Core values

Apple’s revamped HomePod smart speaker off ers attractive sound quality, but its Apple-centric focus remains frustrating for Cliff Joseph

- Cliff Joseph

It’s probably safe to say the original HomePod (HFC 444) wasn’t as successful as Apple had hoped it would be. It was quietly dropped a couple of years ago and replaced by the more affordable HomePod mini, whose £99 price tag ensured that it received a much more favourable reception. Perhaps encouraged by the success of the HomePod mini, Apple has now launched a new version of the original HomePod, which now comes with a modest £20 price cut.

At first glance, the new HomePod looks identical to its predecessor, but there is a number of differences, both inside and out. The cylindrical design and mesh fabric cover look familiar, but it is now available in white or ‘midnight’ grey. It’s also slightly smaller. The power is now detachable. The silicon-rubber base has also been altered to eliminate the smudge marks that were left on furniture by the original.

More important are the changes on the inside. The basic design remains unchanged, with a circular array of tweeters located in the base, while a single upwards-firing bass driver sits at the top. Surprisingly, this second-generation HomePod actually reduces the number of tweeters from seven to five. Apple argues the overall sound quality has improved, thanks to the new ‘computational audio’ features controlled by its S7 processor. This utilises four microphones that can monitor the way that sound is refl ected from surfaces in the room and adjusts the audio accordingly. A fifth mic is used solely for Bass-EQ, and tweaks the bass depending on whether the HomePod is close to a wall or has more space around it.