Apple HomePod

The HomePod is back and the latest incarnation of the speaker sounds incredible whether listening to music or watching films

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£299 apple.com

The Apple HomePod returns with a bang. It brings with it impressive premium performance as a speaker and a smart home device. Making it ideal for those wanting to listen to lossless music, upgrade their Apple TV experience and take control of the home.

Its integration into Apple's smart home ecosystem is much more pronounced than its predecessor. It's central to not just your music listening needs but also your home cinema and the automation of other devices in your network.

The new HomePod is largely the same size and shape as the original model. Placed next to each other you'd need to look carefully to tell them apart. The second-gen model is slightly shorter at 168mm but the same 142mm wide. The base of the unit has changed slightly, now being completely flat rather than concave. Meanwhile, the top touch panel is set slightly recessed. It's slightly lighter than the original, weighing in at 2.3kg. That's still a significant weight for a speaker, but not enough to worry about.