Smart home
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) Review
Priced at Rs. 32,900, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is said to be smarter, better equipped to work with IoT devices, and can also tell you the room temperature and humidity. It’s also considerably larger and more capable than the HomePod mini (Review), the other Apple smart speaker that you can buy right now. Should you buy the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)? Find out in this review.
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is a bit smaller and lighter than its predecessor
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) design and features
After the original HomePod was officially discontinued in 2021, the only smart speaker from Apple has been the HomePod mini — until now. The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is bigger and much more capable than the HomePod mini, although there are some reductions in specifications and potential capabilities when compared to the original HomePod.
Visually though, the new smart speaker is nearly identical to its predecessor, save for small differences in the dimensions and weight. The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is available in two colours, black and white, with a fabric-wrapped exterior and light-up touch-sensitive panel at the top. Personally, I’d recommend the black colour option, based on my experience with the white HomePod mini in India, and how quickly it caught grime and started to look a bit dirty.
Another big change in the design is the cable on the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen). Unlike its predecessor, the power cable is detachable on the new smart speaker, although it retains its discreet design that covers the socket entirely and gives it the appearance of being fixed in place. In addition to the cable and the speaker itself, the sales package only has the documentation for the speaker.
As before, there are no physical buttons on the HomePod, with the touch-sensitive top panel providing some physical controls for volume, playback, and invoking Siri. It also provides light-based cues for when the smart speaker is in operation, listening for commands after the ‘Hey Siri’ wake phrase, or processing a voice command to act on it.
Of course, the only way to switch the speaker off is by unplugging it entirely. Voice commands or companion devices can be used to control functions on the HomePod (2nd Gen). There is no physical mute switch for the four-microphone far-field system, but you can mute it through the app if you like.
The HomePod (2nd Gen) works with Apple’s Siri voice assistant for voice commands, and runs on the audioOS platform. The speaker also supports Apple’s AirPlay protocol to work with supported source devices, including an iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV devices, and can be stereo-paired with a second HomePod for true stereo sound. AirPlay also enables multi-room streaming capabilities, and the speaker notably has sensors for temperature and humidity readings as well.
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) specifications and app
The Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) can be quickly set up and linked to your Apple ID and services by bringing an iOS device close to the speaker. As with the earlier HomePod devices, you will need an iOS device to set it up. After a quick and hassle-free setup process, the speaker is active and linked to your Apple services as per your Apple ID, the most important of which is Apple Music, if you have a subscription. Furthermore, the HomePod supports Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos; the format has plenty of content available on Apple Music.
It’s worth noting that while the HomePod range was earlier limited to just Apple Music to stream tracks, you can now use other services such as Pandora and Deezer through voice commands to Siri. Spotify and YouTube Music also work, provided you’re using an iOS device and AirPlay to initiate the playback. As before, the most convenient and seamless service to use on the HomePod is Apple Music itself.
The Home app on iOS controls and configures the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen), and also gives access to information such as temperature and humidity
Once set up, the Home app on iOS controls the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen). All Apple accessories (such as other HomePod speakers or Apple TV streaming devices) linked to your account show up here, along with temperature and humidity details as recorded by the sensors on the HomePod itself (provided your smartphone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the HomePod). You can also get temperature and humidity information by asking Siri through specific voice commands, such as ‘What is the indoor temperature?’.
These sensors can usefully be utilised for home automation functions, if you have supported IoT devices linked to your system. The HomePod also supports the new and upcoming Matter IoT protocol; although not too many products support this right now, this is expected to improve in the coming months. As before, current-generation smart home and IoT functionality and support on the HomePod is fairly limited, and considerably harder to set up than on Alexa or Google Assistant-powered smart speakers.
In terms of specifications, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) sees a few downgrades as compared to the original HomePod, at least on paper. There is a five-tweeter array (down from seven) and a four-microphone system (down from six), along with a single four-inch woofer. Apple also claims to have computational audio with system sensing for real-time tuning, which presumably tweaks the sound slightly based on the environment, noise levels, and other factors.
For connectivity, there is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5. As is the case on the original HomePod and HomePod mini, you can’t connect a device to the speaker using Bluetooth for audio. The HomePod can stream audio through voice commands over Wi-Fi, or through the Wi-Fi-based AirPlay protocol only. The smart speaker is powered by the S7 chip, which is also used on the Apple Watch Series 7 (Review).
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) performance
Many might consider the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) a fair bit overpriced, particularly when compared to competing options from brands such as Amazon which are platform-agnostic and don’t really need to function within the same ecosystem as your smartphone and other gear. That said, if you do have an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, or Mac computer, the HomePod (2nd Gen) offers some fairly useful benefits that might make it worth considering.
