APPLE has just announced its new HomePod 2nd generation device, and I was lucky enough to be one of the first to listen to the smart speaker.
It was certainly eye-opening – even though all the magic happened in my ears.
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Apple says its HomePod 2 is a smart speaker with “breakthrough sound and intelligence.”
The listening experience certainly highlighted the impressive capabilities of the gadget that were put to the test.
The HomePod 2 can sense its surroundings and adapts sound in real time to the surfaces around it.
It aims to immerse listeners in clear vocals and instrumentals so that every beat feels like it hits you.
A selection of songs was played on the HomePod 2, including an acoustic version of Hotel California by The Eagles.
If you close your eyes, you can easily convince yourself you were at a live Eagles concert.
This is all thanks to Apple’s spatial audio feature, which is available on some of its other products.
Apple says that spatial audio brings “theater-like sound from the movie or video you’re watching, so that sound seems like it’s coming from all around you.”
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The same logic applies when you’re listening to songs.
Users can listen to a catalog of more than 100 million songs with Apple Music.
Spotify lovers cannot connect the app to the HomePod 2 at this moment in time.
The device is available in two colors, white and black (which the company calls midnight).
While it releases on February 3, you can order it now online on the Apple Store website for $299/£299.
