Apple has introduced a new midnight color for its HomePod mini smart speaker. The new color is made with 100% recycled mesh fabric and joins the existing blue, yellow, orange, and white color options. The HomePod mini with the new midnight color will be available for purchase starting July 17.

The speaker can be used with Apple Music, or paired with Apple TV 4K

The HomePod mini is a compact smart speaker that offers big sound in a small package. It features a seamless,acoustically transparent mesh exterior and a backlit touch surface that illuminates from edge to edge. The HomePod mini can be used with Apple Music to access over 100 million songs, and it can also be used to create a home theater experience with Apple TV 4K.

Originally released in November 2020, the HomePod mini has become a popular choice for consumers seeking a compact, high-quality smart speaker. With the addition of the new midnight color, the company continues to expand its options for customers while maintaining its commitment to sustainability.

The HomePod mini is priced at $99 in the United States. It is available for purchase on Apple.com and at Apple Store locations.

(Via)

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Earlier this week, Apple launched the second-generation HomePod. The company also introduced new MacBook Pro models and a new Mac Mini. Now, the Cupertino-based tech giant has quietly hiked the prices of the existing HomePod Mini and the 24-inch iMac in global markets including India. The revised prices are reflected on Apple’s official website, however, they are retailing at old prices on the brand’s authorised resellers and online platforms in the country. 

The Apple HomePod Mini debuted way back in 2020 at a price tag of Rs 9,900. It has become expensive by Rs 1,000. The smart speaker now costs Rs 10,900, however, it is still up for grabs at a pre-hike price and we assume it to be for a limited period. The device is equipped with S5 and U1 chips along with four microphones. It also has a secret temperature sensor that’s been lying dormant since launch. Apple did not activate it, however, with the HomePod second generation featuring the sensor, it is expected to arrive on the affordable smart speaker as well with the upcoming HomePod 16.3 software update. The temperature sensor will let users record and monitor the room temperature as well as humidity around them.

As for the 24-inch iMac, it was launched in April 2021. It is offered in multiple storage configurations, GB / 16GB RAM options, and 8-core CPU + 7-core GPU and 8-core CPU + 8-core GPU. All configurations of the iMac have received a price hike of Rs 10,000. The base variant with 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU coupled with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage earlier costed Rs 1,19,900 and now after the price increase, it is available for Rs 1,29,900. The iMac model with 8-core CPU and GPU that started at Rs 1,39,900 now carries a price tag of Rs 1,49,900. 

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Apple recently announced that the HomePod Mini speaker will be available in more color options. Now, the technology giant has started selling the smart speaker in Yellow, Orange, and Blue colors. Prior to this, it was available in only two colors — Space Grey and White.

The new color models of the HomePod Mini can be purchased through Apple.com and through the Apple Store app in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. At select locations in the US and Canada, the company is also offering same-day pickup.

The new Apple HomePod Mini in multiple color options will also be made available in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. Soon after that, the company will expand the availability to Australia, Austria, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, and the UK later this month.

Apple’s competitors in the smart speaker category, Google and Amazon with their Nest Mini and Echo Dot speakers, were already offering vibrant colors. While Google has Blue and Orange versions of Nest Mini, Amazon offers Echo Dot in Blue and some animal-themed designs aims at kids.

The HomePod Mini features a circular bowl-like design and is wrapped in mesh fabric. It emits sound in a 360-degree array and the company says that it combines amazing sound with the smarts of a voice assistant.

The device comes powered by an Apple S5 chipset which helps with computational audio. Two speakers can be connected to work together as stereo speakers, and they can also be used to send a message to the other speakers using a feature called Intercom. You can also use Intercom to send and receive messages on your other devices such as your iPhone, Apple Watch, CarPlay, and AirPods.

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The HomePod Mini launched a little over a year ago as a more affordable version of the HomePod which wasn’t much of a success. The $99 HomePod Mini has seen wider adoption than its bigger sibling which has now been discontinued. For those expecting a successor, Apple has decided against and launched three new colors instead.