In my case, I had the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) placed in my living room right below my television, and alongside my Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen). I used it as the default speaker for the Apple TV 4K for much of the duration of my review, and also to listen to music either through AirPlay from my smartphone or through voice commands. Other features such as Siri-based assistance and Apple’s Intercom feature also came in handy on occasion.
The HomePod (2nd Gen) has a detachable power cable
What is most notable about the sound quality of the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is how much more capable it is than the size of the speaker suggests. This isn’t a very large smart speaker, but it produces a loud, refined sound that does somewhat explain why this speaker costs so much more than similarly-sized options from brands such as Amazon and Google.
A single HomePod speaker is also more than capable of handling sound from the Apple TV 4K, and is able to cover a moderate-sized room with ease. Setting the HomePod up as the default speaker for the Apple TV 4K meant that the smart speaker activated flawlessly when needed, and I experienced no issues with latency or connectivity during my review. The sound is also suitably tuned for the purpose, working well with voice-focused content such as Clarkson’s Farm season 2 and Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 5.
Stereo pairing capabilities mean that if you have two Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) speakers, you’ll be able to set them up wirelessly as a stereo pair, further increasing the overall power and drive of the system. Additionally, this would also better benefit the Spatial Audio capabilities of the speaker system. However, it’s worth pointing out here that two HomePod speakers would set you back well over Rs. 60,000, which is more than enough to buy you a decent soundbar with a subwoofer.
This makes a single HomePod setup the more likely one for most buyers of this smart speaker. With one speaker, there wasn’t much of a difference in the sound with compatible Spatial Audio content as compared to regular stereo sound; the soundstage felt a bit more spacious, but the shape and size of the HomePod (2nd Gen) did finally show its limitations, which you wouldn’t typically face with larger and wider speaker systems.
Of course, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is much more than just a wireless companion speaker for a streaming box, but it helps that it can handle this function well where most smart speakers barely have similar ecosystem capabilities. Coming to the more obvious use case for a smart speaker, the HomePod excels at its core function as an output device for music. The multi-driver setup and the computational audio tuning seem to help the most here, with the HomePod (2nd Gen) sounding good with just about any track, genre, and volume level.
Although the HomePod (2nd Gen) is expensive, it works quite well with Apple devices
With Obsessed by Calvin Harris, the HomePod (2nd Gen) captured the upbeat vibe of the track beautifully, giving the bass just enough drive and thump, while leaving plenty of room for the dancehall-style vocals of singer Shenseea and the deep chorus of Charlie Puth. Switching to the faster, busier Paris (Aeroplane Remix) by Friendly Fires, the HomePod offered a room-filling, immersive listening experience that is arguably better than on most other smart speakers or Wi-Fi speakers I’ve had a chance to test.
There are four microphones on the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen), but they work just fine for the most part in hearing the ‘Hey Siri’ wake phrase and any voice commands that follow. I didn’t have any trouble being understood from anywhere in the room at distances of up to 4m, including when I was looking away from the speaker and talking. There were a couple of occasions where the volume was so loud that I had to speak up for the wake phrase to be heard, but this wasn’t a problem at lower volume levels.
Smart functionality on the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) really only lacks in Apple’s current shortcomings of support for many current-generation IoT devices, particularly those available in India. Other key features, including Siri’s ability to help with contextual responses, or carry out basic functions such as setting timers and alarms, work just fine, and will function in sync with your iPhone and other Apple devices.
Verdict
As far as smart speakers go, the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) is undeniably expensive, and too specific in its functionality for many to even want to consider in India. However, if you have an iPhone and other Apple hardware such as the Apple TV 4K, the HomePod (2nd Gen) fits into this ecosystem as smoothly as the specific Tetris block that you were so eagerly waiting for. It’s a capable audio system for your streaming needs, it syncs and works seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices, and most importantly, it sounds pretty good.
While smart devices such as the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) might feel like more bang for your buck, the focus on being device-agnostic does have its drawbacks for specific use cases. The overall appeal of the ecosystem and its interoperability on the HomePod (2nd Gen) are definitely worth considering, although you might want to consider two (or even three) HomePod mini speakers for roughly the same or less money.
Another group of people who benefit from this are the elderly who might not enjoy travelling for exercise due to mobility issues. This is what led to the arrival of various home workout programmes, video tutorials, and online classes. While it did address the problem of accessibility to some extent, one area that was still largely unaddressed was personalisation. But not for long.
Role of AI in Home Workouts
The artificial intelligence (AI) discipline might thank the wave of generative AI that started in late 2022 for mainstream attention, but its impact on the lives of people was felt much before that. From smartphones to search engines and from Microsoft’s Clippy to Amazon’s website, AI technologies such as predictive analysis, rule-based AI, and machine learning (ML) have always been part of popular software.
