Apple HomePod Mini $20 GC with purchase

Starting this fall, Apple said you’ll be able to select the HomePod Mini as the speaker for your Apple TV 4K.

Apple TV to support using HomePod Mini as speakers, among other updates

Do you lose any feature by not having a Home-kit enabled device? I only have iPhone at the moment. Considering getting an Apple TV 4K which would be the Home-kit device, but until then...

Edit: Maybe I'm reading it wrong, can the mini actually be the home hub itself?

Dhanushan wrote: ↑ Starting this fall, Apple said you’ll be able to select the HomePod Mini as the speaker for your Apple TV 4K.

Apple TV to support using HomePod Mini as speakers, among other updates

Are you not able to use Homepod mini currently as tv speakers? I read this was already being done, with apple tv

Also, wouldn't there be lag since wireless?

blyndfyre wrote: ↑ Do you lose any feature by not having a Home-kit enabled device? I only have iPhone at the moment. Considering getting an Apple TV 4K which would be the Home-kit device, but until then...

mainly, a homekit hub allows you to talk to your accessories while you are outside your home. So you can open the garage door to let somebody in, for example while you are away from the house. You need something that's always on, sitting inside your house. Homepod is perfect for that, so is Apple TV. You can use a iPad but you want something that's always inside the house ideally

I've been pretty Apple fanboyish lately, but the HomePod just isn't compatible with enough devices as most are just Alexa/Google Home out of the box. Doesn't help that you can get a Google Home or Alexa for free or around $30 or less during sales.

That said, if you have other Apple devices beyond the watch/iphone then I can see how it would be useful.

RiCHC3 wrote: ↑ I've been pretty Apple fanboyish lately, but the HomePod just isn't compatible with enough devices as most are just Alexa/Google Home out of the box. Doesn't help that you can get a Google Home or Alexa for free or around $30 or less during sales.

That said, if you have other Apple devices beyond the watch/iphone then I can see how it would be useful.

The big feature is the sound quality vs the other smaller speakers.

True - apple user here but not into the mini, i have a couple of the OG Homepod's and the sound quality at its size can't be beat. (got mine used on FB marketplace, I'd never pay retail - its overpriced)

LOL i thought the mini would be similarly priced the same as google mini and echo mini. didn't realize it wasn't pretty expensive if the features are similar.

Kijana wrote: ↑ True - apple user here but not into the mini, i have a couple of the OG Homepod's and the sound quality at its size can't be beat. (got mine used on FB marketplace, I'd never pay retail - its overpriced)

Completely agree. Gotta watch for them on deep discount but there is no comparison in sound between mini and OG (I have both)

RiCHC3 wrote: ↑ I've been pretty Apple fanboyish lately, but the HomePod just isn't compatible with enough devices as most are just Alexa/Google Home out of the box. Doesn't help that you can get a Google Home or Alexa for free or around $30 or less during sales.

That said, if you have other Apple devices beyond the watch/iphone then I can see how it would be useful.

My house is actually a mix of Homekit and Alexa devices. So I think setting up the homepod as a hub is worthwhile. I like Homekit because you don't need to install any third party apps, and I can use Apple Scripting/Shortcuts tied to my iDevices For example, I bought that Refoss Homekit garage door opener, and I have it set so that it checks the state of the garage door when both iPhones leave the house. I also have other scripts and it's nice to be able to control those with Siri on my iwatch.

I do agree though, the price of the Homepod is a bit high and it's annoying that I can't use other services like Spotify with them. But I'm seeing the value more as I add more Homekit stuff into my house because they work so well in the ecosystem

Dhanushan wrote: ↑ Starting this fall, Apple said you’ll be able to select the HomePod Mini as the speaker for your Apple TV 4K.

Apple TV to support using HomePod Mini as speakers, among other updates

You could always use a HomePod or HomePod Mini as a speaker. I am using it since it’s launch.

Only thing thing they recently added to Apple TV recently was ARC support and option to make a HomePod speaker default.

But you will be underwhelmed, 2 in stereo cost almost as much as decent sound-bar which gives more room filling rich sound. One is just slightly better than internal TV speaker.

Yeah, there are better options for soundbars. Sonos is expensive but they offer more complete solutions if you want a whole house smart solution.

It seemed like Apple had a vision for the future of TV (as per Job's original comment "We've cracked it"). Seems like whatever they had planned just fizzled out. Apple TV turned out a hobby rather than the giant killing device they probably intended it to be. Homepod flopped after being priced too high and too closed in.