Apple HomePod (2nd generation) · Apple Newsroom — Images-of-Apple-HomePod/Apple-HomePod-2-up-230118.jpg
Apple · HomePod
HomePod (2nd generation)
Apple's full-size smart speaker with Siri, which tunes itself to the room and plays Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, suited to homes built around iPhone and Apple Music.
Model history · 2 models, 2018–2023
- 2018HomePod (1st generation)Compare
- 2023HomePod (2nd generation)
- Type
- Speaker
- Atmos
- Yes
- Connects by
- Wi-Fi
- Battery
- –
- Weight
- 2.3 kg
What reviewers say
Reviewers agree it sounds excellent, clear, detailed and room-filling, with strong spatial audio, and works best for people deep in Apple's ecosystem. TechRadar criticises the lack of Bluetooth or aux input and Siri's limits and found less bass impact than the original; Tom's Guide finds it expensive, and Trusted Reviews found it slow at times and little changed from the first HomePod.
From techradar.com, trustedreviews.com and tomsguide.com
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specSound
- Type
- Speaker
- Dolby Atmos
- Yes
- Drivers
- 4-inch high-excursion woofer and an array of five horn-loaded tweeters, each with its own neodymium magnet
- Audio formats
- Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos for music and video
- Room tuning
- Room sensing; computational audio with system sensing for real-time tuning; internal low-frequency calibration microphone for automatic bass correction
Connections
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Bluetooth
- No
- AirPlay
- Yes
- Voice assistants
- Siri
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11n Wi-Fi; Thread; Ultra Wideband chip for device proximity
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.0 (RTINGS found no Bluetooth audio playback)
- Ports
- Power only
- Streaming
- AirPlay from iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac; Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, third-party music services, TuneIn and UK radio stations by voice
- Multi-room
- Multi-room audio with AirPlay; stereo pair with a second HomePod (2nd generation)
- App
- Home app on iPhone or iPad
Design
- Weight
- 2.3 kg
- Controls
- Backlit touch surface (tap to play or pause, double-tap to skip, triple-tap to skip back, touch and hold for Siri, + and – for volume)
- Microphones
- Four-microphone design for far-field Siri; Sound Recognition, temperature and humidity sensors and an accelerometer
- Size
- 168 mm high, 142 mm wide
- Colours
- Midnight, White
- In the box
- HomePod, power cable, documentation
Pros and cons
Pros
- Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos for music and video
- Room sensing and automatic bass correction
- Works as a Thread home hub, with temperature and humidity sensors
Cons
- No Bluetooth audio or line-in; AirPlay only
- Needs an iPhone or iPad to set up
- Siri is the only voice assistant
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Atmos | Connects by | Battery | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker | Yes | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | – | 4.47 kg | Mar 2023 | |
| Speaker | No | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | – | 2.02 kg | Mar 2023 | |
| Speaker | Yes | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | – | 1.632 kg | Oct 2025 |
Previous model: HomePod (1st generation).
Sources
- apple.com/uk/homepod-2nd-generation/specs
- apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/01/apple-introduces-the-new-homepod-with-breakthroug…
- apple.com/uk/shop/buy-homepod/homepod
- rtings.com/speaker/reviews/apple/homepod-2nd-generation
Photo: Apple Newsroom — Images-of-Apple-HomePod/Apple-HomePod-2-up-230118.jpg
- HomePod 2nd generation — Midnight speaker beside an iPhone held nearby: Apple Newsroom — Images-of-Apple-HomePod/Apple-HomePod-ecosystem-230118.jpg
- HomePod 2nd generation — Close-up of the illuminated top and mesh: Apple Newsroom — Images-of-Apple-HomePod/Apple-HomePod-hero-230118.jpg
- HomePod 2nd generation — Midnight speaker beside an iPhone displaying the Home app: Apple Newsroom — Images-of-Apple-HomePod/Apple-HomePod-smart-home-230118.jpg
- HomePod 2nd generation — Two speakers beside an Apple TV and television: Apple Newsroom — Images-of-Apple-HomePod/Apple-HomePod-stereo-pair-230118.jpg
- HomePod 2nd generation — Midnight speaker, front view: Apple — official supplied product photograph