HomePod (second generation): technical sheet, price and reviews

At the start of 2024, Apple surprised everyone by renewing the HomePod when everything indicated that onlythe small model, with the suffix “mini”, would survive. This will not be the case: the second generation of the wired speaker, announced as ideal to go with an iPhone, is here. Has the bet paid off? Let's take stock.

1 – The sound: we say yes

This is perhaps the most important concept, even beyond simple technical characteristics. What is the sound of HomePod worth? All the tests carried out so far are unanimous: this is the best Apple speaker ever designed. The MacBook Pros already sound very good, but here the manufacturer offers us tailor-made equipment which is dedicated solely to listening in a room. The result is stunning, with deep bass that has almost nothing to envy of mainstream audio specialists.

The highs are also relatively clear, and we see that the music is faithful to the original productions, even at low volume. What's more, as the HomePod 2 has a circular format, it is ideal for sound in a living room of a few dozen square meters. On the other hand, we bitterly regret that the beast only works on mains: this will require you to have an extension cord in the middle of the room. Otherwise, the bass is of course much more galloping in a corner.

2 – Design your HomePod 2

Minimalist, clean, but heavy. Here's how to describe the design of the second generation HomePod in a few words. Apple's speaker has nothing to envy of the competition, and even has a very pretty colored touchpad at the top. On the other hand, you will only be able to purchase the speaker in black or white. That's all.

Dimensions and weight of HomePod 2024:

• 142mm diameter
• 168 mm today
• 2,3 kg

3 – Improvements compared to the first HomePod

Apple says HomePod now integrates better with third-party streaming services, understand non-Apple Music. Spotify, Tidal and Deezer are affected. With this, you should know that the new HomePod 2 is also a weather station: you can use it to measure the temperature or humidity in your home. This was not the case with the first generation.

The second generation of HomePod is also a little lighter than its predecessor. Moreover, be aware that the technical characteristics are almost identical tothose of the previous HomePod.

4 – Voice and touch controls

The 2024 HomePod can be controlled either by voice, with the proprietary voice assistant Siri, or with the trackpad installed on its top. The latter allows you to change the volume or pause the playback of a track. Otherwise, be aware that most orders are also transferred to your computer, tablet or mobile depending on the app you use. Of course, you will need to have an Apple device, otherwise the possibilities will be very limited.

5 – Compatibility: connect to HomePod 2024 with an iPhone

At Apple, here are the mobiles compatible with the HomePod 2:

• iPhone SE 2 and third generation iPhone SE
• iPhone 8 et iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max et iPhone XR
• all generations from iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro

6 – Prix

The HomePod 2 is sold for 349 euros.

7 – Our opinion on the second generation HomePod

To conclude, we can say that the HomePod is the best in terms of connected speaker. But only if you're already a fan of the Apple ecosystem, otherwise the experience may be disastrous. In any case, Apple knows which audience to target, and the value proposition of its smart speaker is faithful to the music delivered. Only downside: the price, more expensive than the first HomePod unfortunately.