Apple’s HomePod (Gen 2) & HomePod Mini Are FINALLY Available in Malaysia

By Danial Martinus  •  29 Apr 2024 in Gear

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Apple has just announced that the HomePod (2nd Gen) and HomePod Mini will finally be available in Malaysia, starting 10 May 2024.

If you aren’t familiar with the HomePod, we can’t blame you, since it’s never been available on the Apple Malaysia store before. If you’ve wanted one in the past, you would’ve had to jump through many hoops to get your hands on one — usually buying it from an Apple store beyond Malaysia.

Here’s the gist: It’s Apple’s smart speaker offering, which blends seamlessly into whatever Apple ecosystem you find yourself in, whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, or even a MacBook.

What you need to know

The HomePod (2nd Gen) is a rather large speaker, but delivers excellent audio quality. Its smaller and more portable brother, the HomePod Mini, is just as capable.

Whether you’re looking for room-filling audio with just one speaker, or a more immersive experience with two speakers, the Apple HomePod works wonders.

While you can sit back and relax while you listen to your favourite tunes on Apple Music, you can also use the Apple HomePod as a theatre speaker when watching TV. But both the Apple HomePod and HomePod Mini offer more than just audio. They’re smart speakers, after all.

Both the HomePod and HomePod Mini offer seamless integration with your existing Apple ecosystem

Using Ultra Wideband technology, you can hand off whatever you’re playing on your iPhone — like a favourite song, podcast, or even a phone call — directly to HomePod or HomePod Mini.

If you need personalised song or podcast recommendations, just bring your iPhone close to the HomePod or HomePod Mini and suggestions will pop up automatically.

It also uses voice recognition to allow you to talk to it without ever touching any of its controls. Speaking of which, if you live in a household with multiple people, HomePod and HomePod Mini can recognise up to six different voices. So for the most part, you won’t have any trouble asking it to play your personal playlist, add calendar events, and more.

The HomePod and HomePod Mini also address real-world problems, like when you misplace your phone in the house. With Find My, you can use both the HomePod and HomePod Mini to locate all your Apple devices, like an iPhone, by playing a sound on the misplaced device.

Plus, with Siri on the HomePod and HomePod Mini, users can control what’s playing on their Apple TV 4K hands-free.

Aside from interacting with Apple devices, the HomePod and HomePod Mini can also use Sound Recognition technology to listen for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. It sends a notification directly to the user’s iPhone if a sound is identified.

The speakers also feature built-in temperature and humidity sensors that can measure indoor environments. You can use this feature to create automations that, for example, close the blinds or turn on the fan automatically when the room reaches a certain temperature. It allows you to make your basic home feel more like a smart home.

But these are just some of the things that the HomePod and HomePod Mini can do. For more information, click here.

The HomePod (2nd Gen) and HomePod Mini will be available on the official Apple Malaysia website, Apple Store app, and in stores starting 10 May 2024

Apple HomePod (2nd Gen): RM1,549.

Available colours include Midnight and White.

Apple HomePod Mini: RM529.

Available colours include Space Grey, White, Orange, Yellow, and Blue.