When it was announced last year, the HomePod Mini was available in two colors – Space Gray and White. Today, interested buyers can pre-order the speaker in Blue, Yellow, and Orange. It is still priced at $99 and will begin shipping in November.

The addition of new colors will provide more options for buyers to pick a color that better matches their apartments or rooms. Apple is taking a leaf out of Google’s book. The Nest Mini is available in Chalk, Charcoal, Coral, and Sky.

The HomePod Mini has an Apple S5 chipset that helps with computational audio. Two speakers can work together as stereo speakers, and if you have more than one HomePod Mini in the house, you can send a message to the other speakers using a feature called Intercom. You can also use Intercom to send and receive messages on your other devices such as your iPhone, Apple Watch, CarPlay, and AirPods.

Like smart speakers from Amazon and Google, the HomePod Mini will answer questions, control smart home devices, set reminders, and play your favorite podcasts. It can recognize up to six different voices and provide personalized responses depending on the user.

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Following Apple’s announcement that lossless audio is coming to Apple Music, there was an uproar about how Apple’s audio devices don’t support the new feature. Now Apple has announced that an OTA update will bring support for lossless audio to its smart speakers.

The info which was revealed in a FAQ about Lossless audio in Apple Music says that the HomePod and the HomePod Mini which currently uses the AAC codec will get support for lossless audio in a future software update. There is no info on when the update will be released but it will most likely be after lossless audio is available next month.

The support page also confirmed that lossless audio will work on Macs, iPhones, and iPad via their built-in speakers and connected wired headphones, receivers, and speakers. If you have an Apple Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter, then you can connect it to your iPhone or iPad’s lightning connector as it has a built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

However, Bluetooth audio devices such as the AirPods, AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max don’t support lossless audio as Bluetooth connections don’t support the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC).

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In November 2017, Apple announced its smart speaker, the HomePod although the cylindrical speaker with a $349 powered by Siri didn’t ship until the following year. A few days ago, it was announced that the speaker has been discontinued.

Apple revealed to TechCrunch that it will instead focus on the HomePod Mini which launched last year and has received mostly positive reviews. The mini is not only smaller but is also more affordable with a$99 price tag.

It has been reported that the HomePod will continue to be available for purchase until stock runs out and existing units will still receive software updates and support. Knowing Apple, we do not think it will toe the same line Microsoft and Harman Kardon did for the Cortana-powered Invoke. For those in the dark about that situation, Microsoft decided to end support for the assistant for the speaker, however, a new update is expected to roll out that will transform the smart speaker into a regular Bluetooth speaker.

The smart speaker is the second major product Apple has discontinued this month. Earlier, it revealed that the iMac Pro has been discontinued. The desktop computer targeted at professionals and developers had a starting price of $4,999.

We expect Apple will announce new models under the HomePod series in the future and maybe we will get a bigger model that succeeds where the original failed.

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Smart Speaker is a market that is slowly booming in countries like India. Even as the market declines in bigger nations like China, a report by techARC shows that the shipments exceeded 1 million units for the first time in India.

According to the report, Q4 2020 is said to have contributed to 40% of the Smart Speaker shipments. Overall, it is occupied by giants like Amazon, Xiaomi, Google, and Apple. Among these, Amazon leads the market with a whopping 79% Market Share(by Vol. of Units).

You can take a look at the Top-5 Best-selling Smart Speakers(Descending Order – Units of Sales) below:

• Amazon Echo Dot(3rd Gen)
• Amazon Echo Dot(4th Gen)
• Google Home Mini
• Xiaomi Mi Smart Speaker L09G
• Amazon Echo Dot(3rd Gen with Clock)

Amazon launched the Echo Dot(4th Gen) last year in September. It is currently retailing for ₹3,999 in India. Combined with Alexa, Echo Dot performs a variety of functions that is useful for consumers.

