#6Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)

Product Review · Smart Speakers · #6 Ranked

Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)

Premium audio / Apple hub · Reviewed by Drew · apple.com, Sept 2026 — raised from $299 June 25, 2026

81
Solid Buy badge
Solid Buy
Rank #6 of 10 · Smart Speakers
$349.00
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The verdict

Why it scored a 81

The best-sounding speaker in the category — a 4-inch woofer, five horn-loaded tweeters and room-sensing computational audio — and the Apple-home hub with Thread and temperature sensing. Quality tops the card at 95, but $349 after the June price rise makes Value the weakest number here, and a HomePod 3 is expected before the year is out.

Key specs

What you're getting

  • 4-inch high-excursion woofer plus five horn-loaded tweeters, each with a neodymium magnet
  • Apple S7 chip; room-sensing computational audio with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos
  • Siri with a four-microphone far-field array; Sound Recognition for smoke and CO alarms
  • 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Thread border router (Matter/HomeKit hub), Ultra Wideband
  • Built-in temperature and humidity sensors for Home app automations
  • Stereo pairing of two HomePods; Apple TV 4K home-theater mode
  • 5.6 in wide x 6.6 in tall, 5.16 lb (2.3 kg); detachable power cable
  • Colors Midnight and White; needs an iPhone or iPad to set up

ViperScore breakdown

FactorScoreWeightPoints
Value66×25%16.5
Quality95×20%19.0
Features88×15%13.2
Reliability90×15%13.5
Satisfaction86×15%12.9
Warranty55×10%5.5
Weighted total81

At a glance

  • 4-inch woofer + five horn-loaded tweeters; room sensing + Spatial Audio
  • Apple S7 chip, Siri, four far-field mics
  • Thread border router, Matter/HomeKit hub, temperature + humidity sensors
  • Price$349.00
  • TierPremium audio / Apple hub
  • Category rank#6 of 10
Drew
Drew
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