful and reliable – Homepods must be the same.
2. Bluetooth and wired music entrance
Having these options would help with the above reliability element, in fact – as something to withdraw – but I have them as a separate entrance because I want them for their own reasons.
Not all houses are 100% Apple, so having Bluetooth for Android users and Windows makes HomePods much more attractive overall. We recommend the HomePod Mini as the little most to sound option in our Guide of the best wireless speakers, but we must obviously be very careful because it is only useful for Apple users.
A way for Android users to activate and connect to it would just make it an excellent speaker overall, fewer warnings required.
And with the continuous popularity of the best decks, Apple lacks a trick by having no way of using HomePods as speakers for vinyl – this means that they will always be excluded as the main speakers of anyone who is or who wants to return to the world of physical media.
A homepods depods pair – one or the other flavor – could be one of the most valid stereo pairs for anyone With a limited space if they were more flexible.
3. A longer cable option
Speaking of flexibility … One of the best silent changes in HomePod 2 compared to the original homepod was the use of a removable standard power cable, so if you needed a longer cord to position it in a clumsy place, you could get there.
The HomePod Mini uses a USB-C cable for power, but it is a captive cable, which means that it is permanently fixed to the speaker. This means that you can only go any longer if you buy a USB-C extension cable, which exists-but it is always boring quite boring for a small speaker.
It’s great that you can slip it almost everywhere in your room in a purely physical sense, but it must be Really near a USB-C power source. Go to the use of a standard USB-C connection where the cable also connects to the body! Give us a cable in the box, yes-but also will allow us to go online and enter a regular USB-C 12 feet for cheap if we want to put the HomePod mini somewhere far from a point of sale.
4. Dolby atmosphere FlexConnect support
It’s a long time – I certainly don’t expect to see this, but I would love it. FlexConnect is a new intelligent Dolby technology that uses the fact that Dolby Atmos does not require defined speakers’ investments (because sound exists in a 3D virtual environment, rather than five or seven specific channels that are supposed to be placed in special positions) to give you freedom where you place the speakers, while getting something like a good soundtrack.
It is perfect for compact houses, or wherever you just can’t adapt to a serious system. The idea is that you can simply put speakers wherever you have space, and the system will map their locations using intelligent audio recognition technology, then diet their output to create the best surround sound version that it can use these positions.
In collaboration with the Apple TV 4K, it could be a really pleasant addition, and would make HomePods a more tempting alternative to a sound bar than now, for people who do not want to face another large box near their television. Here is our full explanator for Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, and our recent experience with the first FlexConnect speakers available in the trade.
What we really expect
1. More intelligent domestic center capacities
The HomePod has always seemed to be a key element of Apple smart house plans, offering a useful way to send you orders to Smart Home Tech from anywhere, even if technology did not connect to the Internet, the HomePod acting as a checkpoint.
We don’t really know how Apple would improve what the Homepod Mini can already do in this regard, but it has been strongly supposed to be a large part of Apple’s plans.
There are certain technical possibilities – including the offer of wireless protocols such as ZigBee – but Apple could also add a small more useful screen on the top, which could show useful information for the smart home, such as current temperature (the current model has temperature and humidity sensors, but you must request the data or display it on another device).
It could even include movement detection or other useful sensors, potentially.
2. Sound improved
As I’ve alluded before, I think the HomePod Mini sounds well even to this day, for such a small speaker. Its outing is incredibly full at all frequencies, and it is also damn clear. Personally, I don’t need It is a sound to improve – but obviously, I will accept it.
I am sure that Apple will have a new speaker driver and a new audio processor to give it an additional depth and detail step. I would not bet on the support of Dolby Atmos, like Big Homepod, but it is not impossible.
3. A new processor
The HomePod Mini should have a new, more powerful chip inside, based on more recent Apple Watch fleas – and this could help open its capacities for other sensors. Better connectivity or more intelligent audio processing.
It can also use Apple’s modern technology, first seen on the iPhone 16th. Again, the advantages for us are not yet clear.
4. More colors
Apple has made an intelligent decision by introducing new funky colors of the HomePod Mini after its launch – it is expected that a new version is delivered with new shades.
Again, there is very little information on what would be.
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