Remember when tech used to get cheaper throughout its life span? Those were the glory days; but that all seems to be in the past now.

Apple is the latest company to hop on the trend of upping prices on its older products. It has just rolled out a fairly egregious swathe of updated pricing on its hi-fi and home cinema offerings; we think it’s fair to say that this is really not good news.

The Apple TV 4K now starts at £199 / $199 / AU$299 (originally £149 / $130 / AU$219) for the 64GB version, or £249 / $249 / AU$399 (originally £169 / $179 / $249) for the 128GB with ethernet. And this, we remind you, is the 2022 version, so it has been on the market for almost four years now.

The HomePod range hasn’t got off lightly either. The HomePod 2 now costs £349 / $349 / AU$549 – up from £299 / $299 / AU$479 – while the HomePod Mini (which launched in 2020 and hasn’t really been updated since) is now £129 / $129 / AU$199, up from £99 / $99 / AU$149.

There are price hikes across Apple’s iPad and Mac devices too.

The only products that appear to be mostly untouched are the iPhones and AirPods ranges; in fact, it looks like the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC have dropped by £10 for both models.

If you had been holding out in the hope of new models launching – rumours of a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod with a display have been circulating for years – you might be better off pulling the trigger and snapping up the current-gen models from the retailers that haven't yet caught on to the price increases.

We have rounded up the retailers from the UK, US and Australia that are still selling these products for their original prices at the time of writing.

There’s no guarantee that these original prices will stick around, or if they will be updated in the next couple of hours.

Apple TV 4K (2022)

Apple HomePod 2

Apple HomePod Mini

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Here are our picks for the best wireless speakers

As well as the best streaming devices

Apple’s yearly Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is scheduled to kick off a week from today, and signs are pointing towards a host of new software announcements – but perhaps very little in the way of new hardware.

The WWDC26 keynote will be live-streamed on Apple TV, YouTube, and Apple’s event website at 10am Pacific Time, which is 6pm here in the UK. Australian Apple fans will either have to stay up late or wake up early, as the presentation will kick off at 3am on the West Coast, or 1am on the East Coast.

With this being a software-focused showcase, we expect updates to Apple’s various operating systems across its mobile phones, tablets, computers and, most importantly, streaming devices.

That being said, Apple has surprised us with hardware announcements at WWDC in previous years. These include the Apple Vision Pro headset, updated Mac computers, and even the original HomePod, which was announced at WWDC 2017.

Ultimately, signs are pointing towards a WWDC that is putting the focus on software, which might not be such a bad thing…

What to expect…

Apple made a big statement last year with its latest batch of software updates. 2025 signalled the year of Liquid Glass, which introduced a fluid, transparent interface to everything from iPhones and iPads to Apple TV and iMacs.

Apple also standardised the naming conventions of its various product lineups. All of the version numbers were changed to align with the relevant year, signalling the launch of iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and tvOS 26.

We think, then, that it's reasonable to expect the announcement of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and tvOS 27 on Monday.

As for what these updates will bring to the table, that is somewhat of an unknown currently. We know that Apple has made a big push for Apple Intelligence, the company’s answer to the AI revolution, in recent years, but it has ultimately fallen far behind the competition.

While Google has steamrolled ahead with Gemini on various Android phones, Apple Intelligence and Siri aren’t quite living up to the claims made by Apple during the iPhone 16 launch.

Siri hasn’t got much smarter, and Visual Intelligence hasn’t really challenged Google’s excellent Circle to Search function. Therefore, we anticipate the upcoming updates to be pretty AI and Siri-focused, as Apple scrambles to bring its software up to speed.

Elsewhere, we could see some tweaks to Liquid Glass after the lukewarm reaction to the new user interface, as well as new features coming to some of Apple’s core apps. Last year, we saw a handful of updates come to Apple Music, which included the ability to pin your favourite albums and real-time lyric translations.

What not to expect…

We’ve said it already, but we’ll reiterate: it is unlikely that this will be a hardware-heavy event. The two big products that we await are still missing in action, and it’s looking less and less likely that they will break cover at WWDC 2026.

These are the next-generation Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini, which, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (via Engadget), have both been ready to launch for several months. In fact, Gurman claims that the upcoming hardware is already being used internally at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters.

Expected upgrades aren’t monumental; in fact, some predictions are centred around some minor chipset updates. But with the previous generations of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini launching in 2022 and 2020, respectively, we are willing to take any form of upgrade.

The aforementioned limitations to Apple Intelligence and Siri are reportedly responsible for the holdup with these products, but the expectation is that once Apple irons out its AI kinks, then these products should be primed to launch.

It should also not come as a surprise to hear that we probably won’t see any new iPhones during the presentations. Apple tends to save those for its annual September event – and it’s looking like it could be a big one this year.

Apple is expected to change its usual lineup by launching its first foldable device alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, meanwhile, are expected to launch in early 2027.

We’re not ruling out new product announcements entirely; Apple could surprise us after all. But, with software being the primary focus for WWDC, we think September is a more likely time to see new Apple hardware.

MORE:

Read our full Apple iPhone 17 review

As well as our Apple TV 4K (2022) review

And check out the best smartphones here

Apple has announced its first full-scale event for 2026 after a smattering of low-key product launches throughout January and February.

This event appears to differentiate itself from those previous Apple launches because the company is billing it as a “special Apple Experience” rather than its usual live events.

Taking place on the 4th of March in London, New York and Shanghai, the experience will probably feature numerous expected product launches.

The most widely anticipated product is the iPhone 17e. Its predecessor, the five-star iPhone 16e, officially turns a year old on the 19th of February, so a successor is due. There have also been rumblings of updates to the MacBook and iPad lines, with updated processors and potentially new displays in store.

That being said, we are hoping to see some upgrades in two overlooked areas in Apple's product portfolio.

We are sorely overdue for a new Apple TV 4K, with the last model launching back in 2022. That streamer remains at the top of our best streaming devices list, fending off rivals from Amazon and Google for nearly four years.

Mutterings of a new Apple TV 4K have been circulating for quite some time, and it looked as though a new model was about to launch towards the end of last year, only to be delayed.

The expected upgrades include a more up-to-date processor, which will support Apple Intelligence and slicker tvOS operation.

We are also anticipating an upgrade to the HomePod range, which has remained fairly stagnant since the HomePod 2 launched in 2023.

The HomePod Mini is our main contender for an upgrade. It has been left basically untouched since 2020 (not counting a minor colour refresh in 2024). There are also rumours surrounding Apple working on a HomePod with a screen, though these are yet to be substantiated by a full product launch.

A HomePod Mini 2 is high on our wishlist, but only time will tell if Apple will launch a successor to its pint-sized, Award-winning wi-fi speaker.

All will be revealed in just under two weeks, and you can check back here for live coverage of the latest announcements.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best streaming devices

As well as the best wireless speakers

And read our full Apple HomePod Mini review

It has hardly been a month since Apple launched its flashy new iPhone 17 line of smartphones, and yet its website is now littered with new products all sporting a new M5 chipset.

That includes a new edition of the Tandem OLED-touting iPad Pro. And that's certainly a cause for celebration even if the new Vision Pro and MacBook Pro are less of interest to us AV enthusiasts.

Either way, I'm disappointed by the announcements Apple didn't make. You see, the company's final launch window of the year tends to be in October, where it has, in previous years, launched fresh Macs and iPads.

Curiously, it opted not to live-stream this announcement and instead quietly unloaded the new products onto its website with fairly minimal fanfare.

With that in mind, I've had to face a difficult truth: I probably won't be getting a new Apple TV 4K this year, will I?

After an onslaught of rumours that claim that Apple is ready to launch a new version at any moment, and with the current Award-winning model hitting its third anniversary in three days, I really thought that the Apple TV 4K 2025 would break cover this month.

Apple even updated its streaming service recently, changing its name and giving it a "vibrant new identity" – convincing me it was primed to launch a new contender for our best streaming devices list.

While I'm about ready to throw the towel in, it turns out not all might be lost. According to reputable Apple insider and Bloomberg Editor Mark Gurman (via 9to5Mac), Apple may be doing a double-drop of new products this week.

He successfully predicted that the M5 MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and Vision Pro would launch this week, and he also referenced a new Apple TV 4K, HomePod Mini and AirTag 2 on that list.

Therefore, with half of that list being announced today, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Apple could drop another bunch of devices later this month, or even later this year.

Ultimately, I'm where I started – waiting in Apple TV 4K limbo, though I do have a pinch of hope that my waiting will be rewarded soon.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

As well as our Google TV Streamer review

And our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) review

The hour is finally upon us, after months of pre-launch rumours and an entire day summarising them in this very live blog, Apple’s fabled “Awe Dropping” event has finally started.

