The smart speaker industry started in 2014 with Amazon’s Echo. Essentially a speaker and a digital assistant in one device, the smart speaker uses Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. With a smart speaker, users can play streaming music, hear the weather, get the latest news reports, find out if their home teams won yesterday, control their smart home appliances and much more. And these devices are now offered in different styles and prices so that almost everyone can own one or more smart speakers in their home.
The HomePod mini gets an important new feature that Apple did not bother to mention with the latest update
Apple entered the arena for smart speakers when it unveiled the HomePod in 2017. After a delay, the product finally started shipping in February 2018. Apple’s version of the smart speaker was ambitious; eight speakers came with the product. With the HomePod, Apple swung to the fences and priced it at $ 349. Keep in mind that the less functional Amazon Echo Dot list is for $ 50 and can often be offered for sale during the holidays at half the price.
A Reddit user drives his HomePod mini with an 18W power bank
Amazon and Google were a reflection on the two biggest manufacturers of smart speakers. Pricing is, of course, an important reason why this is the case. Apple eventually dropped the price to $ 299, but it could not ignite a spark among buyers. So this year, Apple has tried a different tactic. It launched the HomePod mini, a smaller and less ambitious smart speaker at a much more reasonable price of $ 99. Shipping began last month and although the timing was not perfect, the device would be under many Christmas trees this year. could be found.
Apple recently released the HomePod 14.3 update and it includes support for 18W charging, but not for the reason you would expect. The HomePod mini has been launched with a 20W adapter in the holder and the device needs at least 20W to function. Because the update reduced it to 18W, HomePod mini owners now have a wider range of adapters and chargers to choose from. According to The 8-bit (via AppleInsider), Apple never changed the support notes that accompanied the update to mention this change. It was actually discovered by some Reddit users (who were probably told by their parents that they would never get anything) who tested 18W power banks with the HomePod mini and discovered that it works. The smart speaker can therefore be used as a mobile device (with a nearby Wi-Fi signal, or via your iPhone with AirPlay 2).
If you were to use an 18W adapter to turn on your HomePod mini, an orange light would glow that the smart speaker had a stupid owner who could not read that 20W was needed to run the device. But there’s one more warning. Not all 18W power adapters will work even after the update. If you’ve been lucky enough to buy back the iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max on the day when Apple included a charger with its handsets in the holder, it’s definitely going to work with the HomePod mini.
Audiofiles may hear 360-degree sounds that Apple says will fill an entire room. But alas, this is just one feature of a smart speaker. Many of the tasks you want to do with your HomePod mini require you to use the digital assistant. In this case, you should use Siri which pales in comparison to Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa.
We do not want to be accused of bullying, but we must remind you that you must first install the 14.3 update before you can use your HomePod mini at 18W. To do this, make sure your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac is updated to their latest version. Open the Home app. Go home Institutions > Software update. If an update is available, click Install.
