Palms-on with the Apple HomePod Mini’s new temperature sensing characteristic

Whereas the kind of new HomePod grabbed all the eye this week, the HomePod Mini can be getting some new options. With the launch of iOS 16.3 (probably later this month), the Mini will get all the identical sensible residence capabilities as the brand new, larger HomePod second-gen. The variations between the 2 Apple speaker siblings are actually primarily in dimension and sound functionality. From new temperature and humidity sensing methods to the power to search out your loved ones for you and even arrange automations with simply your voice, these new options ought to make the HomePod Mini slightly extra helpful round the home.

Each HomePods are additionally getting a Sound Recognition characteristic later this yr, permitting them to hear for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. I noticed a preview of this, and it appears to be like like a helpful integration, permitting you to speak on to anybody in your house by means of the HomePod from a notification in your lock display screen. However my favourite new functionality is one thing Siri now gained’t do — which is to speak again to you each time you ask it to show off the lights. I like my voice assistants to say as little as attainable.

The brand new capabilities will present up robotically when you replace your units to iOS 16.3 and HomePod software program model 16.3, which needs to be out there later this month. Nevertheless, the Launch Candidate of the iOS 16.3 beta landed on Wednesday, so I downloaded it to get an early take a look at a few of these new options. Listed here are some first impressions.

We’ve recognized that the HomePod Mini had a temperature and humidity sensor onboard for some time, however it’s been dormant since launch. With HomePod software program model 16.3, the chip is getting its wake-up name, and as soon as your HomePod Mini is up to date, it might probably begin to monitor the temperature and humidity for you within the room it’s in.

You possibly can see the readings at a look within the Dwelling app on iOS and iPad OS units which can be additionally up to date to 16.3. The simplest means is to faucet on the Local weather shortcut on the prime of the homescreen, which reveals the readings of all temperature and humidity sensors in your house.

Within the app, it’s also possible to see the readings on the prime of the room the speaker is in. When you’ve got a number of temperature sensors within the room, it would show a mean of them. Faucet on the studying to get to the person sensor’s readings and settings.

Right here, you’ll be able to rename the sensors. Oddly, the HomePod sensors confirmed up with totally different default names on every of the 2 HomePod Minis I’ve. On one, they got here by means of as Humidity Sensor and Temperature Sensor, and on the opposite, they got here by means of with a extra generic HomePod Sensor136480.

You possibly can create automations from this settings web page to do issues like set off different sensible residence units to reply to the temperature or humidity rising above or dropping under a sure threshold. It’s also possible to create scenes and automations utilizing the sensors by means of the automations tab of the app.

As with most Apple Dwelling automations, you’ll be able to set parameters utilizing time (any time, through the day, at evening, or particular occasions) and / or folks (when someone is residence, when I’m residence, when no person is residence, or when I’m not residence).

I efficiently created an automation to activate the warmth on the mini-split unit in my bed room to 68 levels Fahrenheit when the temperature drops under 66 levels Fahrenheit after which to activate the AC when it will get above 76.

I additionally examined the HomePod Mini’s readings in opposition to an Aqara indoor air quality monitor, they usually have been persistently shut, solely various by a level at anybody time on temperature and by round 2 % on humidity.

Apple does warn that the sensors are optimized for ambient temperatures round 69 levels Fahrenheit and 86 levels Fahrenheit and that accuracy isn’t assured when the speaker is taking part in music for lengthy durations of time at excessive volumes. (I haven’t examined this but.)

Different potential automations the sensors may very well be used for embody reducing sensible shades if the temperature rises within the afternoon when the solar could add radiant warmth to the room — or to activate a fan linked to a sensible plug when the temperature rises or activate a appropriate sensible humidifier when the humidity drops under a sure level.

One factor I would really like to have the ability to try this I couldn’t is ready it to ship a notification when the temperature or humidity modifications considerably — which might be useful, say, in a nursery.

Presently, it appears to be like like you’ll be able to solely arrange automations with the sensors in Apple Dwelling, not third-party HomeKit apps akin to Eve, Home Plus, and Controller, as HomePod audio system don’t present up in these different apps. This probably means the sensors additionally gained’t be uncovered to Matter, however that hasn’t been confirmed.

It’s also possible to ask Siri what the temperature or humidity is within the room, and it’ll reply with a selected studying from its sensor or a mean when you’ve got a number of sensors within the room.

The HomePod Mini can now observe your loved ones and buddies for you in addition to any gadgets you will have linked to Discover My by means of AirTags or any Discover My-enabled units. Simply say, “Hey Siri, the place is [insert name of a family member or friend or item]?”

I discover Apple’s Discover My characteristic to be a bit spotty. It at all times struggles to search out my daughter, who has an Apple Watch, not an iPhone. However I examined this characteristic on my son along with his iPhone 13, and it situated him simply, replying along with his distance and placement to a close-by tackle. I additionally examined it with an AirTag linked to a backpack, and it responded precisely.

Now you can arrange recurring Apple Dwelling automations utilizing Siri on the HomePod Mini. I attempted to create one to lock my entrance door each evening at 9PM and had slightly bother at first. The language must be very exact; it didn’t like “each evening,” so I needed to say “every single day.” However I ultimately bought it to work with this language:

“Hey Siri, set an automation to lock the entrance door at 9PM every single day.”

Siri replied with a affirmation: “I’ve set the Yale lock to lock at 9PM beginning this night.”

I’m unsure how a lot I’ll use this capability, personally, however I can see it being a precursor to Siri doubtlessly suggesting to arrange automations for you, much like Amazon Alexa’s hunches characteristic.

Siri is my most well-liked voice assistant for sensible residence management, primarily as a result of it doesn’t attempt to muscle in on the dialog as a lot as a few of its rivals. However these days, it’s grow to be extra verbose. This replace fixes that considerably by changing the generally lengthy affirmation of actions following a sensible residence command with only a gentle ding ding.

This is applicable to actions that contain units not in the identical room because the HomePod (for which Siri already solely performs a affirmation sound) or ones that don’t present a visible change — like a heater.

Now, after I ask Siri on the HomePod Mini to show the lights off in, say, the kitchen whereas I am within the bed room, as a substitute of confirming audibly that the lights are off, there’s only a small sound to point that my will has been executed.

Nevertheless, if one thing goes incorrect, it would nonetheless say, “I attempted however some units didn’t reply.”

Lastly, Apple says it’s remastered the ambient sounds on the HomePod Mini, together with ocean, white noise, hearth, and rain. These noises can now be added to scenes, automations, and alarms.

I examined this out with a Bedtime Scene I’ve that turns off lights, locks the doorways, and adjusts the thermostat, and I used to be in a position so as to add ocean sounds taking part in on the HomePod to it. I might set the quantity it will play at when the scene was activated, however I couldn’t set a time for it to show off, which is one thing I’d prefer to see added.

General, these new options convey some much-needed performance to the HomePod line (all of them will likely be on the brand new HomePod, too), which has been taking part in catch-up when it comes to performance to Amazon’s Echo units. These audio system have had sound recognition for some time now. In addition they can act as movement sensors and might reply in a whisper for those who speak quietly to them, options I’d prefer to see come to the HomePod line, too. Simply so long as Siri doesn’t decide up on Alexa’s “by the way in which” behavior, the place Amazon’s assistant provides what it thinks is useful info solely unprompted. It’s not often useful and sometimes includes asking you to spend cash.

Images by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge