HomePods have been around for a while now – are there updates coming? Will Apple announce updates to these popular speakers during the October 2020 event?
Review some of the best features of these amazing speakers while building a wish list for HomePod 2.
HomePod integration with Siri and Apple Music
The HomePod speakers are amazing if you have an Apple Music subscription as the integration to this paid service is quite seamless. Siri was pretty good when the HomePod first came out but alas, recently with the introduction of more languages and newer features Siri recognition has been a bit not so good. For services other than Apple Music there is the Airplay 2 option which is also quite easy but not as seamless as Apple Music integration. Siri on the HomePod also integrates with the HomeKit and you can ask Siri to add appointments (provided you enable personal requests on your device) and also ask Siri to locate your phone. The next generation of HomePod should seamlessly integrate with the popular music services like Spotify, Tidal, IHeartRadio etc.
HomePod has amazing sound & microphones
The Apple HomePod has amazing sound – deep bass, 7 beam forming tweeters with its dedicated amplifier for that spatial feeling of high definition sound 360 degrees. Home pod features 6 microphones for better sound detection and communication with Siri. (My HomePod is a bit obstructed and some of the mics maybe getting blocked which may explain why Siri is having problems recognizing what I want.) Furthermore, two HomePods can be paired for a stereo experience and as mentioned previously Airplay 2 support is great. HomePod speakers support multi room audio as you can play the same audio from your streaming device to all HomePod speakers in your house. One thing to add about the microphones is that they can pickup commands even when the music is playing. The next. generation of HomePod could have even more power and support some virtual surround or something like Dolby Atmos.
HomePod feature the A8 chip
This feature give the speaker a lot of power and room for future software upgrades. Who knows but Apple may update the aging A8 with a newer chip for even more power soon. The faster the CPU the better the signal processing that minimizes distortion and enhances the sound.
HomePod design rocks
I like the compact design of the HomePod. The build quality and detail are very good and it does satisfy my simple, minimalist taste. There are no flashing lights and one can easily turn off the Siri activation on the touch sensitive top panel. The graphic effects when Siri is activated are quite cool. I turn off my touch to enable Siri as the kids go out of control with it :).
HomePod integrates with the Home app
To configure settings or control all theHomepod speakers in the house header to the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. That allows for updating, configuring and playing with your HomePod.
The skinny
The HomePod speaker is a well designed and is a fantastic sounding speaker, but imo it may not be for everyone. It is a must have if you have Apple iPhones or iPads and want or have an Apple Music subscription or are thinking of getting one. It is seamless with AirPlay2 and Siri and if you are fam of those technologies it is a definite purchase.
My wishlist for the next generation of HomePod
- Integration with Android devices along with Apple devices
- Better support for other music streaming services like Spotify and Tidal
- Support for High definition audio – there are a variety of formats in this realm including Hi-Res audio.
- Easier way of interacting with the HomePod and controlling it (other than the Home app)
- Future version of the HomePod could have sound equalizers for configuring the speaker based on the content being played. Having some manual control over bass, treble, midrange would be nice via an app is a big advantage.
- HomePod 2 should be able to be connected and used as a bluetooth speaker with devices that don’t support Airplay or Airplay2 (Android again!).
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Onwards,
–Gary Saggu
Read my article on the new Apple Watch Series 6 here
Read my extensive review of tvOS14 here
Gary Saggu has been coding since the 80’s. He has been programming in C, C++,C#, Java, Objective C and Swift for many years. He has an interest in tech startups, blockchain & big-data technologies. He is a certified Yoga instructor & a scuba diver. Visit Gary Saggu’s tech blog here. Check out my new app Yogamap.
