Apple, at an online event today, announced a new smart speaker under the HomePod range. With the all-new HomePod Mini, Apple’s range of smart speaker becomes more affordable than ever. Apple HomePod mini aims to deliver an amazing audio quality with the help of advanced software and innovative technologies. Apple claims that all the user data on the HomePod Mini will be kept encrypted. It is just 3.3-inches tall and is powered by Apple’s S5 processor – the same chip that powers the recently launched Watch SE. Let’s have a detailed look at Apple HomePod Mini pricing and features,
Apple HomePod Mini: Price and Availability in India
Apple HomePod Mini comes with a $99 (approx Rs. 7,270) price tag in global markets, but it will retail in India for Rs. 9,900. It retails in White, and Space Grey color variants, and will be available for orders starting November 6th, while the shipping commences on November 16th in certain regions including India. HomePod Mini can be purchased from apple.com and Apple Authorised Resellers in India.
Apple HomePod Mini: Features
Starting things off with the design, the Apple HomePod Mini features a spherical design with a flat top and bottom. It has a mesh fabric design, and a small display on top to show the waveforms. The small display up top is touch-sensitive and offers a few shortcuts such as play/pause playback and volume controls. The speaker has a pair of force-canceling passive radiators along with an Apple-engineered full-range driver to provide deep bass and crisp high frequencies. Users can combine multiple HomePod Mini speakers together and stream music or podcasts across multiple rooms.
HomePod Mini comes with Apple’s virtual assistant Siri. With the intelligence of Siri, HomePod mini aims to deliver a personalized and deeply integrated experience to existing Apple users. Siri can identify the speaker and tailor music as per their preferences. Siri can also respond to personal requests, like answering phone calls, accessing messages, and calendar appointments. HomePod mini is designed to work with Apple Music, podcasts, radio stations from iHeartRadio, radio.com, and TuneIn. Apple will also add support for more popular music services including Pandora and Amazon Music in the future.
Apple’s new HomePad Mini focuses on privacy, and the company will store the audio with users’ consent only. HomePod Mini can also be used as a hub for smart home products, Users can simply ask Siri to turn off the lights, change the temperature, lock the doors, or set a scene with the help of voice commands. Apple is introducing an all-new Intercom feature that offers a quick and easy way for family members to connect with each other at home. Intercom works with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay.
HomePod mini is compatible with devices running iOS 14, which include iPhone SE, iPhone 6s or later, 7th generation iPod Touch, iPad Pro, 5th gen iPad, iPad Air 2 or later, iPad mini 4 or later running iPadOS 14.
