Apple debuted the HomePod mini in October with a brand new spherical design and an impressive list of features and specs of $ 99- $ 200 less than the price of its bigger brother. Read on for a detailed comparison of HomePod mini and HomePod.
Update 15/03/21: Now that the original HomePod has been discontinued, you may be wondering if it’s worth picking up one (or more?) Before it’s completely sold out. Or maybe you’re just curious about the unique features of the larger HomePod, such as Dolby Atmos, spatial awareness and a richer sound.
We’ve updated this article – especially the differences and closing sections – with more context in light of the HomePod strike.
HomePod mini vs HomePod
What is the same?
HomePod mini contains most of the HomePod features in a smaller spherical design that holds the same touch-sensitive top for operation. It especially includes enhancements that HomePod does not include such as the U1 ultra wideband chip and wire. The U1 slide can enable an enhanced handover that you will “feel” as well as personal listening suggestions on your iPhone when you are near HomePod mini.
Apple shared a brief overview comparing the two:
It’s great that the Intercom feature is available for both the new HomePod mini and the existing HomePod. Most of the other key features of the original HomePod are with the mini audio room, audio support, stereo hub, 360-degree audio, far-field microphones for Siri support, computer audio and more.
Differences
Dolby Atmos, spatial awareness, more
Back in November with tvOS 14.2, Apple released the option to set two HomePods as standard for Apple TV audio and enjoy stereo as well as surround sound with Dolby Atmos (you can also use Atmos with just one HomePod, Apple TV 4K need). The new feature is great, but strange given the discontinuation of HomePod and the fact that Apple did not make it available for HomePod mini.
Spatial awareness is also unique to the original HomePod, allowing it to customize sound based on its environment.
The HomePod mini technology specification page does not mention the inclusion of direct and surround sound beamforming that supports HomePod, and the smaller speaker has 4 fielded microphones, instead of the 6 on HomePod.
Sound: output and quality
The other big difference is going to be in HomePod, including a woofer and seven-series tweeter setup, while HomePod mini uses a ‘full range driver and dual passive coolers’. This means that it may not fit the original audio performance of the HomePod as a whole.
I’ve been using HomePod and HomePod mini for a while now. HomePod mini certainly gives impressive sound for its size, but the original HomePod offers much richer, fuller sound. For me, HomePod is ideal for larger spaces such as living rooms, kitchens, etc., while HomePod mini fits better with smaller spaces.
Especially when you press the volume on HomePod mini, the sound feels noticeably thinner to me than on HomePod, which is understandable in light of the hardware differences.
I absolutely think that HomePod mini is better than similar small smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo Dot. But it just can not replace HomePod when it comes to full-range audio.
Here’s how Apple describes the sound of HomePod mini:
Full of innovation, the HomePod mini delivers unexpectedly great sound for a speaker of its size. It is only 3.3 centimeters long and takes up almost no space, but fills the entire room with a rich 360-degree sound that sounds amazing from every angle.
As for processors, Apple’s S5 chip that powers the Series 5 Apple Watch is used for the HomePod mini, but HomePod uses the A8 chip.
Back
In particular, HomePod mini has wire functionality, while HomePod does not. This is a P2P communication protocol of the next generation smartphone that could be the future of HomeKit. Read more below for a detailed look at what Thread is and why it is valuable:
Size
In terms of size, HomePod mini comes 3.3 inches (84.3 mm) tall, 3.9 inches (97.9 mm) wide and weighs just 345 grams.
HomePod is 172 mm high and 142 mm wide and weighs 2.5 kg.
HomePod mini vs HomePod wrap-up
At $ 99, HomePod mini fits a variety of good use cases where HomePod is too much for rooms, apartments and other settings. It also looks like an excellent value for those who want to stay in the Apple ecosystem without dropping $ 200- $ 300 on HomePod.
Worth picking up a terminated HomePod?
This is a loaded question, but it may be worth choosing a discontinued HomePod if you are a dedicated Apple Music user who appreciates Dolby Atmos support and the overall fuller, richer sound. If you do, HomePod offers the best experience with built-in Siri.
While stocks last, you can find HomePod at Apple (white available, sold out black) and retailers like Best Buy.
But there are a number of unknowns. Apple said they would support the original HomePod with software updates and service, but did not say exactly how long (historically, Apple is really good at this).
Other factors include whether Apple Atmos support for HomePod mini could start with a software update, no Thread support for the original HomePod, and in general you would rather invest in something like the Sonos Arc Atmos game bar, Five or other speakers that have not been discontinued?
FTC: We use revenue to earn automatically affiliate links. More.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: