HomePod mini in the Netherlands: is the small speaker worth the money?

The HomePod mini has finally arrived in the Netherlands. Fanatics have of course been able to score the small smart speaker via a detour for a long time, but now it can also be ordered in our own country for €109.99.

Is this small HomePod worth its money or should you as a consumer look further? I’ll explain it to you in this review.

HomePod mini: these 5 things you need to know

There are a few things that are important to know when it comes to the HomePod mini. Here they are:

#1 Small speaker delivers 360-degree sound

The HomePod mini is small in design, but big in sound quality. The acoustic design of the speakers consists of a full-range driver, two passive radiators and an acoustic waveguide. In practice this comes down to the following two things.

First, you won’t be bothered by reverb with the HomePod mini. Because the sound of the small speaker is produced in the middle, it does not reflect off the surface. Regardless of where you place the speaker, you always have the right sound quality.

The second, and in my opinion the biggest, advantage is the 360-degree sound of the mini. People are never exactly in the middle of a speaker and move around a lot during the day. That’s why the HomePod mini doesn’t focus on product, but on people placement. It simply means that the sound can be heard clearly from every angle.

Apple is committed to that. The company has recorded exactly how the sound sounded at about 1000 different locations and then processed this in the algorithm. In combination with computational audio, this ensures that the sound really serves you from all angles. Impressive for a speaker of this size.

#2 Fully controllable with Siri

The HomePod mini is a smart speaker, so it also carries a virtual assistant with it. In the case of Apple, that is of course Siri. There are three touch-sensitive buttons on the speaker. Left to turn the volume down, center to activate Siri or play/pause content, and right to turn up the volume. Three buttons you probably won’t use.

The integration with Siri is so good that you can practically operate the entire speaker with your voice. When connected to an iPhone it is even possible to answer calls, send messages or ask where your other products are (Find My).

If you have an Apple TV at home, it is possible to use the HomePod mini as a remote control. Pause, rewind, and resume content—you can do it all with your voice thanks to Siri.

This brings us to the next point.

#3 HomePod mini: central point for your Smart Home

In addition to deep integration with Apple products, the HomePod mini is actually also a Hub for your Smart Home. With the Home app you can connect all your smart devices in your home to the Apple speaker. This way you can ask Siri to turn on the light, control the thermostat or operate smart locks.

The installation is very easy. You simply need the Home app from Apple and therefore also an iPhone or an iPad. Good news for consumers with such products at home. Are you interested in the HomePod mini, but do you use Android devices? Then you will not have much use for this model.

In addition, I have also noticed in the past week that certain “smart” devices, such as cheaper smart lighting, do not work ideally with the Home app. My INNR lamps, which are connected via a Hue Bridge, are difficult or impossible to connect. So keep that in mind.

#4 Support for third-party apps

This does not mean that the support only applies to Apple-related services and devices. In addition to support for all smart devices, the HomePod mini is a so-called Open API. As long as developers support their applications, you can use them.

In this way you can simply ask Siri to play music via Spotify or send messages via WhatsApp or other services.

#5 Five different color options

You can currently order the HomePod mini in the Netherlands. Of course it was already possible via a detour, but without the service that Apple provides. It is therefore quite nice that you can also buy the smart speaker directly in our country.

For €109.99 you get the speaker and you can choose from the following colors:

• space gray
• Blue
• White
• Yellow
• Orange

Is the HomePod mini worth the money?

The HomePod mini is a good deal in my opinion. For €109.99 you get a relatively powerful speaker that works great with all your other Apple devices. The integration with the Home app is ideal and ensures that you can control almost your entire house by voice. Provided you are already fully in Apple’s ecosystem at this point. The more that is the case, the better the speaker will work for you.

I can hardly say that the HomePod mini will be a wonderful addition to your Apple ecosystem and your Smart Home.