Teardown shows what’s inside the HomePod 2
YouTube channel Brandon Geekabit (via iPhone in Canada) has shared a complete teardown video of the second generation HomePod. While HomePod 2 is extremely similar to the original model from the outside, there are some notable differences inside.
Looking from the outside, the most noticeable difference is in the display on top of the HomePod. On the new HomePod, the top surface looks exactly the same as on the HomePod mini, which has a large light in its center that changes color when the user is interacting with Siri. On the original HomePod, the light area is much smaller, although the surface is a bit larger.
As the teardown begins, we can already see another difference from the previous model. The power cord of the HomePod 2 is removable, but not only that – Apple now uses a Figure-8 cable for the HomePod, which means that it can easily be replaced with any other similar cable.
The base of the HomePod 2 needs to be detached to give the user access to the first screws. Interestingly, the HomePod 2’s base still leaves ring stains on wooden surfaces just like the first generation.
After removing the mesh that covers the HomePod and the screws on the base, it’s now possible to remove the top part of the speaker. In the original model, there was no easy way to do this. As shown by iFixit, the only way to access the internals of the first HomePod was by cutting into its shell. But the differences between the two HomePods don’t stop there.
As previously reported, the new HomePod has a simplified hardware. There are five tweeters instead of seven, and four microphones instead of six. Still, users seem to agree that the sound quality is about the same as the original HomePod. Another difference is a built-in sensor to show the current room temperature and humidity.