And on hand as promised, What Hi-Fi?'s team audio-visual experts are feverishly covering all the announcements to come out of it relevant to our hi-fi and home cinema aficionado readership live.

Keep track of all the news in the feed below and make sure to get involved with the conversation, dropping any questions you have for the team in the comments section. We’ll do our absolute best to get them answered ASAP.

Quick links

• Everything we expect from the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro
• All the latest AirPods Pro 3 rumours
• What we hope to see from the Apple HomePod Mini 2
• These are the current industry rumblings about the Apple AirPods Max 2
• Will there be a new Apple TV 4K 2025? Here’s a summary of the current rumours

What to expect from the iPhone 17

Apple events always come with some chaos factor. This has been part of the firm’s DNA since the Steve Jobs era, with the deceased co-founder and former CEO famously always having “one more thing” to show off at the firm’s launch events.

So, even with the sea of pre-event rumours and our knowledge of the firm’s previous release strategies to go off, we’re not ruling out at least one or two surprises coming out of the event. However, there are a few products we’re particularly convinced will appear.

The biggest is the firm’s newest iPhone 17 line of smartphones. Outside of rare exceptions, Apple has launched its new handsets in the same September window for as long as we’ve been covering them and we can’t see that changing this year, especially given current industry rumblings.

Why is that a big deal? Because if you jump to our best phones for music and movie fans you’ll see a lot of Apple handsets in the list.

Why? Because they tend to offer the best audio and picture quality year-on-year. That was certainly the case with the iPhone 16 Pro when we reviewed it, with its audio in particular making it the most musically minded options for serious fans who don’t fancy investing in a portable player.

However, the two biggest rumours we’ve heard relevant to our audience, don’t actually discuss the new handsets’ expected audio upgrades.

Instead they forecast potential price increases across the range. There are also growing rumours about a potential new foldable iPhone, sometimes referred to as the iPhone 17 Air to take on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and for movie fans’ attention.

The AirPods Pro 3

The second product most Apple-watchers are predicting is a new set of AirPods Pro 3 wireless earbuds.

This move would make sense with Apple having launched the AirPods 4 with ANC alongside the iPhone 16 last September and its current AirPods Pro 2 are getting a little long in the tooth.

However, while many rumour mills are suggesting its a done deal with the AirPods Pro 3, be warned there are some naysayers with a strong track record predicting Apple release strategies saying they won’t appear at the event.

Analyst Jeff Pu suggests they may not come in 2025 at all, suggesting the firm may do a dedicated launch in 2026 for them.

Regardless of if they appear at the event, one thing the experts at What Hi-Fi? are confident of is that they will be an evolution, rather than rethinking, of the firm’s Pro earbuds line.

As our deputy editor Andy Madden, said earlier this year, we’re expecting a similar design with reworked internals, including a modernised wireless chipset, USB C charging and improved “digital ANC” – not a completely rethought product.

Will that be enough to compete in the increasingly accomplished market which has seen amazing new sets, including the five-star Technics EAH-AZ100 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) launch in the past year?

We won’t know until the AirPods Pro 3 are actually unveiled and we get a chance to hear them. But considering Apple’s strong track-record in the market we can’t help but get a little excited to see new premium AirPods try.

What about the Apple HomePod Mini 2?

Cards on the table, many of the audio team at What Hi-Fi? want to see a new HomePod Mini as much as the rest of you – the original is a cute unit that fits the bill when it comes to feeding the need for more small, great sound audio hardware to help get people into hi-fi.

But, from what we’ve seen in the pre-release rumours and based on our conversations with our sources, it’s not clear cut if a HomePod Mini 2 will launch later today.

This leaves us slightly nervous as analysts have already made numerous predictions about the units prediction, only to subsequently be proven wrong. The biggest was when, usually on the money, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrongly predicted the unit would launch in the second half of 2024. Fool us once etc…

If it does appear, which some optimists still hope it will, there are numerous rumours about what upgrades it will have doing the rounds.

The only consistent ones are generally common sense, promising upgrades to a newer chipset (the same seen in the current generation Apple Watch), better WiFi 6E connectivity and the smattering of Apple Intelligence AI upgrades pretty much every new tech from the firm gets.

While we’d personally like to see some audio upgrades, given Apple’s tendency to keep information on things like the drivers used and nitty gritty of its designs under wraps we’re going to reserve judgment on any changes here until we actually see and hear one.

Meet the team covering the Apple launch

What about the AirPods Max 2?

The AirPods Max 2 have been rumoured for quite a while now, with Apple clearly happy to take its time releasing a truly second generation pair of premium, wireless, over-ear headphones.

The closest it has come was last year when it gave the original generation a minor spruce, adding USB C charging. Though often referred to as Max 2, these are technically just the originals modified, with Apple still referring to them as AirPods Max on its store.

For the actual, true second generation information is thin on the ground. Even the most optimistic reports we’ve seen suggest next year, or even 2027, as the most likely launch date for a true successor to the AirPods Max. We’re not expecting to see them at today’s event, as a result.

Will there be a new Apple TV?

The Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) has long been the streaming box the What Hi-Fi? team recommends for buyers looking for the best movie and audio quality possible.

The reason why is simple, it offers superior performance that’s a cut above any of the, admittedly usually cheaper, Amazon, Roku or Google rivals we’ve tested it against.

But, it is getting a little old, which is why, despite rumours suggesting a new Apple TV won’t appear at the event, some of the team remain hopeful an upgrade will appear soon.

Sadly, concrete rumours about what specific upgrades a new box would bring remain vague at best, with the only semi-regular one being it will have an integrated camera and upgraded chipset.

We’d also expect some upgrades to its WiFi connectivity and potentially support for the newly announced Dolby Vision 2 / Max HDR standard, given Apple track record in the space.

But, like a lot of the pre-event rumours we’ll only know the precise details when and if Apple unveils a new Apple TV 4K 2025.

2 things we want, but 100 per cent won’t see tonight

We all have things we want in life that may never happen and right now there are two bits of Apple tech that fall into that category for the What Hi-Fi? Team.

The first comes from our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons. Specifically, he’s been calling for Apple to make a proper Dolby Atmos soundbar for many moons now. And to be fair to him, while there are no rumours whatsoever indicating this is in the works, it makes sense.

Apple’s current HomePod 2 speakers have a stereo home cinema mode that lets two of them work in tandem with the Apple TV 4K to great effect. We even penned a feature detailing how well the setup works when we first reviewed the HomePod 2 at launch.

But, a proper dedicated soundbar focussed on delivering a home cinema experience first and foremost would be awesome – especially if it targeted the same top of the line, industry leading space currently ruled by the KEF XIO we tested earlier this year.

The second is one myself and senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, have long discussed: an actual Apple TV.

Apple has a strong track record with display tech, especially OLED, with its tandem OLED tech winning a What Hi-Fi? Award and being a key reason the current Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) is the best tablet available for movie fans. So it would be great to see it take the same know how and use it to make a proper TV.

Sadly, like the Apple soundbar Tom wants, there are no rumours, even the vague kind, suggesting this is planned or even on the firm’s radar. At this rate we’re more likely to see a car or pair of glasses with Apple’s branding first.

Will we see the hotly rumoured HomePod with a screen?

Words by What Hi-Fi? contributor Esat Dedezade

If you’ve been anxiously refreshing this page all day to see if any new snippets may have leaked ahead of the Apple event, you will have noticed our previous speculation on the potential reveal of a new HomePod Mini 2.

Well, there’s plenty more hopium where that came from. What about an ultra-surprising, One More Thing reveal of the – wait for it – Apple HomePod with a screen?!

That’s right, the Apple rumour mill has long teased us with secretive whispers of a screen-toting HomePod smart speaker to rival the likes of the Amazon Echo Show 10 and co.

The possibilities are endless. You could see the weather at a glance! Your photos could be displayed for all the world to see.

Visible prices on your ill-advised crypto meme coins could be but a voice command away. But before you praise the Cupertino engineers for the graciousness, bear in mind that when we last covered this rumour, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (who has a very reliable track record when it comes to Apple news and rumours), stated that the HomePod with screen could “... finally hit the market by the end of this year at the earliest…”

And if that doesn’t fill you with much confidence, he also stated that it remains “up in the air.”Now, are we going to sit here and categorically state that we definitely won’t see a HomePod with a screen make a surprise appearance tonight?