Report says that the US Giant will cement its position further in the under ₹5,000 segment despite competition from Chinese brands.

Speaking of which, Although Google is third on the list, Xiaomi has managed to outsell it and occupy second place in the overall market share by Value. If we recall, 2020 was the first year for Xiaomi to enter into the Smart Speaker category in India. It launched the Mi Smart Speaker for ₹3,499($48) in the country.

This price was well balanced compared to the Google Home Mini‘s launch price. Accordingly, the report says that Xiaomi manages to ship 75,000 units in the first year and captures 8% of the market share. Google, on the other hand, gets an 11% share in unit shipments but drops down to 7% in value.

Apple also had a share of its shipments with HomePod Mini dominating 84% of Apple’s 2% overall smart speaker shipments in 2020.

Looking forward, the smart speaker segment is said to grow further with a 35% YoY growth in the next 2-3 years. Watch out for the category below ₹5,000 as the competition is said to reach the next level by the arrival of other brands.

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(via)

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DXOMARK has released more reports and this time it is the HomePod mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max‘s Audio tests. The former, despite performing well for the size, is nowhere near the competition in score. The iPhone, however, gets a step closer to rankings compared to its sibling.

Apple HomePod mini

To begin with, Apple’s HomePod mini gets a global score of 98. Not that this score is outstanding or anything but it seems to do a good job despite a smaller dimension. To compare, top contenders like Amazon Echo Studio and Google Nest Audio sit at the top with 124 and 112 points respectively.

Do note that this category is for Essential Wireless Speakers(under EUR 200). The report says the speaker produces good timbre, treble, and clear mid-range sounds. Although it has a smaller(8.5cm) height, the 360° sound helps it get a consistent sound throughout with less artifacts.

However, it lacks bass, stereo effect, not-so-high Max volume, and has low-mid tones. Typically, it looks to be suitable for indoors(background music), and casual listening but doesn’t impress as a speaker in a loud party scenario.

EDITOR’S PICK: DXOMARK China picks best Smartphones and Smart Speaker in different categories

iPhone 12 Pro Max

Apple’s iPhone 12 recently got a score of 73 points but the higher sibling beats it by a point more. And in doing so, Apple’s 2020 top-of-the-line flagship iPhone 12 Pro Max scores a good 74 overall points. It also gets the better of its spiritual predecessor iPhone 11 Pro Max which is three points behind(71).

The device offers good timbre with good high-end/low-end extension and consistent tones at all volumes. The dynamics of sound seem to be good and the report also says the speaker is suited for gaming with good spatial attributes(playback).

Overall, Audio is also good when recording/playing in noisy environments, and selfie-videos’ output is above-average. But it has Cons like occluded microphone placement(while playing/recording), small distortion in loud content, too bright and aggressive trebles.

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Yesterday, Apple held a virtual launch event to announce the iPhone 12 series and the HomePod Mini. These devices are heading to multiple markets including India in the near future. Here is all the information on the pricing of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the HomePod Mini for India.

iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12

The 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB storage versions of the iPhone 12 mini are priced at Rs 69,900, Rs 74,900, and Rs 84,900, respectively. In the U.S, these variants are priced at $699 (~Rs 37,700), $749 (~Rs 40,400), and $849 (~Rs 45,800), respectively.

The 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB storage models of the iPhone 12 are priced at Rs 79,900, Rs 84,900, and Rs 94,990, respectively. These variants cost $799 (~Rs 43,100), $849 (~Rs 45,800), and $949 (~Rs 51,200), respectively in the U.S. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 will be available in colors like white, black, blue, green, and red.

