HomePod 2023: 7 details that remained discreet about Apple's new speaker

A few hours after revealing hisnew Apple silicon M2 Pro and M2 Max SoCs, and thenew Macswho benefit from it, the Californian firm has carried out anew revelation. This one, rather unexpected, concerned Apple's music section. This is the arrival of a new product: a new generation HomePod. The latter arrives 5 years after the first generation HomePod.Released in 2017, the latter wasabandoned by the American company in 2021. So here he is reborn from his ashes in 2023.

Reading the official press release, it is difficult to detect the differences between the two generations of the speaker. But we found some by digging into the details. Here are 7 points that we consider important to note regarding this new Apple product.

Price change, and not for the better…

The new HomePod is displayed in France at349 €. It is€20 morethan the older generation. But you should know that across the Atlantic, the product has seen its price drop, and not just a little. When the old model sold for $349, the new one is now just299 $.

As with the iPhone 14, the $ to € conversion here is far from advantageous for those interested and located in Europe.

Collateral damage on the HomePod mini

The HomePod mini, unfortunately, follows this price increase in €. He went from99 to 109 €following the release of the 2nd generation HomePod. You're not going to like it once again, but know that in the United States, the price has not changed:it’s still $99…

Stereophony, yes, but…

The new HomePod can obviously serve as the basis for amultipoint broadcast system. Imagine enjoying two HomePod speakers, positioned on either side of your TV and providing beautiful stereo for your concerts, movies and favorite series.

But, because there is a but:impossible to mix different generations of HomePodfor such an installation. In short, don't expect to use your old HomePod speaker to link it with a new one and create a stereophonic audio system.

On the other hand, it is possible to create a multi-room broadcast with a HomePod from 2017 and a HomePod from 2023, each positioned in a different place in the house, for example. Multiroom broadcasting does not require modifying the audio as does stereophonic broadcasting mode.

Not for old iPhones and iPads

The new Apple speaker is compatible with iPhone SE 2 and 8 and newer models. For iPad, you need an iPad Pro, an iPad 5, iPad Air 3 or iPad mini 5 or a newer iPad model.

Furthermore,iOS 16 (or iPadOS 16) is essentialto configure the HomePod version 2023. The latter is also compatible with the home automation standardMatterand ingests a fleaUWB, which allows it to quickly connect to any device (also integrating the UWB component) by simply bringing it together.

Less well endowed?

By reading the technical sheet of the new HomePod, we realize that the latter only counts5 tweeters when his ancestor had 7. For internal microphones, the count is also different: 5 microphones listed for the 2023 HomePod, 6 for the 2017 HomePod.

Spotify (and other services) better supported

The list of features of the HomePod gen. 2 also indicates compatibility with third-party music services and radio stations. Which means better integration of Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and others, and in particular the possibility, we hope, of asking Siri on the HomePod to play music from Spotify.

Speaker, but also weather station

Unlike the old generation, the new HomePod integratestemperature, humidity and acceleration sensors. It can also recognize sounds, like the iPhone, and thus alert you if a baby is crying in the room, or if a dog is barking, among other things.

And bonus

We counted the centimeters and noticed that the newly announced HomePod is a little smaller than its predecessor: 169 cm high compared to 172 for the old version of the speaker. The diameter has not changed: 142 mm. In terms of weight, the change is also slight: the beast loses 200 g from one generation to the next.

Apple's new HomePod will be available to order from February 3. It is available in two finishes, Midnight and White.

Have you already planned to get one or more HomePod speaker(s)?

Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.