Apple HomePod Mini

Reviewing the Apple HomePod Mini

Smart devices have taken the world by storm in recent years, and there seems to be no sign of that slowing down. A smart home device can do many things and make your life much easier, since you can use one as a smart home hub to manage every smart device connected to your home network.

The Apple HomePod Mini is one of the best smart home devices, allowing you to listen to music, control other smart devices and get live sports score updates, weather notifications and more. The BestReviews Testing Lab thoroughly tested it to determine how it holds up compared to similar devices and whether it’s worth a purchase.

Testing the Apple HomePod Mini 

BestReviews has a group of testers who test products in a real-world environment. The testing lab aimed to test various aspects of the Google HomePod Mini, including analyzing the setup process, phone connectivity, the sound quality of the integrated speaker and Siri’s responsiveness and performance when prompted with voice commands.

The BestReviews Testing Lab strives to investigate every claim Apple makes about the HomePod Mini. For this article, the testing team aimed to verify if the HomePod Mini delivers clear sound, boundary-pushing computations, privacy and security and if it works seamlessly.

What is the Apple HomePod Mini?

The Apple HomePod Mini is a smart home device made by the same company that produces some of the bestselling smartphones, tablets and computers — iPhones, iPads, iMac and MacBook computers.

The HomePod Mini is a smart speaker that’s a smaller version of the original HomePod, but it retains the same round shape and can connect with other speakers. It comes equipped with an integrated voice-activated assistant that can perform various tasks such as playing music, providing notifications and letting you access other smart devices.

See how it compares to other products in its space — check out our reviews for the best smart home devices.

Apple HomePod Mini price and where to buy

The Apple HomePod Mini costs $100 and is available from Apple.

How to use the Apple HomePod Mini

The Apple HomePod Mini setup process is simple — all that’s required is a connection to a power outlet and a device on the same network. Syncing it to your phone takes less than 10 minutes, and once you do that, you can use your phone to adjust settings, manage other devices and control the HomePod Mini. After setting up, you can give it voice commands to perform the same tasks.

Apple HomePod Mini benefits

The Apple HomePod Mini is easy to set up, and the sound quality is impressive for a smart home device, making it a suitable speaker for casual listening at home. Siri is highly responsive and can set timers, play music and turn off lights. It can also be programmed to perform specific tasks when paired with a particular phrase. For example, you can set it up so that when you say “Goodnight, Siri,” it turns off all the lights in your home. You can also program it to unlock smart locks and turn on the lights when you get home.

It has a backlight that lights up when you talk to Siri, so you know the device is actively listening and waiting for a voice command. The HomePod Mini works well when synced with Apple devices, such as an iPhone, as it creates an ecosystem of devices that work together seamlessly.

Apple HomePod Mini drawbacks

The Apple HomePod Mini isn’t compatible with Android devices and doesn’t support many cross-platform apps. For example, there is no direct Spotify integration, which is unfortunate considering it’s the most popular music streaming service.

Although the sound quality is impressive for its size, it’s still a compact speaker so it’s not terribly loud, and the audio isn’t as detailed as what you’d get with a larger Bluetooth speaker or even the HomePod. Other speakers, such as the comparably priced Amazon Echo Dot 4th Generation, offer better sound quality.

Although Apple insists that the HomePod Mini only listens when Siri hears the “Hey Siri” phrase, there are some privacy concerns. Unlike other smart home devices, there’s no microphone mute button, which is worrisome.

Should you get the Apple HomePod Mini?

The Apple HomePod Mini offers solid sound quality, and Siri is highly responsive and works well for managing other smart devices on the same network. It’s an excellent smart home device for iPhone users who are comfortable setting up and using Apple devices. It’s best for die-hard fans of Apple products since it integrates well with the ecosystem of devices such as an Apple Watch and AirPods, and it’s better suited for those subscribed to Apple Music rather than other services such as Spotify.