Apple announces revamped full-size HomePod two years after discontinuing original

Apple has announced a new $299 HomePod smart speaker with a similar form factor to the original HomePod released in 2018. New features available with this second-generation model include support for the smart home standard Matter, allowing the speaker to control compatible accessories, and an upgraded S7 chip first seen in the Apple Watch Series 7. It will be sold alongside the HomePod Mini, the smaller version of the speaker introduced in 2020. The new HomePod is available to order starting today, and will begin shipping February 3rd.

The second-generation HomePod has a single woofer paired with five tweeters, down from seven in the original model. Apple says the speaker can sense how it’s positioned in a room, adjusting its sound...

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