HomePod mini available to order starting today

HomePod mini, the ultimate smart speaker for anyone with an Apple device, is available to order in New Zealand starting today. HomePod mini delivers impressive sound, the intelligence of Siri to get things done, and a smart home experience that offers comfort and convenience without complexity. At just under 8.5 centimetres tall, HomePod mini is packed with innovative technologies and advanced software that together enable computational audio to produce breakthrough sound quality wherever it is placed. HomePod mini is available in white and space grey at a great price of NZ$159 inc. GST on apple.com/nz or the Apple Store app. HomePod mini is also available through Apple Authorised Resellers and select carriers starting next week.

HomePod mini is designed to work with Apple Music, podcasts, radio stations, and popular music services like iHeartRadio and Rova. When users add HomePod mini to multiple rooms, they can play the same music everywhere all in perfect sync, or a different song in every room. By placing two HomePod mini speakers in a single room, a stereo pair can be created for a wide soundstage, filling the space with rich, enveloping sound.

And later this year, innovative software features coming with iOS and tvOS will power a new way for HomePod mini to interact with Apple TV. For example, users will be able to ask Siri on HomePod mini to start a show or control playback, enjoy more rich, balanced sound by pairing HomePod mini to Apple TV 4K, and more. Apple Music subscribers will also be able to enjoy their favourite songs in lossless on HomePod mini.

HomePod mini provides a remarkably rich and detailed acoustic experience, using computational audio to deliver peak performance. To achieve big sound out of such a compact design, the Apple S5 chip in HomePod mini works with advanced software to analyse the unique characteristics of the music and apply complex tuning models to optimise loudness, adjust the dynamic range, and control the movement of the driver and passive radiators in real time. The Apple-engineered full-range driver, powered by a neodymium magnet and a pair of force-cancelling passive radiators, enables deep bass and crisp high frequencies. 

HomePod mini features an Apple-designed acoustic waveguide to direct the flow of sound down and out toward the bottom of the speaker for an immersive 360-degree audio experience. This allows customers to place HomePod mini almost anywhere in a room and hear consistent audio. A three-microphone array listens for “Hey Siri,” and a fourth inward-facing microphone helps isolate sound coming from the speaker to improve voice detection when music is playing.

With the intelligence of Siri, HomePod mini delivers a personalised and deeply integrated experience for iPhone customers. Siri can identify who is speaking and tailor music and podcasts to their preferences, and respond to personal requests, like accessing messages, reminders, notes, and calendar appointments, or making and answering phone calls.¹ Siri also offers users a personal update for a quick snapshot of their day. With a single request, users can ask Siri “What’s my update?” to hear the latest news, weather, traffic, reminders, and calendar appointments.

HomePod mini works effortlessly with Apple devices, making it easy to pick up an incoming call, listen to music on the Mac, or upgrade the TV experience by taking the sound from Apple TV to the next level. When listening to music on iPhone, customers can simply bring their device close to HomePod mini and seamlessly hand off the music with visual, audible, and haptic effects when sound transfers from one device to another.² Personalised listening suggestions will also automatically appear on iPhone when it is next to HomePod mini, and instant controls are available without having to unlock iPhone.²

HomePod mini makes controlling smart home accessories easier than ever with simple voice commands for Siri to turn off the lights, set a scene, and more. HomePod mini is the perfect home hub, providing access to smart home accessories while at home or away.

Intercom offers a quick and easy way for family members to connect with each other. One person can send an Intercom message from one HomePod mini to another — whether in a different room, a specific zone, or multiple rooms throughout the home — and their voice will automatically play on the designated HomePod mini speaker. Intercom works with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay, so every member of the household can get Intercom notifications and send Intercom messages from the backyard or on their way home.

Security and privacy are fundamental to the design of Apple hardware, software, and services. With HomePod mini, only after “Hey Siri” is recognised locally on the device, or the user activates Siri by touch, will any information be sent to Apple servers. Requests are not associated with the user’s Apple ID, and personal information is not sold to advertisers or other organisations. HomePod mini works with iPhone to complete requests for messages and notes on device without revealing that information to Apple. 

• Ambient sounds, including rain, a fireplace, a stream, and more, offer the perfect background noise to focus, relax, or fall asleep. Siri can set a sleep timer so the sounds automatically stop playing.

• Find My helps locate a misplaced iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, and AirTag by playing a sound to pinpoint its location.

• Web search results from HomePod mini can be sent directly to the user’s iPhone for easy viewing.

• Music alarms let users wake up to a favourite song, playlist, or radio station from Apple Music.

Later this year with the release of tvOS and iOS software updates, customers can select HomePod mini as the default speaker for Apple TV 4K, giving a richer, more balanced sound and crystal-clear dialogue for watching TV shows and movies, listening to music, or playing games. Using the on-device intelligence of HomePod mini, HomeKit Secure Video cameras will soon be able to detect packages, building on existing support for people, animal, and vehicle detection.