Latest news with #HomePodMini
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Apple's next-gen TV 4K and HomePod Mini 2 likely coming later this year
Apple is reportedly working to expand its smart home ecosystem with new devices expected to launch later this year. According to a report by 9To5Mac, the company is preparing refreshed versions of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini, both likely to feature key internal hardware upgrades — potentially to support Apple Intelligence. While Apple was also expected to unveil a dedicated hub for its Home devices in 2025, development delays may push that launch to a later Apple Home devices: What to expectApple TV 4K:The next-generation Apple TV 4K is likely to bring notable hardware improvements over the current model. The report suggests it may be powered by either the A18 or A17 Pro chip, offering a performance leap from the A15 Bionic found in the existing model. The new chip is expected to support Apple Intelligence features, although Apple has yet to outline how these will be implemented in tvOS READ: Apple iPad Pro 2025: M5 chip to dual front cameras, check expected upgradesAnother expected change is the inclusion of a built-in camera, which could enable FaceTime support natively on tvOS. Additionally, the new Apple TV 4K may include Apple's custom-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, this upgrade could allow the device to integrate more tightly with other Apple home devices and improve data mini 2:Apple is also anticipated to unveil the next-generation HomePod Mini by the end of 2025. The report notes that this model could be equipped with a newer S-series chip — possibly the S9 or S10 used in recent Apple Watch models — which may allow it to handle select Apple Intelligence READ: Google adds 'AI Mode' option upfront on Android Search widget: Details hereMoreover, the HomePod Mini 2 is expected to incorporate Apple's in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, potentially enabling support for newer wireless standards like Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7, along with more seamless connectivity across Apple's ecosystem.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Best HomePod Deals: Apple's Siri-Powered Smart Speakers Are Seeing Some Sweet Deals
While there are ongoing rumors that Apple is readying a new HomePod with a smart display built in, the company's HomePod 2 and HomePod mini remain the newest releases right now. They're powered by Siri, and they tightly integrate with the Apple ecosystem. HomePods also surprisingly boast some of the best audio in the smart speaker space as well, making them the go-to option for a lot of people, especially those loyal to the Apple ecosystem. But like all Apple products, they aren't by any means affordable. Unfortunately, even the smaller HomePod mini isn't cheap and the larger HomePod 2 is among the most costly options we've seen. That's why we've found all the best deals and outlined them right here, so you don't pay more than you have to. We'll update this list of deals as offers come and go and prices change, so be sure to check back later if you don't see the right deal for you currently. In a surprise move, Apple unveiled an upgraded HomePod in January 2023. The long-awaited update to the full-size HomePod, originally released in 2018 and discontinued in 2021, has a mostly unchanged appearance, but the new smart speaker packs in some interesting additional features alongside the exceptional audio quality we've come to expect from Apple gear. New features include Matter, Thread and Bluetooth 5.0 support, plus built-in temperature, humidity and sound recognition sensors. B&H Photo is offering one of the few direct discounts on the HomePod 2 right now, with $10 off the white and midnight options, dropping the price to $289. The retailer also offers a neat way to save on sales tax with its own-brand B&H Payboo credit card*, which gives you the tax back as cash. On a purchase as large as a HomePod, that's a decent chunk of change. See at B&H Photo Target is selling the second-generation HomePod for a dollar over its regular price, but Target Circle™️ Card * holders can score 5% ($15) off. See at Target Order the latest HomePod directly from Apple for $299 and you'll score six months of Apple Music (worth $33) at no extra cost if you're new to that service. See at Apple Best Buy has the latest HomePod at its original asking price and you can order in either color right now. There's no discount available, but you'll at least get three months of Apple Fitness Plus, Apple Arcade and Apple Music. You'll also get two months of Apple TV Plus. See at Best Buy Launched in late 2020, Apple's HomePod Mini provided a more compact and, crucially, cheaper smart speaker option for Apple fans. Vibrant colors were added