AI also made its way to the home workout space slowly. Products such as Fitbit and Apple Watch with health and fitness sensors gave people insightful data about their daily activity level. These devices also allowed users to make adjustments to get more out of their workouts opening the path for personalisation.
While the pieces were being put together, the home workout space was missing one key ingredient — expert advice on type of workouts, posture, and an option to build a personalised routine. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the majority of the population was stuck indoors for months, businesses cracked the code.
Carol Bike 2.0, OxeFit’s XP1, and Vitruvian Trainer+ were some of the home gym equipment that sought to bring AI personalisation to people. But they were largely catering to the Western countries and India was missing out. Sensing an opportunity to address this gap, Portl, a Hyderabad-based startup entered the space with its smart mirror-based AI home workout system dubbed Portl Studio.
Gadgets 360 spoke with Indraneel Gupta, Founder and CEO of Portl to understand the tech behind Portl Studio and how the startup is leveraging AI to offer users a personalised experience.
The Vision Behind Portl Studio
Founded in 2021, Portl aimed to solve the same personalisation problem for those who prefer working out at home. Gupta said, “One common issue that persists even today is that gyms and fitness centres tend to follow a very cookie-cutter approach to fitness that doesn’t apply to everyone.”
Portl Studio
Photo Credit: Portl
The company focused on the demographics of people aged 35 and above and found that fitness was as much a convenience issue as it was an engagement issue for them. Their solution? A device with a large smart mirror that can be spotted from a distance — which also doubles up as a display that shows personalised workout routines and follow-along guides to help them get the right motivation. But, how does it all work together?
The Portl Studio Tech Stack
Portl Studio is a 32kg device with dimensions of 5.8 x 2 x 0.1 feet. It is a fairly large and heavy device that requires experts to properly install it to either a free wall inside a house or on a stand. While this would make it a piece of unfeasible equipment for some, it would also be an ideal setup for those whose main struggle is to get out of the house and go to the gym after a long day. For those people, the device tries to fit in all the requirements that could eliminate the need for a social space.
The Portl Studio’s mirror features several sensors that track the user’s posture in real-time. It also comes equipped with biosensors, similar to a smartwatch or a fitness band, that can scan health vitals. The device also implements several cameras to properly assess all of these parameters.
There are two components that enable the data processing as well as allow the user to interact with the system. The first is the system-on-chip. For that, Portl uses Snapdragon chipsets to power the device. It handles all the computational power that the device would need.
The second part is the touch screen, which is a multi-point touch display. The company said that the display is coated with a nano protection layer that adds durability and protects against breakages and damage. The device also connects with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to let the user either connect their earphones or stream their playlist from Spotify.
“So the idea has always been, how do we create a scenario where the program constantly adapts to the user’s minimum level of performance? We designed a system that looks at variable data, the sleep routine, recovery rate, and more. All of these factors go into the next workout routine that they follow,” Gupta explained.
Portl’s solution was an intelligent machine that prioritises real-time data to process what the user needs in terms of workout intensity. Interestingly, this heavy lifting was done by the company’s AI processes.
AI Behind the Portl Studio
Gupta explained that the entire data collection and AI processing occurs on-device and none of the personal user data ever leaves the system. To handle such complex tasks in real-time, the company included several AI-based processes.
Notably, no generative AI tools were used for the system. Instead, the company uses classical rule-based algorithms to both analyse and predict user behaviour. Gupta explained that the decision to opt for a rule-based algorithm instead of something more dynamic was because fitness science, kinesiology, and body mechanics are not constantly changing and are well-defined.
However, just like generative AI models, these AI systems are grounded at a first principles level to ensure that the system can gauge a base level of user performance. On top of that, the information provided by the user creates an extra layer of personalisation.
Portl Studio AI interface
Photo Credit: Portl
To explain how it works, Gupta gave an example, “During the onboarding, a user tells the system about their current lifestyle, injuries, health conditions, and more. All of these factors determine the kind of exercises and movements that will be used to create the workout plan. Then, once a user starts the plan, a 45-second health scan measures the core vitals of the user. This includes metrics such as blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac stress, etc.”
As per the Portl CEO, the scan then creates a baseline for the individual. Further, the cameras also collect data on the user’s functional movement screen, which includes balance, range of motion, and mobility. All of the data is used to understand the user’s starting point. From there, the user gets a workout plan that both pushes them and notes their limitations.