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iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

The iPhone 12 Pro variants such as 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB are priced at Rs 1,19,900, 1,29,900, and Rs 1,49,900. These models are priced at $999 (~Rs 53,900), $1,099 (~Rs 59,300), and $1,299 (~Rs 70,100), respectively in the U.S.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max variants like 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB are priced at Rs 1,29,900, Rs 1,39,900, and 1,59,900. In the U.S., these variants cost $1,099 (~Rs 59,300), $1,199 (~Rs 64,700), and $1,399 (~Rs 75,500), respectively. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Max will be available in Graphite, Silver, Gold, and Pacific Blue color editions in India.

The Apple HomePod Mini is priced at Rs 9,000 and it will be up for pre-orders from Nov. 6. It will hit the Indian markets on Nov. 16. The smart speaker can be bought in colors like White and Space Grey. The MagSafe wireless charger that was also announced at the event is priced at Rs 4,500. In the U.S. both products are priced at $99 (~Rs 7,300) and $39 (~Rs 2,900)), respectively.

Apple confirmed that the iPhone 12 will be for up for purchase from Oct. 30. The company is yet to confirm the availability of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

UP NEXT: Apple launches the iPhone 12 Pro & 12 Pro Max with 5G, improved cameras & more!

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At today’s Apple event, the first product announced was the HomePod Mini smart speaker. The new speaker is not only packed with features but also costs a fraction of the cost of the HomePod that was announced in 2018.

The HomePod Mini has a globe-like design with a screen at the top and a flat base. There is a mesh fabric that wraps around the speaker and covers the single driver unit, two passive radiators, and an acoustic waveguide at the bottom.

The speaker is powered by an Apple S5 chip that provides “computational audio” which Apple explains adjusts how the music sounds almost 200 times per second.

Place two HomePod Mini speakers near each other and they will automatically work in stereo mode. Apple has also copied the Google Assistant’s “Broadcast feature“ but has dubbed it Intercom.

With Intercom, users will be able to send voice messages to other HomePod speakers in the house. Those at the other end will also be able to reply. Intercom messages will also display on other connected devices including iPhones, Apple Watch, and even play on AirPods.

As with all smart speakers, the HomePod Mini can also be used to control smart home devices. It works as a hub that controls lights and other smart home devices. The HomePod Mini supports streaming from multiple services including iHeart Radio and TuneIn.

Apple rounds it off with an amazing price of just $99, the same price as Google’s Nest Audio smart speaker. That is a quarter of the launch price of the 2018 HomePod speaker. The HomePod now sells for less, as low as $199 but we won’t be surprised to see folks pick up two HomePod Mini speakers instead of a single HomePod speaker.

The new speaker will be available for pre-order on November 6 and will go on sale on November 16.

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The Apple launch event is just hours away but the leaks are yet to stop. Shortly before the event, a last-minute leak has revealed renders of the iPhone 12 series and the HomePod Mini smart speaker.

The leak comes from Evan Blass who posted them on the new social media platform, Voice. The leak shows the aforementioned products in all the color variants they will come in when they launch later today.

iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 will come in Black, Blue, Green, Product (RED), and White. The blue variant does look really great and may turn out to be the most popular color option.

The iPhone 12 Mini has a wide notch in the front while the back is home to two cameras. The phone looks a lot like the iPhone 12 with size being the only physical difference. The above images are of the iPhone 12. For the iPhone 12 Mini, just imagine them in a smaller size.

iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

Just like the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are also identical with size being the only distinguishing factor. The notch remains on both devices while on their backs is a triple camera setup. There is also a LiDAR scanner on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The two phones will be available in Blue, Gold, Graphite, and Silver. The blue is a much lighter shade than that of the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 but it still looks gorgeous. The above images are of the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

HomePod Mini

We also get an early look at the HomePod Mini which is a smaller version of the HomePod released in 2018. Unlike its older sibling, the HomePod Mini ditches the cylindrical design for a globe-like design with a recessed top and flat bottom.

The top has two buttons – volume up and down – and it glows. The body of the speaker is covered in fabric and it will be available in Space Gray and White.

Apple is also expected to announce a wireless charger today but Evan Blass didn’t leak its renders.

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