Apple was still keeping, after yesterday, a surprise, return to your HomePod catalog, your full-size smart speaker. I’m still wondering why Cupertino decided to one day separate the launch of the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, as well as the new MacBook Pro 14 and 16 and the jump to M2 of the Mac mini from this new announcement. , which occurred just over an hour ago.
The first generation Homepod was the first smart speaker from Apple, whose experience until then in terms of speakers was limited to Apple HiFi, a device designed specifically for the iPod with a design that did not leave you indifferent and a sound quality more than the height. I had it, at the time, and of the ones I had tried so far, it was by far the best bass reproducing single speaker system, by far.
However, for whatever reasons and only a few months after the release of the HomePod Mini, Apple removed the original HomePod from its catalog. At that time, there was speculation about the imminent arrival of its second generation, but this did not happen, which for many meant the final goodbye to said proposal. Or so it seemed, until last summer, when rumors returned that a new generation was on the way.
Unlike what is usual for the brand, however, we have not had new, more recent leaks that confirm its return, advance elements of its design, put us on the track of its presentation date, and so on. On this occasion Cupertino has managed to keep the secret and, by choosing to present it just the day after yesterday’s announcements, it has managed to draw our attention even more in a launch that, by itself, is already very interesting. .
Aesthetically, as you will have already seen in the images, we are facing a design similar to that of the previous generation, with the only difference that the space gray model of the previous one has been replaced by the Midnight tone. The novelties, as surely you have already imagined, are found inside.
The key to the new HomePod is marked by its sound quality. It integrates, how could it be otherwise, a specific bass speaker, a motor that drives the 20-millimeter diaphragm, an integrated microphone with an equalization system and a set of five tweeters with beamforming technology. This entire set is commanded by an integrated Apple S7 that, in addition to controlling the operation of each of the speakers integrated into the HomePod, is also responsible for managing the software that allows it to function and that provides it with interesting functions.
The most notable is, without a doubt, its spatial detection technology. With it, the HomePod detects if the sound it is emitting bounces off a nearby surface. So that? To determine if it has been placed next to a wall or with nothing around, something that allows you to adjust the properties of the sound it emits in real time, adapting it to the context. As you know, the dynamics of the bass tones vary greatly depending on whether there is a vertical surface nearby or not, and in this case the speaker will dynamically adapt what it emits to that circumstance.
Among its smart speaker functions, that is, those that go beyond playing music, this new HomePod has the ability to recognize sounds, so it is capable of identifying smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, notifying them of their activation. to the user’s iPhone. It also integrates a temperature and humidity sensor that can be used to create smart home automations that respond to readings from these environmental factors. All of this, of course, largely commanded by Siri, which is obviously still present in this second-generation HomePod.
Now available to reserve on the Apple website, and with a launch date for February 3, Apple has increased the price of the second-generation Apple HomePod by only 20 euros compared to its predecessor, so you can get him for 349 euros.
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