No. There’d be no fun in that.But as with most Apple rumours, it’s best to tentatively manage expectations and be happy with whatever ‘magical’ items do grace the stage. Not long to go now, at least…

The AirPods Pro 3 could be a damp squib if this rumour comes true

Words by What Hi-Fi? contributor, Joe Svetlik

Ever since the AirPods Pro 2 became the first Apple earbuds to earn five stars from us, our expectations have been high. All of a sudden, Apple could compete with the best wireless earbuds around!

Watch out, Sony and Bose! But earlier today I had my expectations dashed from a great height courtesy of Apple analyst Mark Gurman.

Why? He posted that the AirPods Pro 3 won’t feature any major upgrades to either noise cancellation nor sound quality.

Instead, we’ll get heart rate tracking courtesy of LED optical sensors. It’s thought to work just like the feature already found on the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 (which are also made by Apple).

Talk about disappointing.

The AirPods Pro 2 have very good sound quality and noise cancellation, even compared to more recent rival pairs. But they’re three years old now. The fiercely competitive world of wireless earbuds has moved on, and will only keep advancing.

If Apple keeps these buds on the shelves for three years – as it did with both previous models of AirPods Pro – they will be sorely lacking quite soon.

All hope is not lost. Previous rumours said the AirPods Pro 3 would have “much better” ANC than their predecessors.

And Gurman himself has said he expects a new H3 chip to feature, which could bring some modest upgrades to both sound and ANC.

But considering that Bose overhauled the ANC for its recent QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), and that Sony’s much anticipated WF-1000XM6 are said to be launching soon (probably with some serious improvements to core areas), I can’t see this move as anything other than a step backwards by Apple.

It could prove to be wrong, of course. But Gurman has a solid track record of Apple predictions. And it’s unlikely he would go on record just 24 hours before the launch with a statement he wasn’t 100 per cent sure about.We can but hope…

Our senior staff writer's hot take on our chances of seeing a new Apple TV 4K

Words by What Hi-Fi? senior staff writer, Lewis Empson

Will we see the Apple TV 4K (2025) today? I’m setting myself up for disappointment with today’s Apple Event.

My fingers are still crossed for a new 4K streamer, after Apple has left its previous model to gather dust for the last three years.The current version, that being the Apple TV 4K (2022), is still an exceptional streamer, and one that I’ve endorsed countless times.

I’ve even called it “comfortably the best streamer on the market”, which is a sentiment I stand by, and the Google TV Streamer did little to challenge its title.

That being said, a new model is at the top of my wishlist, and there have been plenty of rumours hinting towards a new model for many months now.

Reports of a new model with an updated processor sound logical to me, as the current model uses the same A15 Bionic processor that launched on the iPhone 13 series – for reference, we’re about to see the unveiling of the iPhone 17 series.

A speedier processor that’s compatible with Apple Intelligence would be a nice start, and that will likely carry some under-the-hood picture and sound improvements too.

The big question surrounds the recent announcement of Dolby Vision 2 and Dolby Vision 2 Max. Will Apple be the first to adopt the new HDR standard with the new version of its streamer? It’s certainly championed Dolby Vision on its iPhones, iPads and MacBooks, so it would make sense for the company to introduce the latest version to its streamers.

I’ve already gotten ahead of myself here, as the likelihood that Apple will disrupt its iPhone and AirPods showcase to give the Apple TV 4K any airtime is, realistically, very low.

There are mutterings of another Apple Event slated for later in the year involving iPads and Macs, which could be a better fit for the Apple TV 4K. As for now, I’m beginning to come to terms with the fact that a new Apple TV 4K being revealed in the next few hours is very unlikely (but not impossible).

Apple's event livestream is up and running with the firm playing a pre-made video showing off all its current hardware, including the HomePod and AirPods. We're hoping to get a look at the fabled AirPods Pro 3 nice and early in the keynote, so keep watching this space!

And the big man, Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken charge, doing an opening speech focussed on selling Apple's "design" focussed philosophy. He's also already confirmed there will be new AirPods related news as well iPhones as expected. Here's hoping we don't have to wait much longer for more details.

"AirPods are the best and most popular headphones in the world."

"The deliver a magical musical experience."

"Today we're building on our innovations in audio technology with the next generation of AirPods Pro"

Three quotes direct from Tim Cook.

Tim Cook has handed over to Apple VP hardware an engineering Kate Bergeron to tell us more.

Custom new acoustic architecture, designed for wider sound stage and better bass response.

New improved ANC with foam infused eartips for better isolation -- 2x better than the Pro 2 and 4x better than the original Pro earbuds according to her.

Apple claims they have "the best ANC of any in-ear headphones".

There's also Live Translation, powered by Apple intelligence. It can apparently be turned on with a simple hand gesture using their capacitive controls.

Improved fit is also a focus for the new earbuds -- they did 100k hours of "research" on ear shapes to improve their shape and new tip sizes (five to be precise). IP57 water resistance has also been confirmed for gym goers.

Apple Senior Director Julz Arney, has taken the keynote over to talk about the AirPods Pro 3's fitness features. These included in ear heartbeat tracking.

With just the AirPods Pro 3 you can track over 50 workouts as well as things like calories burned -- cool, but we'd like more about audio improvements...

And we have Kate back... Longer battery life, from six up to eight hours listening with ANC on. 10 hours with transparency.

So in summary:

New tip options.

8 hours listening with ANC (two hours more than the Pro 2).

$249 price tag available from September 19.

"World's best ANC" and improved "exceptional sound" -- sadly no details other than minor bits about better bass response and a wider sound stage.

IP57 water resistance certification and onboard fitness and heartrate tracking.

And if you're wondering what the "new" design, that took over 100,000 hours of research to make looks like, this is it...

We've now moved on to learn more about the Apple Watch, though once again the focus appears to be on fitness and health tracking.

Apple VP Stan Ng has taken stage to talk about Apple Watch Series 11, its "thinnest to date". Apparently atomic bonding techniques with the glass and metal make it 2x more scratch resistant. 5G connectivity has also been added. Watch OS26 is also included, which seems to have a new UI design and AI focus like its iOS counterpart. And as expected, loads and loads and loads of health tracking features.

We've now moved on to a new Apple Watch SE 3. There are still no updates on any audio improvements for it.

We all love health stuff, but here's some more pictures of the AirPods Pro 3. Do you think that looks like the result of 100,000 hours of research to improve the design?

Other than that we're back to a new Apple Watch Ultra. Swish, but still very fitness focussed.

All the new models set to launch on September 19. We are back to CEO Tim Cook, which hints we're about to get the big reveal...

Apparently iPhone set a new standard for the whole industry and "today we're raising the bar once again."

Four new models of the iPhone 17 have been confirmed. At first glance, they all look very iPhone-like.

More details incoming from Apple VP, Kaiann Drannce. Five colours; lavender, mist blue, black and sage.

All models, inculding the base iPhone 17 will have Promotion (120Hz / VRR).

3000 nits peak maximum brightness on the base model as well.

Ceramic Shield 2, which is 3x more scratch resistant is also included.

Seven layer anti-reflective coating is on board too -- nice for movie fans.

Also, A19 chipset with an upgraded Promotion engine and improved 16-core neural engine and more memory bandwidth for AI workloads. Also 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores and a five core GPU for graphics intensive tasks. Cool, but mostly for gamers. We're not getting any information on audio or home cinema improvements outside of the anti-reflective tone.

There's a promise of "all day battery" and much longer video playback, even with Promotion. 10 mins of charging also apparently gives you 10 hours of video playback. Useful for long train rides and plane rides!

Two lens main camera -- 48MP Fusion Ultrawide main and 12MP secondary macro on the base iPhone 17.

Apparently Apple fans took 500bn selfies last year. So they've made the front camera better, with a wider field of view and square sensor that's "twice the size" of the iPhone 16's front camera. This is cool, but again we're keen to learn more about audio upgrades and if the screen has been upgraded to feature things like better HDR support -- though the biggie, Dolby Vision 2/Max almost certainly won't appear on phones until next year at the earliest.

Seeing as it was only unveiled at IFA last week and we still don't know the names of which TVs will have it.

Apparently the front camera is called "Centre Stage".

The 6.3-inch, display with Promotion and a 3000nit peak brightness are the big news for home cinema fans. Hopefully we'll get to put it through its paces soon -- the iPhone 16 remains one of the best for mobile movie viewing at its level, based on our testing.

So, the iPhone Air is here, but it doesn't look like it's a foldable. Just really thin at 5.6mm...

Same Promotion screen tech and 3000nit peak brightness as the iPhone 17. But it's thinner and lighter.

Cool, but not as nice as the iPhone/iPad Mini hybrid pre-event rumours suggested for movie fans.

Even with the new A19 Pro chipset. 6-cores and "the fastest CPU in any smartphone", at least according to Apple.

