Everything That’s Changed in the New 2023 HomePod

Apple this week unexpectedly announced the second-generation full-sized HomePod, around two years after it discontinued the original smart speaker.

HomePod 2023
The upgraded HomePod, priced at $299, joins the HomePod mini in Apple’s line of TV and Home products with several new changes and features. A lower price tag at launch, a slightly tweaked design, and a suite of features are expected to make the second-generation HomePod more successful than its predecessor, which failed to capture mainstream market share, ultimately leading to its discontinuation. Below, we’ve highlighted what exactly has changed with the second-generation HomePod compared to the first-generation smart speaker.

Faster Siri and Services Performance

HomePod 2 iPhone Feature Purple Blue


As part of the all-new HomePod, Apple has included the S7 processor, the same chip found in the Apple Watch Series 7, which powers room sensing, advanced computational audio, Siri, and more. The S7 chip is an upgrade to the A8 chip, which powered the first-generation HomePod and the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The chip will help improve the experience of using Siri and services such as Apple Music and iHeartRadio.

Fewer Microphones and Tweeters

HomePod 2023 Internals


The next-generation HomePod has four microphones built-in, compared to the six-microphone system in the first-generation HomePod. Even if users are across the room, far away from the speaker, and listening to music, the HomePod’s microphones enable them to invoke Siri and control their HomePod.

The latest HomePod also has fewer tweeters than the original first-generation model. Apple’s specs sheet reveals the new HomePod has five tweeters around its base, compared to seven in the original smart speaker. The tweeters help power HomePod’s acoustic performance by optimizing “high frequencies to produce detailed, articulate audio with stunning clarity.” The reduction in the number of tweeters and microphones was likely a cost-cutting measure by Apple. Whether this will result in a noticeable drop in audio performance is currently unknown.

Detachable Power Cable

HomePod power cable plug

Orginal first-generation HomePod

Unlike the original HomePod, the new HomePod has a detachable power cable, allowing users to quickly detach the cable from the HomePod for travel or storage.

Larger Backlit Touch Interface

HomePod 2 Midnight Closeup Feature Blue Orange


One of the noticeable design changes with the updated HomePod is a larger backlit touch interface at its top. Compared to the original HomePod, the new model features a significantly larger interface that glows and illuminates different colors to show varying statuses of the speaker and when Siri is in use.

Lighter and Shorter Design

HomePod 2023 Gallery 1


Dimensions on Apple’s website for the second-generation HomePod help put into perspective the updated model’s size and form factor in relation to its predecessor. The brand-new HomePod weighs 5.16 pounds, compared to 5.5 pounds for the original smart speaker. The upgraded HomePod is also 6.6 inches in height, compared to 6.8 inches. Both HomePods feature the same width of 5.6 inches.

Thread and UI Ultra Wideband Chip

Full HomePod Black


The new HomePod supports Thread, a connectivity standard for smart home devices that improves connectivity via a low-power mesh network for your home. The original HomePod lacked Thread support, with only the HomePod mini having compatibility.

The new HomePod also has the U1 Ultra Wideband chip built-in, which detects when other U1-equipped devices, such as the latest iPhone models, are nearby and allows it to quickly hand off the audio to the smart speaker.

What’s Not Changed

HomePod MacRumors


With the new HomePod, there are two things that have not changed: Lack of Bluetooth support and in-line audio. Unlike other speakers, the new HomePod, like the previous-generation model and the current HomePod mini, cannot function as a standalone Bluetooth speaker. Users must pair the HomePod with their iPhone or iPad and use Apple’s AirPlay standard or Siri to play audio. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the new HomePod does not feature an audio jack, optical audio port, or any ports at all. All interaction with the HomePod is done wirelessly using Apple devices.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *