preorder
2 stories filed under preorder on Spoot: Spotted Early. The newest of them: “Apple finally has a smart display you can actually preorder for $299” and “The HomePod Mini 2 finally exists, preorders are open, and Spoot already has a tab open”. Apple's HomeView is a 7-inch squircle that looks like a gargantuan Apple Watch bolted to a speaker base, and it costs $299. Apple didn't forget about the HomePod Mini. Spoot: Spotted Early New things, caught while they're still new and a little weird. Spoot finds fresh gadgets, clever inventions, crowdfunding campaigns,… The list below is every preorder story on Spoot: Spotted Early, newest first.
Apple finally has a smart display you can actually preorder for $299
Apple's HomeView is a 7-inch squircle that looks like a gargantuan Apple Watch bolted to a speaker base, and it costs $299. You can preorder it now. It ships November 13th. That is a real date from a real company, which already makes this more concrete than most smart-display launches. The HomeView controls smart home tech, shows recipes, runs music playback, makes FaceTime calls, and hosts widgets. It is clearly the centerpiece of Apple's big push into the home. The question Spoot always asks: Who is this for? If you are already in Apple's garden, this is the front door you have been waiting for. If you are not, $299 is a lot to pay for a lock you did not ask for.
The HomePod Mini 2 finally exists, preorders are open, and Spoot already has a tab open
Apple didn't forget about the HomePod Mini. After nearly six years, the Mini 2 is real, preorders are open at $149, and it lands October 30th. Inside is the S10 chip from the Apple Watch Series 10, a small, clever piece of silicon that now has to power a speaker. It will eventually get Siri AI through a future update, which means the voice assistant might finally become someone you actually want to talk to. You can build a four-speaker surround system with the new Apple TV 4K, or use them as wireless computer speakers if your Mac supports Wi-Fi 6E. That's a lot of connectivity for a little puck. If Apple's recent weirdness has your attention, you should also read why John Ternus is making Apple weird again.