The 5-core GPU also has a more AI, because that's what we need in our lives right now (3x the compute power, letting the Air offer Macbook level computing in a phone according to Apple).

There's also a new Apple wireless modem and chipset with WiFi 7 connectivity called the C1X.

No word on battery level, but Apple's calling it its most energy efficient iPhone to date.

Now onto camera tech...

48MP Fusion camera system onboard that "looks like a single sensor" setup -- even by Apple's admission.

Oh it's eSIM only! Apparently to improve battery... specifically helping it apparently offer "all day battery life".

There are also new add ons for the Air, including a magsafe battery pack which lets it offer over 40 hours of video playback.

There's also a magsafe rear case and bumper case for it.

Tim Cook is back and here to talk about the iPhone 17 Pro -- the follow up to the premium iPhone 16 Pro we've tested and recommend to premium buyers looking for a great handset for movies and music.

There's a new design and same A19 Pro seen on the Air. Here's a couple of pics!

Apple's describing it as the most powerful iPhone ever, helped by a new more thermally efficient design. The Thermal Management system has a vapour chamber designed to move heat away from the core components.

20x more efficient metal alloy for better thermals too. So all-in-all hopefully it doesn't overhear, even when binging Slow Horses.

40 per cent better performance than the 16 Pro is being quoted, which is great for gamers. But still no word on the AV bits we care about. Fingers crossed they come soon...

Nope, they're talking about a more rugged Ceramic Shield back and Ceramic Shield 2 front.

But the anti-reflective coating mentioned earlier for the iPhone 17 is confirmed.

It's also eSIM only.

Battery life is quoted as 39 hours of video playback. So enough for a trip to Australia

And we're back to camera specifications. On the front there;s an 18MP Centre Stage with a wider field of view and same atypical square design.

Three 48MP sensors on the back, all Fusion.

So if you want to MAKE movies, that's a bonus as we've also spotted Dolby Vision 4K recording, like past iPhones on the promotional material.

We've started getting our full news stories out for the AirPods Pro 3. But as an added bonus our senior staff writer has also penned a hot take detailing why these may be the Apple earbuds that tempt him away from his much loved Sony and B&W sets...

Here's our full news story on the Apple AirPods 3 Pro, detailing all the changes and new features!

Read the full story: AirPods Pro 3 launch with "breakthrough audio performance", improved ANC and longer battery life

So in summary, here are all of the iPhone 17 Pro's confirmed specifications...

And here's pricing for the new iPhones.

And that's a wrap! We've had the AirPods Pro 3 and iPhone 17 line of handsets (including the confusingly named new iPhone 17 Air). But no new HomePods or Apple TV hardware as expected. Stay tuned as we're typing up our full news stories and opening impressions and will drop them here ASAP!

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Starting off our summary of the event are the AirPods Pro 3. These were expected to appear at the event thanks to a steady stream of rumours in the run up to the show. And as expected by our team, including Apple soothsayer / deputy editor, Andy Madden, they are an evolution rather than revolution for the firm's Pro series of earbuds.

Key upgrades include new tip options (five to be precise), improved ANC, a tweak design based off "100,000 hours of research" designed to let them offer a better fit and seal and enhanced audio and ANC performance.

Read the full story: AirPods Pro 3 launch with "breakthrough audio performance", improved ANC and longer battery life

Despite not being a "huge" upgrade, the changes look very positive and have led to a positive opening reaction from many of our headphone and earbud reviewers. These include senior staff writer, Harry McKerrell, who penned a feature detailing why the AirPods Pro 3 are tempting him away from established rivals, where past Apple earbuds failed to.

Read the full story: I've never owned a pair of AirPods – but the AirPods Pro 3 could be about to change all that

All the details on the iPhone 17

As was expected and is the norm, Apple used its September event to unveil its latest smartphones. In this specific instance the new iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and Air.

That's four new handsets.

The biggest changes to the base iPhone 17 are the addition of Apple's ProMotion 120Hz/VRR screen technology as well as upgraded silicon and a new 3000 nits peak brightness.

Above it the 17's Pro siblings come with more advanced, four sensor camera setups, more premium designs, larger batteries and a more powerful A19 Pro chipset. Not much word on audio upgrades on any of them, but Apple often keeps quiet on any changes its made here during its events.

Based on our experience reviewing new iPhones, were we directly compare old and new models, trust us when we say, that doesn't mean Apple hasn't made improvements.

Read the full story: Apple officially announces the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro with brighter OLED displays and massive battery life upgrades

The iPhone 17 Air was one of the bigger surprises of the event. Though rumours suggested one with the new naming would appear, the general consensus was that it would be a foldable, similar in kind to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Instead it's a thinner, admittedly very sleek variant of the 17.

Read the full story: The Apple iPhone Air promises the firm's advanced screen and audio tech in a thinner body

What wasn't at the event?

Despite lifting the lid on quite a lot of new hardware there were a few notable no shows at Apple's latest event.

The first was the Apple HomePod Mini 2 many of the What Hi-Fi? team have been hoping to see for well over a year, with the five-star original beginning to look a little long in the tooth.

After yet another year of disappointment at its absence, our senior staff writer, Harry McKerrell penned an oped detailing why he wants to see the Mini 2 appear sooner rather than later.

This includes a wishlist of some much need connectivity and general quality of life upgrades alongside the always welcome sonic improvements we look for...

Read the full story: Apple's 2025 event gave us some massive reveals – but there's one still one launch I'm gutted wasn't there...

Our TV and AV expert's hot take

Yes, we admit, for AV fanatics Apple's iPhone 17 line didn't have quite as much "meat" on the bones as we'd like when it came to cool new stuff to make movies sing.

But, as noted by our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, who has reviewed iPhones since they first became a thing, that doesn't mean they won't still be excellent, or feature some surprise upgrades Apple didn't mention during the event.

As we know having compared multiple new iPhone models to their predecessors over the years, Apple loves to surprise us... On top of that, based on our experience with the 16 line, even if the base 17 isn't a huge upgrade, it would still be a fantastic handset for movie watching given the current state of the market and upgrades Apple has mentioned already.

Read the full story: The iPhone 17 Pro looks great, but the standard iPhone 17's screen upgrades mean it’s probably all a cinephile needs

Sometimes incremental improvements are all you need

Tom wasn't alone with his believe that despite not changing loads, the iPhone 17's screen upgrades COULD still be a big deal, if they work in the real world when we get one into our viewing rooms. So much so that regular contributor, Joe Svetlik, has already started considering a potential upgrade...

Read the full story: The iPhone 17's 120Hz screen could finally convince me it's time to upgrade

Another no show for the new Apple TV 4K

One other key no show at this year's iPhone event was the hotly anticipated new Apple TV 4K many home cinema fans, including our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, have been waiting for. And if you're like him, while the lack of a new model isn't surprising, it's still incredibly disappointing

Read the full story: Apple dodges upgrading its Apple TV 4K streamer yet again – I'm not surprised, but I am losing patience

Apple made some big claims about the new AirPods Pro 3's ANC

ANC is an area Apple has a good, but not the best track record at. In fact, if you talked to most pundits they'd probably rightly or wrongly think of Bose first when asked about the tech. But that didn't stop it making some big claims about the new AirPods Pro 3's ANC powers. Tim Cook went so far as to describe them as the "best ANC in-ear headphones" when it comes to ANC performance. Of course we'll check that claim when we review them. But should rivals be worried about Apple's bold claims? Here's what our deputy editor, Andy Madden, has to say on the topic as our resident wireless earbuds expert.

Read the full story: Apple is gunning for Bose with the AirPods Pro 3, and I’m here for that battle

Can you believe that the HomePod Mini launched almost five years ago? It's crazy but true, and what's equally remarkable is that we've had to wait roughly five years for a sequel to land in our metaphorical laps. Apple does like to take its time...

Well, that wait may finally be at an end. According to MacRumours, Apple is working on an updated, or as they put it, "refreshed" version of the Mini, with an upgraded processor based on the S-series of chips found in Apple's latest generations of its Apple Watch.

How do they know this? According to one of the site's eagle-eyed contributors, a reference to a ‌HomePod Mini‌ equipped with said chip was discovered in some Apple code.

The device currently has a B525 codename, which would indicate that this is a second-gen HomePod given that the current Mini's codename is B520.

Aside from the above glimpse at a potential sequel, we don't have much further information about the form, functionalities or cost of the HomePod Mini 2.

• Apple HomePod Mini 2: everything we know so far and 4 things we want

We've speculated before that, aside from that updated chipset, Apple Intelligence will be integrated to provide stronger Siri powers, while potentially improved microphones, enhanced audio and improved codec support could also come into play.

