Apple HomePod 2: Stunning New $299 Speaker Suddenly Confirmed In Surprise Reveal

Apple HomePod 2nd generation.

Apple

Apple just made a surprise announcement: a new HomePod smart speaker. While it was thought that a successor to the original HomePod was coming, the timing was unexpected.

The first HomePod was Apple’s large smart speaker, released almost five years ago in early 2018. Reviews were mixed about how smart the speaker was, but almost unanimous in one regard: the audio quality was fantastic. Pricing was at the higher end of smart speakers at $349.

New price

Apple then released the HomePod mini in 2020, and there the price was very keen: $99. Such was the success of the mini that the original was phased out and discontinued in 2021. Now, it’s back with a vengeance and the pricing matches that of the last time the full-size HomePod was on sale: $299.

New but familiar design

The HomePod 2nd generation, as it’s correctly named, is a full-size speaker that looks at first glance just like the original. Well, there’s one obvious difference, the color. Instead of white and space gray choices, you can have white or midnight a much darker shade than space gray, with color-matched woven power cable.

Different display

The display sits a little lower than on the original, that is the mesh fabric sits a little higher. And as a result the new touch-surface on top has a screen that squeaks out to the edges, unlike the first-gen model.

New audio

The first HomePod sounded sensational but Apple says the combination of “a custom-engineered high-excursion woofer, powerful motor that drives the diaphragm a remarkable 20mm, built-in bass-EQ mic, and beamforming array of five tweeters around the base,” will provide “a groundbreaking listening experience.”

The new speaker contains the S7 chip, that’s the one first found in the Apple Watch Series 7. Like the previous version, it has room-sensing technology to direct audio according to the situation it’s in.

New sensor

The new Apple HomePod has a new temperature and humidity sensor so it can close the blinds if a certain temperature is reached, for instance. It’s a sign that Apple is ramping up the smart home capabilities of the speaker.

Matter

And as if to confirm that, Apple says the new HomePod “connects to and controls Matter-enabled accessories, and serves as an essential home hub, giving users access when away from home.”

Ambient sounds

If you use ambient sounds on the HomePod (no, me neither), they’ve been remastered, like ocean, forest, and rain and can be added to sounds to scenes, automations, and—get this—alarms.

Sound Recognition

This is cool: the new Apple HomePod has Sound Recognition. It means the speaker can listen out for the sound of a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide sensor and if it hears it, send a notification to a user’s iPhone.

The new HomePod will be out on February 3 and, since it needs iOS 16.3, we can expect that update by then, too.