Apple’s tipped to introduce a slew of things at next week’s WWDC 2024 keynote, including a revamped Siri 2.0 experience powered by artificial intelligence. While most Apple users lean on Siri on their iPhones, you can’t forget about how the HomePod is just as good to access the voice assistant at home. And for a limited time, it’s getting an irresistible 42% off discount.
Normally priced at $299.99, Verizon Wireless is offering the 2nd generation smart speaker for $174.99. That’s a discount of 42%, which is very rare to see on any Apple product. Apple’s smart speakers don’t typically get generous discounts like its iPhones and AirPods. Best of all, you don’t need to be a Verizon customer to snag this deal — plus you get free shipping with the purchase.
I’ve been using the 2nd generation HomePod as a stereo pair with my Apple TV in my bedroom. Since the sound quality is superior thanks to its deep bass, I ditched the soundbar I was previously using with my Fire TV Omni series. For action packed movies, the HomePod speakers definitely amplify the experience beyond what the built-in speakers produce with my smart TV.
But there’s still more that I love about the 2nd generation HomePod. The hand off audio feature lets me start a song on my iPhone and then share it easily with the HomePod by simply placing my iPhone near the speaker. It’s one of the most intuitive features that shows how Apple’s products can easily interact with one another.
There’s also all the HomeKit integrations I’ve set up with some of my smart home devices, like how I can turn on the lights in the room by asking Siri or getting a preview screen of my security camera. I’m interested in what Apple will introduce with the next version of Siri, mainly because the smart assistant is rumored to handle more complex tasks with the help of AI. Obviously, the HomePod is the perfect smart hub in the home for any Apple user — so I really hope these new Siri features come to all of Apple’s smart speakers, including the HomePod Mini.