MacRumours, meanwhile, suggests the second-gen unit will feature a new Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo chip with Wi-Fi 6E support, while new colourways could also be on the cards. A bright yellow HomePod, anyone...?

So, the two big questions: price and release date. We don't have confirmation on the first one, but would hope there's no advance on the current-gen's £99 / $99 / AU$149 tag. In terms of a release target, sources indicate that the ‌HomePod Mini‌ 2 will arrive later this year, some time between September and December.

We're extremely keen to see a new HomePod Mini, given how much we like the current Award-winning incumbent. We'll keep our ears peeled for more rumblings and report back on our findings as and when we have more information. Stay tuned...

MORE:

Apple HomePod 2 vs HomePod Mini: what are the differences?

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I've made no secret of the fact that I love the Apple TV 4K.

There are various devices in my system that could take care of my streaming needs, including my TV, Sky Stream Puck, PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, but the Apple TV 4K is nicer to use than all of them and generally delivers better picture and sound quality, too.

The other advantage of using the Apple TV 4K for streaming is that when the rest of my family goes to bed, I can switch from using my speaker system to using my AirPods Max for sound.

I and several of my colleagues have written many times about how good Apple's Spatial Audio is, particularly through the AirPods Max.

To reiterate, though, it really does get disarmingly close to the cinematic experience you get from listening to a very good Dolby Atmos system out loud – to the extent that I rarely feel aggrieved when I have to make the switch at the behest of my long-suffering wife and son.

In fact, Spatial Audio via the AirPods Max is so good, it puts to shame the Dolby Atmos / 3D Audio headphones processing you get from the Xbox Series X and PS5.

That got me thinking: wouldn't it be great if the next Apple TV 4K had a load of HDMI inputs so that you could connect all of your sources to it and use Apple's Spatial Audio for the whole lot?

I certainly think so.

It wouldn't just benefit games, either, but also the watching of 4K Blu-rays via a dedicated player, plus late-night / early morning F1 races and NFL games.

It might be that Apple could achieve a similar result using the Apple TV 4K's existing eARC support, which already allows sources to be routed through a TV and out to the Apple TV, which then sends the audio to HomePods, but my understanding is that making this work with AirPods is surprisingly tricky.

Besides, having an Apple TV that worked as an HDMI hub would be useful in other ways, too, not least in how much it would reduce cable spaghetti.

One of the things I miss most about my old AV receiver is that it handled all of my HDMI switching, leaving just one cable going up to the TV.

A compact Apple TV device that did that (as well as everything else that the Apple TV 4K already does) would be even better.

In truth, though, I just don't think there's any way that Apple will ever go down this route.

The thing is, cables just aren't sexy.

Maybe one input with passthrough is a possibility, but can you imagine Tim Cook on stage, flashing a load of HDMI sockets? Me either.

But if Apple doesn't do something nerdy like that with the next Apple TV 4K, I don't know what it can do.

Almost three years on from launch, the current, third-generation Apple TV 4K is still the best standalone streamer available, and it's hard to think of ways it could be improved.

More processing power could be added, of course, but do people really use their Apple TVs for power-hungry tasks? I don't know a single person who even plays games on theirs.

Rumours have been around for ages about Apple working on a Dolby Atmos soundbar that has integrated Apple TV streaming smarts, but the chances of that ever seeing the light of day seem to dwindle with each passing year.

So, go on, Apple. Give me the nerdy HDMI inputs I want so I can use Spatial Audio for everything. You might as well.

MORE:

Check out our Apple TV 4K review

This Apple TV 4K Dolby Atmos hack has been a game-changer for my system

I ditched my Apple TV 4K for Sky Stream – here are 3 things I love and 2 things I don't

Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference, or WWDC as it is more commonly known, took place last night, and it was certainly eventful.

The tech titan announced that it would be unifying its entire product offering with a consistent software approach across everything from iPhones to Apple TV 4K, and even the Apple Watch.

Current version numbers have been scrapped, meaning every product runs a new "26" version of their respective operating system; for example we now have iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and tvOS 26.

The biggest change, however, is the introduction of "Liquid Glass", a design ethos that spans all of Apple's hardware. It refines the user experience with a new translucent look, features slicker transitions, and aims for a more immersive experience overall.

While there were plenty of other interesting announcements, including upgrades to Apple Intelligence and a new gaming hub on iPhone, the presentation was unquestionably light on AV, music and home cinema announcements.

We had hoped to see more updates for the Apple TV 4K, HomePod range, AirPods lineup and Apple's services, but that didn't appear to be Apple's priority.

With our WWDC 2025 wishlist now in tatters, here are the things we were hoping to see revealed last night, but ultimately didn't get:

1. Any new hardware

Apple doesn't always announce new products at WWDC, but when it does, it does so in style. It took WWDC 2023 as an opportunity to launch Apple Vision Pro, while WWDC 2022 saw a flashy, upgraded MacBook Air make a debut.

Unfortunately, there was no mention of any new hardware at WWDC 2025, which is a shame, as a couple of key AV products are long overdue for an update.

The HomePod Mini is the first that springs to mind, as it's fast approaching its fifth anniversary; that's practically geriatric by Apple standards. While the existing Mini is a gem of a smart speaker – not to mention a four-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winner – it would be nice to see a refreshed model with even better performance, and maybe even a few new colours.

The other key Apple product that could do with a refresh is the Apple TV 4K, which is coming up on three years old. Once again, the existing Apple TV 4K is a great streamer, in fact, it's the best streaming device on the market, but we wouldn't say no to an update.

As evidenced by the upgrade from the second generation to the third generation model, the picture and sound performance tends to improve every time, even if there doesn't appear to be many changes on paper. We can only dream of what a fourth-generation model could offer, though rumours suggest that one is on the way.

Rumours and speculation are never enough for us, though, and Apple didn't even drop a crumb of evidence that a new HomePod or Apple TV 4K is on the way.

2. Big changes to Apple Music and Apple TV+

Apple's services were also sidelined at this event, aside from a few minor changes coming to Apple Music.

Lyrics translation is coming with iOS 26, meaning you can sing along to your favourite international pop hits without putting hundreds of hours into Duolingo. AutoMix is set to transition your current track into the next seamlessly, and you'll also be able to pin your favourite tracks, playlists and artists to the top of the Apple Music app for easy access.

That's about it, not counting the new "Liquid Glass" look to the app, which will presumably be locked to Apple devices.

It would have been nice to see some highly requested features, such as a button to download your full music library, or even higher quality streaming to match the likes of Qobuz and Tidal.

Apple TV+ didn't receive much attention either, though there are some nice poster-style artwork options for Apple's original programming. We would have liked to see a proper watchlist feature separated from the Up Next section, and a bigger design refresh wouldn't have gone amiss either, especially after Amazon Prime Video and Netflix's recent updates.

3. The big tvOS update

Ahead of last night's livestream, there were murmurs of a revolutionary tvOS update that would see the biggest shift in design and functionality since it launched in 2015.

While rumours should always be taken with a liberal pinch of salt, we couldn't help but be a bit disappointed when we found out that this design upgrade was merely a few transparent elements and a profile selection screen.

tvOS 26 looks remarkably similar to the currently available tvOS 18, and there aren't that many new features or usability tweaks to show for it either, aside from the ability to set an AirPlay-enabled wireless speaker as your permanent default audio output.

The good news is, of course, that tvOS is one of the best (if not the best) streaming-based operating services around, so we're not angry, just disappointed.

MORE:

Apple announces iOS 26 with a new "Liquid Glass" design and an upgraded Apple Music app

Read our full Apple iPhone 16e review

As well as our Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

Apple has announced the latest version of tvOS, the operating system that powers its five-star Apple TV 4K streaming box. The latest edition brings new features and a fresh look to the streamer's home menu and Apple TV app.

Liquid Glass is Apple's new ethos, with a focus on fluidity and translucency; and it's a design scheme that's being applied across iOS, macOS and iPadOS too.

It's perhaps not quite as much of a radical redesign that was hinted at ahead of WWDC, but a more modern and consistent design will certainly be appreciated by Apple fans who are already equipped with the full ecosystem.

The visual upgrades represent most of the changes with tvOS 26, with translucent elements such as the control centre and dock at the top of the home page now featured in the name of enhanced immersion, according to Apple.

Content is now easier to access, too, with larger poster-style artwork for shows and movies within the Apple TV app.

You'll also find a new profiles system, which will work similarly to how the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus implement their user profiles. Users will be able to toggle a setting that brings the user profile selection page up automatically when the Apple TV 4K wakes.

