2023 HomePod: how to preorder Apple’s newest smart speaker

The second-generation HomePod is a follow-up to Apple’s authentic system from 2018, and whereas it mimics the design of the unique (learn: discontinued) mannequin, some important {hardware} enhancements make Apple’s forthcoming automation hub value wanting into.

The largest and maybe most blatant improve to the brand new HomePod is its Thread help and Matter compatibility, which permits the speaker to speak with different Matter-compatible units and offers seamless connectivity and stability throughout your property community. The 2023 HomePod additionally options an upgraded S7 CPU, first seen within the Apple Watch Sequence 7, which ought to assist the system maintain tempo with different good residence units.

Curiously, Apple has scaled down the variety of audio system and microphones included within the new HomePod. In keeping with Apple, nevertheless, Siri will be capable to acknowledge totally different voices and supply personalised responses, which ought to assist iron out a number of the points we had with the unique HomePod. The brand new good speaker can have spatial audio help via Dolby Atmos, too, and Apple claims that the brand new mannequin can regulate its sound by dynamically sensing the place its positioned in a room. Additionally, similar to the unique, you’ll be capable to pair two HomePods collectively for stereo sound and use them as audio system for an Apple TV 4K.

As for different new additions, the brand new HomePod incorporates a built-in temperature and humidity sensor that may be linked to set off different good residence units. The HomePod Mini apparently additionally has this function, though it may’t be utilized in the identical vogue.