If you got a new Amazon Echo Dot for Christmas, consider turning it off. Chances are you got the device as a gift, opened it immediately, and got to work asking about the weather, movie facts, and told it to sing a song. If you're like me, chances are you then sat the device on a shelf and forgot about it. It's probably still powered up and listening to you right now.
Apple made big and still doubted claims about reducing electronic waste when it removed the charger and EarPods from the Apple 12 packaging. It isn't, however, applying that same logic across all its devices, at least not yet. The HomePod mini, for example, ships with its own power brick, and you can use only that to sufficiently power up the smart speaker. At least that was until a firmware update a few weeks back that added a new feature without anyone even noticing it.
Apple was terribly late to the smart speaker party and even when the HomePod finally landed, it was initially a disappointment when it came to Siri's usefulness and control of smart home appliances. It definitely got better over time but its competitors have moved on to bigger and smaller smart speakers. At long last, Apple finally bit back with the HomePod mini but the smart speaker is reportedly giving new owners more headaches than the $99 speaker is worth because of intermittent and inexplicable Internet connection problems.
Apple is not a fan of unauthorized or third-party repairs. While legislation on the right to repair still hangs in limbo, the company is doing every bit it can to at least discourage untrained hands from taking a whack at it. Sometimes it comes via some arbitrary software certification, other times it is based on how difficult it is to open up a device. The new HomePod mini clearly falls in the latter category, making it nearly impossible to even replace the power cable.
Apple's iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini aren't the only new devices going up for preorder today, with some hotly-anticipated accessories either available for your shopping cart or promising to arrive there soon. The HomePod mini, the smaller version of its smart speaker, can be preordered now, while two iPhone 12 accessories are now listed as "coming soon" on Apple's site.
After nearly two years of no major movement in its smart speaker product line, which itself came years late to the market, Apple has finally announced a half-successor to the HomePod. The HomePod mini isn't due to ship until next month but isn't stopping Apple from pushing out a new version of its HomePod software that prepares for its arrival. Software version 14.1, however, which lines up with iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1, isn't just about the mini speaker but also introduces features that make all HomePods, and Siri, smarter.
Apple has wasted little time getting to the big announcements during its iPhone reveal event today, and it led the show with the confirmation we've all been waiting for: HomePod mini. As the name suggests, the HomePod mini is a smaller version of the HomePod, with Apple promising "amazing sound," from the speaker despite its tiny size.
On the eve of Apple's big iPhone reveal event for 2020, a new leak is claiming that the rumored HomePod mini and Apple TV will be host to some impressive tech. Specifically, the leak tells us that both of these products will act as Ultra Wideband (UWB) base-stations. When used in tandem with other devices using Apple's U1 chip, the HomePod mini and the new Apple TV will be able to track where those devices are.
Apple's much-rumored smaller smart speaker, the HomePod mini, could share the stage at the company's big iPhone 12 event next week if the latest rumors are to be believed. Kicking off at 10am PT on Tuesday, October 13, the "Hi, Speed" event will unsurprisingly be dominated by the new four-strong iPhone 12 range - complete with 5G and new camera features - but Apple is also said to be finally filling a long-empty gap in its line-up.
For years now, rumors have been claiming that Apple is working on its own pair of over-the-ear headphones, and it feels like we might finally be closing in on their reveal. No doubt that phrase has been uttered plenty of times over the past couple of years, but today, some intriguing evidence for the impending arrival of these headphones surfaced. As it turns out, Apple has stopped selling audio accessories from a number of third-party companies.
September is usually a big month for Apple in terms of new devices, and while the COVID-19 pandemic might have delayed some of the launches Apple had lined up for this fall, those device reveals are still on the way. A new report today is essentially preparing us for the slate of devices Apple will reveal at some point in the near future, with Apple apparently asking its suppliers to produce 75 million iPhones for this launch.
The HomePod was arguably one of the more divisive products Apple has launched in recent years, next to the Mac Pros, of course. It was terribly late to the smart speaker game and launched with a small set of features compared to the likes of the Amazon Echo or Google Home (now Nest Home). Still, the audio quality was regarded as superb and the quality experience was exactly what Apple was known for. Some, however, have started to wonder if the HomePod was a one-off product but recent changes to the operating system it's running may put those fears to rest.