Personalised content recommendations will apply to each user, alongside user-specific watchlists in the Apple TV app and playlists in the Apple Music app. This new version of tvOS will also include a karaoke mode with Apple Music, which allows you to use your iPhone as a microphone; if that's your sort of thing.

One useful upgrade coming to tvOS that Apple didn't mention in its WWDC livestream is related to AirPlay speakers. With this forthcoming update, users will be able to designate AirPlay-enabled speakers as the permanent audio output option for their Apple TV.

Currently, the Apple TV 4K will default back to your TV's speakers after it's switched off, with HomePods being the only AirPlay-enabled speakers that can be set as your default audio output. With tvOS 26, you shouldn't need to manually select your wireless speakers, which is a nice touch.

There are also new aerial wallpapers and an upgraded FaceTime app coming with this update. tvOS 26 is set to arrive later this year, though Apple has not shared a specific release date.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

As well as our list of the best streaming devices

And read our full Google TV Streamer review

Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC 2025) keynote has come and gone and it brought with it a number of AI-themed updates to the tech giant's entire software portfolio.

These included everything from quality life updates to its Apple Music service, designed to improve curation, to a completely new Liquid Glass design that is being rolled out across all its platforms.

Our team of hi-fi and home cinema experts where on hand updating this page with all the news throughout the event. Scroll down to see their coverage and hot takes on all of WWDC 2025's audio and home cinema announcements.

Also make sure to get involved with the conversation and offer your thoughts on Apple's latest news in the comments, or on our social media pages and forum.

Welcome to our WWDC 2025 live hub!

Welcome to our WWDC 2025 live blog, where I (editor-in-chief, Alastair Stevenson) will be posting all the latest developments, as well as insights directly from our experts on the announcements.

The event’s opening keynote is set to start at 6.00pm (UK time), which means there is some time left until the news officially starts flooding in. Ahead of that, here’s a quick summary of what we’re expecting from the event.

A complete overhaul to Apple’s tvOS software: Apple is expected to make big changes to the software powering its Apple TV 4K streamer. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, tvOS 19 will be the biggest update to the platform since it launched.

AI upgrades: we haven’t had many specifics, but tvOS is one of many platforms set to get a big update, according to pre-event rumours. Rumblings suggest Apple is also set to completely rebrand its iOS mobile phone software, adding a wealth of new AI-focussed features, alongside a new name.

New AirPods features: according to rumours Apple is also set to add a host of new features to its AirPods. These include new motion controls, sleep detection and a “studio quality” mic mode.

Meet the team covering WWDC 2025

We have not one, but three members of the What Hi-Fi? Team covering WWDC 2025. Here’s what you need to know about them.

What we want to see

WWDC is always an interesting event as it’s largely software focussed – with Apple tending to do its hardware launches separately.

That’s why we’re not expecting to see the fabled iPhone 17 until September. We’re also expecting the company’s hotly anticipated new AirPods and HomePods to be no-shows at the event.

But, even with that knowledge, our team can’t help but hope the firm will have at least a few surprises that haven’t been covered by the pre-event rumours at WWDC 2025’s keynote.

Eager to share them, our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, penned a pre-event feature detailing the three biggest things he’s hoping to see at WWDC 2025.

Read the full story: Here are the 3 big home cinema and audio announcements we're hoping to see at Apple's WWDC event

Got something not covered by Lewis that you’re hoping to see at WWDC 2025? Then get involved in the conversation and let us know in the comments or on our social media channels! We’re eager to hear from you.

The one thing I’m really hoping to see at WWDC tonight (but probably won’t get)

Entry by Lewis Empson

The Apple TV 4K (2022) remains the best streaming device on the market thanks to its excellent user interface that doesn’t bombard you with ads or nonsense, alongside its stellar picture and sound quality.

There is, however, one slight issue now; it’s getting on a bit. The streamer has been on the market for over two and a half years, so where is the replacement? Rumours of a new model have been rife, though they are, at the time of writing, unsubstantiated.

I’d really like to see Apple change this tonight and announce a 2025 model that uses a more up-to-date processor (might I suggest the iPhone 16’s A18 processor) and packs in some of the new features rumoured to be coming with the next version of tvOS..

Rumours suggest an overhaul to tvOS will be debuted tonight, so a new streaming box (or stick, who knows) to complement the design refresh just seems right. Throw in Apple Intelligence compatibility, a shiny new remote (backlit buttons would be nice) and 8K support, and that constitutes a substantial upgrade to me.

Ultimately, this is probably wishful thinking, but I’m still holding onto a little bit of hope.

Additional features for AirPods Pro

Entry by Kashfia Kabir

We’re not expecting any new hardware launches during WWDC, but there are rumours that the current AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 could get plenty of new features.

This continues Apple’s run of introducing new features to its flagship AirPods Pro 2 at no extra cost – keeping these five-star wireless earbuds fresh and feature-packed without having to pay for a whole new model.

Since the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C case launched in September 2023, the flagship buds have been updated with software features such as Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Transparency and a host of health-related functions, including being able to use them as hearing aids.

So what can we expect from the update this time around? Your AirPods Pro could gain gesture controls for adjusting the volume when in Conversation Awareness, take a photo by pinching the earbuds’ stem, and detect when you’ve fallen asleep and auto pause any music or podcasts.

Small but useful features that only enhance the AirPods experience for iOS users even further. Until we finally get AirPods Pro 3…

My most-used streaming service could be getting a major overhaul in the next few hours – here’s what I want to see

Entry by Lewis Empson

I admit it, I’m an Apple Music user. Despite switching from an iPhone to the Android-based Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a couple of weeks ago, I just couldn’t face going back to Spotify, especially after the most recent user interface update.

Speaking of user interface updates, Apple Music is reportedly set to get an AI-focused upgrade in the near future, according to reputable Apple insider and Bloomberg editor, Mark Gurman. While AI isn’t at the top of my wishlist, I suppose Spotify has seen success in embracing our soon-to-be overlords, so I can see where Apple is coming from.

Gurman didn’t confirm if this update would be imminent, or if it's slated for down the line, and no Apple Music announcement has been confirmed for tonight yet either. Regardless, it’s on my radar, and I hope to see a mention tonight.

If I had my way, there are a couple of changes I would like to see come to the Apple Music app. The biggest one is a “download all” button in my library, as in my last device transfer, I had to click download on each of my saved albums individually – all 273 of them.

Furthermore, Spotify remains the king of social music listening when it comes to Jams, Daylists and more. I know we care about sound quality above all else, but these curated playlists and social features are a huge draw for me, so I’d like Apple to take inspiration from Spotify in this case.

Could Apple Music get a new look?

Entry by Kashfia Kabir

Apple Music is 10 years old this year. I’ve been using the music streaming service ever since it launched in June 2015, and apart from one interface change shortly after launch, the platform has remained largely the same – albeit with additional features (video, hi-res lossless and spatial audio) being added over the years to its extensive catalogue.

Could we see a fresh look for Apple Music alongside the rumoured iOS26 updates? Apple’s native apps generally evolve alongside its iOS updates, but it would be exciting to see a deeper overhaul for this streaming service.

For now, the main rumour I’ve seen is about full-screen animated artwork on the iPhone lock screen. That would be pretty cool – I love seeing animated album art within the app – but I would worry that this would be quite the battery drain.

A whole new name for iOS

Entry by Joe Cox

In case you missed the recent leaks, it looks like Apple is going to change the way it names its OS releases. This is good news.

Rumours say Apple will align all of its various operating systems by naming them after the year. So expect to hear about iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 and so on at WWDC, rather than the scheduled iOS 19.

Ultimately, we think this will make sense once we get used to it. After all, how many of you really know which OS your various devices are currently using? Naming them after the year should make it a lot easier to remember.

That said, launching iOS 26 followed by the iPhone 17 later this year could still prove confusing...

We’re live!

Entry by Alastair Stevenson

Apple’s WWDC opening keynote is officially underway and we’ll be here for the duration bringing you all the latest news, as well as our hot takes until the event ends.

As a reminder, we’re expecting the event to be a big one for music and TV fans, with pre-keynote rumours suggesting tvOS will be getting its biggest overhaul ever and Apple will re-brand its iOS software.

Make sure to get involved with the action and drop any questions, or thoughts, you have on the news in the comments or our social media channels!

Entry by Alastair Stevenson

Apple CEO, Tim Cook has taken the stage and confirmed the keynote will address all of the company's software. There is already a very heavy focus on Apple Intelligence, but little concrete detail on how it will impact the firm's Music and TV platforms thus far.

Apple software chief Craig Federighi has taken over the keynote and is still talking about Apple Intelligence. The main news thus far is that Apple is making its intelligence on device model available to all apps. This means the features can work offline using data stored locally. Nothing music or TV related.

