Apple unveiled the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, smartphones yesterday. At the event, the company also announced the all-new HomePod mini smart speaker. As the name suggests, it is a smaller edition of the HomePod that went on sale in India in May 2020 with a price tag of Rs 19,900.
Also read: iPhone 11 gets a massive price cut in India, iPhone XR and iPhone SE 2020 prices also slashed
Priced at almost half the price of the original model, the HomePod mini that comes with the Siri voice assistant and smart home capabilities. Also, the device sports an attractive compact design.
HomePod mini specifications and features
The HomePod mini offers 360-degree sound output
The HomePod mini is half the size of the original HomePod and it weighs 345 grams. The globe-shaped design allows the smart speaker to deliver 360-degree audio output. The device is equipped with a full-range driver, dual passive radiators, and four far-field microphones. It supports music playback through streaming platforms like Apple Music, iHeartradio, radio.com, and TuneIn.
At the top of the device is a backlit touch panel that gives access to volume controls, play, and pause. It lights up when the user communicates with Siri. The voice assistant can be used for controlling music and personal updates. It can even recognize the speaker and accordingly provide music suggestions. Apple has said that the Siri requests are not associated with the Apple IDs of the users. The Siri shortcuts created on iPhone and iPads will work with HomePod mini. The smart speaker can also play relaxing ambient sounds like rain, a fireplace, and so on.
It features the Apple A5 processor that also powers the Apple Watch Series 5. The presence of the U1 UWB (Ultrawide Band) chip allows the device to sync with iPhone 11 or later that are equipped with a U1 chip. This allows the HomePod mini to offer a seamless handoff experience with visual, audible, and haptic effects and personalized listening suggestions. It also carries support for Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
There is a new Intercom feature available on the HomePod to mini that makes it possible to relay the same message to connected HomePods. Intercom functions also work with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay through Intercom notifications. Receivers can also respond to the Intercom messages. The retail package of the HomePod mini includes a 20W power adapter.
HomePod mini price in India
The HomePod mini is priced at Rs 9,900 in India and it will be for pre-orders from November 6th. It comes in colours like White and Space Grey. The sales of HomePod mini are set to begin on November 16th.