Apple announced hardware updates for the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K lines, introducing new Siri AI capabilities, context-aware message integration, far-field microphone arrays, S10 chip processing on the mini 2, and expanded multi-speaker home theater audio routing.
On the new Apple TV 4K, Siri gets major improvements for finding movies and TV shows. Thanks to the ability to evaluate information from the user's messages, you can now ask her for things like playing a show a friend sent you. The device has built-in wide-range microphones, allowing you to give voice commands without holding a remote.
Siri's responses appear discreetly as text in the corner of the screen so they don't interrupt the TV's audio. The remote also has a new addition: if you lose it, you can ask it to locate it and it will start making sound.
The changes in HomePod mini 2
The new HomePod mini 2 small speaker features the S10 processor, which replaces the older S5 in the 2020 model. Although the new processor paves the way, the company clarified that Siri's more advanced features will not be available at launch, but will be added later.
New features include Sound Glow, which illuminates the touchpad with colors that mimic album art or natural sounds, and you can now connect up to four HomePod speakers to the new Apple TV 4K for richer sound in your living room.
Finally, the new speakers can connect wirelessly to any Mac computer, acting as external desktop speakers.
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