Apple has unveiled a new universal "Liquid Glass" design it claims will react dynamically to what the user is doing. We haven't had full details on how it works, but we've seen demos of it throwing contextual menus up when people are watching movies on an iPhone and iPad. Apple describes it as "blurring the line between hardware and software".

A new name for all of Apple's software

Apple has updated the naming convention for all its operating system. Every single new version will jump to 26. So iOS, tvOS, MacOS and every other platform in Apple's portfolio will leap to be version 26, regardless of the previous release number.

We've still not had much more detail on Apple's Music and TV plans. Instead the firm has showed of how Liquid Glass adjust the UI on iOS dynamically depending on what the user is doing. It's since moved on to talk about its CarPlay software and how will leverage the new design.

Thus far Apple's focussed on iOS messaging, call, emoji and translation services. These include better screening options on calls and messaging and the ability to make polls and split bills within in app when in a group chat. The emoji service lets you use AI to merge existing emojis to create new ones. It showed combining the sloth and lightbulb emojis as an example. The translation upgrade adds live transcriptions to messaging and video calls, from what we've seen. Still no TV or music news.

AI Apple Music upgrades are coming

Apple has, very quickly, confirmed a number of AI / Intelligence flavoured upgrades coming to Apple Music.

Highlights include:

• AI lyrics: this will let you see the lyrics to the song you're listening to in real time.
• AI pronunciation: as well as a transcription, it will also help you say them correctly using Apple Intelligence.
• AI mix: a new feature that will use Apple Intelligence to generate playlists specific to users tastes.

Our contributor is typing up a full story with the AI Apple Music updates, so stay tuned for more detail!

*Editors note: we missed Apple Music Auto Mix. This is an AI powered mix service that aims to smoothly transition songs in your playlists, like a DJ.

The AI playlists we mentioned relate to Auto Mix, which actually just smoothly transitions songs you already have liked better using AI.

Apple AirPods updates

Apple has unveiled upgrades coming to its AirPods, however, rather than focus on music playback the new additions relate to mic quality and camera commands. Specifically, it has unveiled a new "studio-quality audio recording" and camera remote feature. These will both be launched on the AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro via an over the air update. The " studio-quality audio recording" is aimed at content creators and works to improve the voice quality of recorded audio. It apparently works using the Apple H2 chip and Apple Intelligence processing to reduce background noise.

tvOS 26

Apple has unveiled a wealth of new TV originals as well as a compete overhaul to its tvOS software. The key points are:

• A move to Apple's contextual, AI-powered Liquid Glass universal design. This adds dynamic UI elements that change based on what the user is doing and their habits, in a bid to make the OS more intuitive to use.
• The new UI also tweaks the app, making it so the UI can display more movies, reducing the need to scroll when looking for something to watch.
• The ability to enable any AirPlay speaker as the Apple TV's main speaker permanently.

Our all-star contributor, Joe Svetlik has penned a full guide, detailing the biggest changes coming to Apple Music!

Read the full story: Apple Music gets 3 new features – and could put DJs out of work

An early hot take from our editor

Entry by Alastair Stevenson

As expected Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote is all about the firm's Intelligence AI platform. This is a big deal, with the "Liquid Design" elements being rolled out across all its software, including tvOS 26, and streamlined naming convention making sense.

But, from a purely music and home cinema perspective, these add up to quality of life, rather than performance upgrades. None of the announcements work to improve performance metrics, like HDR performance, upscaling or surround sound on tvOS.

Equally the Apple Music features are more about curation, discovery and showing off Apple Intelligence's clever translation services rather than upgrading its core audio quality.

I'd personally hoped to hear more about its plans to match rival codecs and chipmakers, such as Qualcomm, which confirmed it is aiming to offer fully scalable, 24-bit/192kHz audio wirelessly to headphones "soon" during an interview with me earlier this year.

All the details on Apple's WWDC 2025 AirPods upgrades

Apple has unveiled, quietly, a smattering of upgrades coming to its AirPods via an over the air software update. You can get all the details in our handy guide!

Read the full story: Apple's AirPods get studio-quality recording, camera remote

VisionOS 26

Apple's also confirmed upgrades to its Vision Pro operating system, adding a wider selection of apps and platforms that support its immersive video platform. These include the ability to edit immersive video in Adobe Premier Pro directly from the headset and link it with and watch footage shot on GoPro and other 360 experience ready action cameras.

All the facts on tvOS 26

With Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote coming to an end, our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, has finished writing his guide detailing all the changes coming to tvOS 26.

Read the full story: Attention Apple TV 4K users! Apple announces tvOS 26 with a new look and better AirPlay speaker integration

WWDC 2025 wrap up

With Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote over, we've seen a number of AI focussed announcements on its entire software portfolio. But was it a hit and are the upgrades what we wanted? Here's the What Hi-Fi? team covering WWDC 2025's personal hot takes on the keynote.

Do you agree with our hot takes? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch on our social media channels and forum!

I've had a first look at the upcoming WiiM Sound smart speaker at High End Munich 2025.

WiiM is fast becoming an exciting brand to watch, with compact, affordable streamers and electronics that pack in so many features – and now the company has ventured into the world of speakers for the first time.

The samples on display at the WiiM booth are still in the development stage, so not all features are fully functional, but I was able to have a good poke around the new wireless speaker to see how it works.

It's very obvious where the design inspiration has come from – the Sound is roughly the same size and shape of the Apple HomePod, albeit perhaps a little narrower and squarer.

The top panel has a simple touch-capacitive display for playback and volume controls, with icons illuminating as you tap. The top panel is rather large, extending closer to the edge of the speaker than the HomePod 2's smaller, circular design.

The woven fabric covering feels sturdy and the sample unit on display looked smart and well-made.

The big highlight is the small, porthole-like display on the front of the WiiM Sound speaker.

WiiM has clearly beaten Apple to the punch here – the rumours of a HomePod with a screen or display have long been touted, but we're still waiting to see something materialise.

On the WiiM Sound, it's a smart window that shows app icons grouped together (not unlike on an Apple Watch... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all).

The icons also offer access to your music library, internet radio, clock, settings and presets. You can tap on the apps and swipe across the screen to access different app interfaces.

This functionality wasn't fully working yet on the sample I tried at the stand – but it does work well enough when opening the music app or swiping across to get to your music queue.

When on standby mode, it displays a clock face. We hope it's a customisable one, just as we've seen on the WiiM Ultra streamer's display.

The Sound runs on WiiM's own proficient streaming platform, with the accompanying Home app offering all the settings and control.

The feature list covers Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, DLNA – but conspicuous in its absence is AirPlay.

WiiM's latest products – Ultra, Amp Pro, Amp Ultra – are also missing AirPlay, but we're not too surprised that Apple's streaming technology isn't featured in a clear rival.

You can use the WiiM remote for voice commands, too. A WiiM representative said that Alexa integration, such as with a microphone built into the smart speaker, could be in the works in the future.

At the moment, it seems that you activate Google and Amazon voice assistants via your smartphone rather than speaking directly to the speaker. We will clarify this voice control aspect once the product is finalised.

Of course, how the Sound, err, sounds remains an unknown. The HomePod 2 is a fantastic-sounding device, delivering excellent detail, natural voices, engaging dynamics and a spacious sound from its compact form. Can WiiM compete? We can't wait to find out.

Considering WiiM's trend for delivering well-thought-out products at very affordable prices, it could be a serious competitor to the £299 / $299 HomePod.

Depending on the final price, the WiiM Sound could even be a rival to more budget Amazon Alexa smart speakers, considering the WiiM's extensive hi-res streaming features.

Additionally, the WiiM Sound can be used as part of a 5.1 surround sound system. The WiiM Sound speakers were being used in conjunction with two Audio Pro wireless speakers as the front and left/right speakers, but you can configure any connected (and compatible) speakers you like using the WiiM Home app.

WiiM has already worked with Audio Pro to launch two 'WiiM Edition' models, and it shows how compact a TV or cinema set up (and a multi-room set up) can be. The whole 5.1 system could also be wireless but for connections to mains power.

The demo system at the show was being run by the new WiiM Amp Ultra streaming amplifier, which gives you even more scope to connect to streaming apps, devices and a TV. We are big fans of the Ultra streamer, so one that combines its excellent touchscreen display with an amplifier inside to make a compact, all-in-one system is hugely appealing.

I didn't get to test out much on the Amp Ultra – most were on static display – but it looks compact, smart and as seamless in use as the five-star Ultra. Let's hope it sounds good, too.

Both the WiiM Sound and WiiM Amp Ultra will go on sale later this year, with prices yet to be confirmed.