to the lineup in 2021, something the full-size HomePod lacks. At $99, the Mini is much more affordable than its larger sibling, although it's still nice to find a HomePod Mini deal that can knock down its price even further. B&H Photo stocks all five HomePod Mini colors, and the retailer is selling each for $99 right now. While there's no discount, you can at least save on sales tax by using the B&H Payboo credit card, which gives you the tax as cash back. See at B&H Costco is currently offering the HomePod mini with a modest $5 discount, but it's definitely better than nothing. See at Costco Again, one easy way to save on Apple gear is to buy at Target, where you can save 5% when you pay with a Target Circle™️ Card. That's good for $5 off the HomePod Mini. See at Target Apple's HomePod Mini costs the full $99 at Apple, although new subscribers will get three months of Apple Music at no extra cost. That's a $33 value. See at Apple You can get three months of Apple Fitness Plus with your purchase. You'll also get three months of Apple Arcade and Apple Music while two months of Apple TV is included, too. Best Buy total members can save $5 on a HomePod mini. See at Best Buy *All information about the B&H Payboo Credit Card and Target Circle™️ card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Best Wi-Fi Wireless Speaker of 2025
Wi-Fi wireless speakers can enhance the thumping beats of well-loved tracks or the familiar voice from a favorite podcast when earbuds or listening on your phone aren't quite enough. These devices easily provide the ideal soundscape for pool time relaxation, lively parties and movie nights, without complicated setups or messy cords. And they are more reliable Bluetooth speakers, offering better listening at a greater range. Many even have handy extras like compatibility with popular streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora. Like most tech gadgets, many Wi-Fi wireless speakers exist -- and wading through them might seem exhausting. Thankfully, our experts have tested and researched the best brands, so you don't have to. No matter the budget or priority features, there's an option worth your investment. Read more: Best Bluetooth Speakers of 2025 The Sonos Era 100 is the smart speaker to please any music fan. The compact device makes several improvements on the award-winning One, including stereo playback and even better sound quality. With Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa and Apple AirPlay 2 compatibility, the Era 100 is a more flexible streaming speaker than ever before. See at Walmart For $120 there are many excellent smart speakers to choose from, including the Amazon Echo, Nest Audio and HomePod Mini, but the Symfonisk is bigger than all of them. Bigger cabinets usually mean bigger sound. While this speaker is best as part of a Sonos surround sound system, it also makes a great kids' room or garage speaker. See at Ikea The Echo Studio comes from Amazon – the creator of Alexa. It is easy to set up and is loud enough to fill a room with sound. With thumping bass, clear sound and good highs, this is easily the best Amazon Echo. You can use Alexa to stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal and more. See at Amazon The HomePod Mini may be outgunned by the new HomePod in terms of output power, but it is also a third of the price. For its size, the HomePod Mini has a laundry list of useful features -- Siri voice assistant, temperature and humidity controls -- and it sounds really good, too. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, especially if you use Siri a lot, the Apple HomePod Mini should make a seamless addition to your home. See at B&H Photo-Video The Sonos Roam is a portable Bluetooth speaker on steroids -- it can be used out and about or it can be used as part of a Sonos multiroom system. It's affordable (for Sonos, that is) and it sounds better than other products of its type. It also comes with a choice of voice assistant to make choosing a song even simpler. See at Amazon The WiiM Pro is not so much a speaker, but its a great device for people who don't want to buy a whole new one. Say you've got a stereo system -- or even an old Bluetooth speaker like the Fluance F170 -- and you wanted to be able to add Wi-Fi streaming to it. The WiiM Pro offers the best sound and streaming support of any other dongle I can think of. The app makes it easy to set up and use, and it will integrate with many multiroom systems too. See at Amazon Google may offer a lot of speakers, including the Nest Audio, but the one that was truly great with music -- the Home Max -- has been discontinued. It's surprising then that the list of affordable-yet-good-sounding Chromecast built-in speakers can be counted on the fingers of one hand. And of those, the JBL Playlist is the best I've tested, with a