The launch of the second-generation HomePod comes with a price hike for the mini. The enclosure goes from 99 to 109 €.
Apple has decided to give HomePod a chance, its connected speaker with excellent acoustic performance, but with questionable price positioning. This big comeback after years of shelving has repercussions for the entire range: when you browse the Cupertino company’s online store, you can see that the HomePod mini is no longer sold for €99, but €109.
Unlike other products, the HomePod mini had escaped the inflation observed after the broadcast of the conference dedicated to the iPhone 14 range. The small speaker in turn suffered a price increase, which raises questions about the strategy of ‘Apple in terms of the connected home. The HomePod mini represented an ideal entry point into the Apple ecosystem, with a quality/price ratio that was difficult to dispute.
The psychological bar of 100 € has passed for the HomePod mini
You could say that a $10 increase won’t fundamentally change the health of your bank account at the end of the month. But, compared to the base rate, it still represents an increase of 10%. Above all, it makes the HomePod mini cross a psychological bar: that of 100 €. In the minds of some users, this is a very important criterion (there are studies on this subject, and it is a real marketing issue).
At 109 €, we will continue to recommend the HomePod mini, because its immense qualities remain undeniable (the sound reproduction, in particular, is amazing for the format). But the product still loses the price argument, which made it a must. Especially since the HomePod mini benefits from being paired with other HomePod minis, for stereo use for example. From now on, each piece added to its interior will cost 10 € more.
Apple probably believes that this price increase can be justified in relation to the price of the second generation HomePod (which goes from 329 to 349 €). Unless it is the opposite: the multinational needed to increase the price of the HomePod mini to justify that of the HomePod, avoiding that there is too big a difference. In the meantime, the result is the same.
Differences between HomePod and HomePod mini :
| HomePod | HomePod mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial audio | ? | ☹️ |
| Space analysis | ? | ☹️ |
| Stereo | ? | ? |
| multi-room | ? | ? |
| Siri | ? | ? |
| Colors | 2 | 5 |
| Price | 349 € | 109 € |
Note, however, that Apple offers six months of subscription to Apple Music for any acquisition of a HomePod mini (for new customers only). Apple also says that a temperature and humidity sensor is present in the HomePod mini, which was not the case before. We imagine that an update will activate the function on all the speakers already in circulation.
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