Apple still kept a surprise after yesterday, return to the HomePod catalog, your full-size smart speaker. I’m still wondering why Cupertino decided to one day separate the launch of the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, as well as the new MacBook Pro 14 and 16 and the jump to the M2 Mac mini from this new announcement. it happened over an hour ago.

The first generation Homepod was the first smart speaker from Apple, whose experience in the field of speakers until then was limited to Apple HiFi, a device designed specifically for the iPod with a design that did not leave you indifferent and sound quality more than height. . I had it at the time and it was by far the best bass-reproducing single-speaker system I’ve tried so far.

However, for whatever reasons and just a few months after the release of the HomePod Mini, Apple removed the original HomePod from its catalog. At the time, there was speculation about the imminent arrival of its second generation, but it did not happen, which for many meant a final goodbye to the said design. At least it seemed that way until last summer, when rumors returned that a new generation was on the way.

However, unlike what is usual for the brand, we have not had new, more recent leaks that confirm its return, advance elements of its design, put us on the trail of its introduction date and so on. On this occasion, Cupertino managed to keep the secret and by choosing for its presentation the day after yesterday’s announcements, it managed to draw even more attention to the launch, which is already very interesting in itself.

Aesthetically, as you have already seen in the pictures, we have a similar design to the previous generation, with the only difference being that the space gray model of the previous one has been replaced by the Midnight tone. News, as you’ve probably already imagined, can be found inside.

The key to the new HomePod is sound quality. It integrates, how could it be otherwise, a specific woofer, a motor driving a 20 millimeter membrane, an integrated microphone with an equalization system and a set of five tweeters with beamforming technology. This entire assembly is commanded by the integrated Apple S7, which, in addition to controlling the operation of each of the speakers integrated in the HomePod, is also responsible for managing the software that enables it to function and that provides it with interesting functions.

The most notable is undoubtedly its spatial detection technology. With it, the HomePod detects whether the sound it emits reflects off a nearby surface. That? To find out if it was placed next to a wall or with nothing around, something that allows you to adjust the characteristics of the sound it emits in real time and adapt it to the context. As you know, the dynamics of bass tones varies greatly depending on whether there is a vertical surface nearby or not, and in this case the speaker dynamically adapts what it emits to the situation.

Among smart speaker features that go beyond playing music, this new HomePod has the ability to recognize sounds, so it can identify smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and alert them to activate them on the user’s iPhone. It also integrates a temperature and humidity sensor that can be used to create smart home automations that respond to data from these environmental factors. Of course, all of this is largely driven by Siri, which is evidently still present in this second-generation HomePod.

It is now available for pre-order on the Apple website and with a launch date of February 3rd, Apple has made the second generation Apple HomePod just 20 euros more expensive than its predecessor, so you can get it for 349 euros.

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