generously sized speaker and enough volume to fill a typical room. It also has Bluetooth and an auxiliary input to expand its flexibility. It may not be "smart", but if you want a system that can be controlled via an existing Google Assistant speaker, this is the one to get. See at Amazon Apple HomePod (2023) ($300): The new HomePod is a refined take on Apple's first smart speaker with better sound and more features. Despite new-found support for Dolby Atmos it's the temperature and humidity sensors that are the most palpable changes. Yet, at $300 most people are better off buying the HomePod mini which has an almost identical set of features. Bowers and Wilkins Formation Flex (Update: Out of stock): A smaller brother to the flashy Formation Wedge, the Flex is still quite stylish and boasts an open-hearted sonic signature. There's plenty of competition at this level though, including the Sonos Five, which is capable of a much bigger, party-ready performance. Sonos Move ($399): If you want a wireless speaker model that's (kinda) portable and water resistant, the Sonos Move offers great sound in a very large box. If you need to power a tailgate or large party this would be great, but for most people the Sonos Roam is both cheaper and more pocketable. Sony SRS-RA5000 ($798): Where are people supposed to put large speakers like the Sony SRS-RA5000 and the McIntosh RS150? A dressing table -- like, a really big one? The Sony is over a foot tall but adding to its potential awkwardness is its 360-degree playback, making the "best" place to put it at the center of a room. The sound is fine, but if you want to hear 3D spatial audio, the Amazon Echo Studio is a quarter of the price. McIntosh RS150 ($1,200): The massive McIntosh RS150 has some great things going for it -- namely Chromecast built-in, Roon Ready and Spotify Connect. Nonetheless, the sound wasn't as clear as I'd expected and the unit offers no EQ controls to compensate. In addition, while the previous RS100 had the fabled McIntosh blue meter this update misses a trick by replacing it with LEDs. The competitive Naim Mu-so Qb is more compact and offers excellent performance for the same price. CNET follows a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process for all of our audio testing. We test Wi-Fi speakers ranging from simple bedside and PC speakers all the way up to high-end systems. Our audio lab includes a Roon server running on a Synology NAS, Google Nest and Amazon Echo speakers, plus both iOS and Android devices. Similar speakers are compared side by side in a living room environment with different styles of music and utilizing multiple streaming platforms when required. We grade the sound quality of each by evaluating clarity, dynamics, bass response and stereo imaging (if applicable). If the speaker comes with a proprietary app we will compare that to other competitive controllers. Both can be termed as wireless speaker systems. Wi-Fi delivers the same basic convenience as Bluetooth: using your phone's Wi-Fi connection to play music over an external speaker or sound system. Just like speakers that use Bluetooth connectivity, it can work with a subscription music service app such as Spotify (via Spotify Connect) or Apple Music, a radio service like Pandora or TuneIn, or your own music collection. Here are the best reasons to get a streaming Wi-Fi speaker: A Wi-Fi speaker sounds better than a Bluetooth speaker due to its higher bandwidth. Wi-Fi has better range. Wi-Fi doesn't take over your phone's audio channel -- so you can take a call without interrupting the song, for example. It also works great for multiroom audio, allowing playback from multiple speakers all over the house via your Wi-Fi network, all controlled by a single phone app. Multiroom enables users to play from one or multiple speakers anywhere in the house at once, with most systems able to support up to a dozen or more different zones. If you want to play a song in "house party mode," for example, where it blasts from multiple speakers throughout the house simultaneously, all of those speakers have to share the same ecosystem. For Sonos and other proprietary systems, all of those speakers will have to be Sonos (or connected to a Sonos device). For Chromecast, all of the speakers regardless of brand, will need to be Chromecast-compatible. And so on. Most speakers have a dedicated companion app for iOS and Android, which is used for both setting up and controlling your system. It goes without saying that you'll need an internet connection to use a Wi-Fi speaker, and most speakers support at least 2.4GHz connections or even 5Ghz. Check your documentation for the name of the app you need and make sure you also have your Wi-Fi password handy. Most apps use a simple step-by-step process, so you should be listening to music in a matter of minutes.