Portl Studio’s Use Case
The Portl Studio offers 15 different workout formats, with calisthenics as its core principle. This means this device does not support weight-based workouts and only focuses on cardio and bodyweight exercises. It also comes with various yoga and meditation courses. Additionally, there are skill-based exercises such as Muay Thai and Kickboxing.
At present, all 15 workout formats and guiding videos from experts are part of the device’s native offerings. This means the user does not need to pay subscription or add-on fees to access any of the content. As a result of all these offerings, the company claims it has more than 1,000 monthly active users despite a steep price of Rs. 1,25,000.
While Portl Studio offers a lot in terms of personalisation, ease of access, and choice of workout, the lack of strength-based workouts does create a significant gap. Gupta realises this, and that’s why the company recently launched a product that caters to this segment — the Ultragym.
Portl Ultragym
Ultragym is a smart fitness device that takes up 2.4 sqft of space and weighs 12kgs. It features a board, cables, accessories, and a bench. The company claims that users can perform 150 different workouts using this device. The cables do not use weight plates and instead use a motor to increase the resistance.
Portl Ultragym
Photo Credit: Portl
Each cable can be pushed to a maximum of 35kgs for a total of 70kgs of weight for a workout that requires both hands. The device also comes with a companion app that monitors and analyses workouts and creates personalised routines for users. Portl’s Ultragym is priced at Rs. 59,990.
On ensuring safety while users performed workouts with heavy weights, Gupta explained that the device has inbuilt safety features. If a user struggles with the weight or loses balance, the sensors can automatically reduce the weight to allow them to get out of that position safely.
The Future of Smart Home Workouts
Smart home workout technology has come a long way. However, there are still several gaps to be filled. First, personalised routines and fitness tracking have enabled users to make progress without leaving the comforts of home, however, existing devices are not portable enough to be carried everywhere. People who travel frequently will not find such gadgets very useful.
Second, these technologies are focused on basic fitness and do not have solutions for those who have competitive and advanced fitness goals. Further, most of these technologies do not emphasise the motivation element enough, which is a key factor in whether or not a user exercises consistently.
As companies experiment with innovation, these gaps are likely to be filled in the coming years. Till then, whether working out can become an at-home experience or if a social institution such as a gym or fitness centre is necessary, debate is up the air.
Smart Home Hub Could Be Apple’s Most Significant Launch of 2025
In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman revealed that Apple will unveil a new HomePod-like smart home hub with a touchscreen later this year. It is claimed to be “Apple’s most significant release of the year,” as it represents the company’s “first step toward a bigger role in the smart home.”
Gurman notes that the smart home hub will be like a smaller and cheaper iPad that lets users control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats, and handle other tasks.
Meanwhile, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had stated earlier that the new HomePod with a 6-inch to 7-inch display will enter mass production in the second half of this year. It is said to pack an A18 chip and offer support for Apple Intelligence. If launched, the purported HomePod will compete against the likes of Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub.
The upcoming model is tipped to carry a square display instead of a rectangular one. It could include a customisable lock screen with multiple clock faces. It is likely to include an in-built camera to support video conferencing apps like FaceTime. The camera may be able to recognise hand gestures.
As per Gurman, the price of Apple’s purported smart home hub will be $1,000 (roughly Rs. 83,740) or more. The company is reportedly working on a new operating system dubbed homeOS to run these devices and its existing smart home lineup including HomePod and HomePod mini. The basis for the OS is said to be tvOS.
Noise Tag 1 Price in India
Noise Tag 1 price in India is set at Rs. 2,999. It is currently available at Rs. 1,499 as part of a limited period offer, according to the company. The company says its pre-bookings will begin soon and the Bluetooth tracker will go on sale starting January 28 via the brand’s website.
It will be available for purchase in three colourways — Charcoal, Ivory, and Midnight.
Noise Tag 1 Specifications
One of the standout features of the new Noise Tag 1 is its compatibility with both Android and iOS. It can work in tandem with Apple’s Find My network which enables iPhone users to locate lost or stolen items such as keys, luggage, wallets, and even pets. The same functionality is also available for Android devices (Android 9 and above) supporting Google’s Find My Device Network.
The Bluetooth tracker is also claimed to be compatible with Google’s Fast Pair technology, which simplifies the connectivity process for Bluetooth and BLE devices.
As per the company, the Noise Tag 1 comes equipped with a Ring Mode which can help locate misplaced items by activating a 90dB sound. Meanwhile, its Lost Mode automatically sends notifications to the smartphone if the tag disconnects after a specified duration.
Another feature of the Noise Tag 1 is the Network Mode, which is claimed to leverage the vast number of Android and iOS devices in the network to locate lost or stolen items, even if they are out of the immediate range.
The device offers 1 year of battery life and it has an IPX4 rating for splash resistance, according to the company.
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