WiiM has a penchant for keeping prices reasonable, so it will be interesting to see quite how affordable the Sound and Amp Ultra will be. Watch this space.

MORE:

Read our Apple HomePod 2 review

High End Munich 2025 highlights: streaming amplifiers, large high-end speakers and more exquisite hi-fi

The all-new Amp Ultra is exactly the WiiM product we wanted next

WiiM has taken the affordable audio world by storm in recent years with its high-value streamers and amplifiers, the most compelling of which so far have been the Pro Plus and Ultra streamers. The brand has emerged as an unlikely frontrunner in the budget streaming component space, and it isn’t stopping there.

Having formerly partnered with multi-room mogul Audio Pro to dip its toes into the wireless speaker waters with two ‘WiiM Edition’ models, the company is now diving into it with its very own smart speaker.

The WiiM Sound reminds us of something, don’t you think? Indeed, its resemblance to Apple’s established HomePod is difficult to ignore, but look past that obvious design inspiration and WiiM’s knack for offering extensive features and an accessible user experience begins to surface.

The Sound is based on WiiM’s operating system, controlled by the accompanying Home app, offering owners myriad ways to stream their music. There’s support for Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and DLNA, with Google and Alexa voice control covering the ‘smart’ in smart speaker, too.

The speaker can work in a multi-room environment with other WiiM products; two Sounds can be paired together to make a left/right stereo set-up; and home cinema integration is possible by using the speaker as a surround or centre channel in a Dolby 5.1 solution.

Room correction and EQ customisation could well be further useful in-app features, too. Not an app kind of music listener? An alternative means of playback control comes courtesy of a 1.8-inch touchscreen. This has been a much-rumoured feature for Apple’s next HomePod family member, so has WiiM beaten the tech giant to the punch?

Only time in our test room will tell us how competitive the Sound, er, sounds, of course, but its audio specs are promising, if not unique. A four-inch woofer and dual-balanced mode radiator tweeters together deliver 100 watts of “room-filling” audio, with hi-res support included all the way up to 24-bit/192kHz.

What may well be key to how competitive WiiM’s smart speaker turns out to be is its price, which will be announced later in the year.

The company’s success has largely been down to its cutthroat pricing, so we believe it’s likely the WiiM Sound will undercut the £299 / $299 / AU$479 Apple HomePod.

So what about this other ‘surprising first’? Indeed, WiiM is branching out into a second new product category this year – subwoofers. The Sub Pro's size makes it an unusual partner for something as compact as the Sound, but clearly WiiM believes the affordable sub is an opportunity market.

The Sub Pro is a 250-watt Class D design with an eight-inch driver and many of the company’s smart audio integrations – audio streaming (via wi-fi or Bluetooth) via the Home app and automatic room correction, plus an RCA input.

Again, pricing will be announced later in the year.

High End Munich 2025: what to expect from the upcoming hi-fi show

Apple HomePod with a screen: all the rumours for this next-gen iOS smart speaker

Our expert pick of the best music streamers you can buy

Devices that bring streaming powers to your old hi-fi kit aren't new, but this new device aims to bring the most popular streaming elements to existing products without being tied to any single brand or ecosystem.

Hailing from Sweden, the Atonemo Streamplayer is a small unit that looks like an oversized lighter (measuring just 70x50x19mm) and aims to update "any speaker, amplifier, or system – regardless of brand, age, or inputs – into a smart, wireless, multiroom audio system."

Atonemo's approach aims to be agnostic, meaning you can keep your existing speakers from different brands and from different eras, but update them with streaming technology without having to start all over with a specific smart brand or be tied to a particular ecosystem.

The device includes AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple Music and YouTube Music, as well as Bluetooth and LE Audio Auracast streaming. Wi-fi 6 is on board, while Roon Ready integration is also coming soon.

The Streamplayer is also compatible with Apple HomeKit and Google Home smart home systems (but not Amazon Alexa).

The Streamplayer can be connected to any audio product that has a 3.5mm auxiliary input, with up to 24-bit/192kHz hi-res files supported. We're told that the 3.5mm audio output on the Streamplayer is a combination analogue and mini Toslink/SPDIF output.

You can power the unit using USB-C, while it connects to your home wi-fi using the Atonemo app. The app is there purely for set up, grouping together connected speakers and offering a 10-band EQ; all music playback is done through the native music streaming apps.

This means you can wirelessly unite various speakers (active, Bluetooth, even older models) from different brands in your house and be able to play to all from your chosen streaming service. To do this, you will need one Streamplayer for each product.

Founder and CEO of Atonemo Leo Ballesteros says he saw a gap in the market where "speaker manufacturers excelled in sound and design but struggled with software and streaming capabilities." Atonemo's agnostic approach aims to be as simple and out of the way as possible. “Speakers should be about sound and design, Atonemo takes care of the rest," he says. "We’re here to breathe new life into all the beautiful speakers, amplifiers and systems already out there, ensuring they remain timeless while embracing modern technology.”

We are increasingly seeing some music streamers miss out on one streaming feature – for instance, BluOS platforms don't feature Chromecast, while the new WiiM Ultra is missing AirPlay 2 – and if you are after a multiroom speaker system, you tend to have to pick a specific maker (Sonos, Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, Bluesound, Denon etc) to get a seamless experience from multiple speakers. The Streamplayer is a clever way of supercharging any speaker or kit you already own and love with missing streaming elements that you can control from your smartphone without investing in any extra subscription or locking into a brand's own locked system.

The Atonemo Streamplayer is due to go on sale in Spring and will cost £99 / $99 / €99. You can register your interest on the official website to be notified of when it goes on sale.

Read the budget favourite WiiM Pro Plus streamer review

The perfect hi-fi streamer exists only in our imagination – here’s how it looks

I heard my favourite Radiohead album on the B&W speakers used to record it – and now I love it even more

Another Apple launch event, another notable absentee. Apple launched its more affordably priced iPhone 16e, complete with the benefits of the Californian giant’s latest-generation A18 chip, 6-core CPU and C1, Apple’s first cellular modem designed in-house, but that was just about it. Not that iPhone fans were complaining, that’s a lot of new hardware packed into a phone that’s set to retail at around £599 / $599.

What we audiophiles were all quietly waiting for, though, was the launch of a new HomePod. More specifically, we’d been teased the possibility of a new HomePod 3 with a screen, with tech insiders and journalists alike having posited that a new smart speaker would arrive with a 7-inch LCD display since at least 2023. More recent rumours from late last year also seemed to confirm that a screen-sporting HomePod would land at some point during 2025, so it was reasonable to think that Apple’s latest February 2025 event would include a new model. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.

I’ve grumbled about this before, but the desire to see a new and improved set of smart speakers has only amplified with each passing Apple event that fails to see them arrive. Apple’s September event gave us the AirPods 4, the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro, yet not a hint of any new HomePod, and with all the talk of a new unit arriving in 2025, it was reasonable to assume that now would be the time. Apple clearly thinks that the popularity of its smart speakers, combined with the fact that they’re tied so closely to the ever-popular Siri, means that an update isn’t a pressing concern.

Yet time waits for no tech brand, and it’s increasingly true that an update is required if Apple isn’t going to be left in the dust by its competitors. Rivals continue to muscle in on the smart speaker game, with Amazon expanding its own range of Echo and Echo Dot speakers as Sonos’ Era 300 and Sonos Era 100 counterparts continue to impress. Alexa is the smart assistant to beat at the moment, and with Apple doubling down on its ‘Apple Intelligence’, surely now is the time to take the fight to its greatest rival in the race for AI supremacy. The iPhone 16e is set to integrate ChatGPT into its software via the likes of Siri and Apple Intelligence, so why shouldn't a new HomePod do the same?

It was reasonable to assume that we’d see a new HomePod, too. The second-gen model launched in early 2023, meaning there have been two years since we saw a mainline iteration come to take the place of the established incumbent. The HomePod Mini has been around for even longer, launching in 2020 as a smaller and less costly version of the mainline unit. Five years later, we’re still waiting for a second-gen Mini.

So when could a new HomePod, big or small, be on the way? Our latest predictions suggest that the middle of 2025 could now be the time for us to see a new HomePod finally rear its screen-sporting head, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reckoning that we won’t see one before Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Those predictions tend to be couched in terms of a sequel to the main HomePod 2, with the Mini’s future very much up in the air. That said, the ‘HomePod with a Screen’ could act as a de facto successor to both established models, so maybe it’s not right to think of the Mini as being made completely redundant.

Whatever the case, it’s time for Apple to kick into gear and give us what we’ve been waiting for. Aside from a sequel to the AirPods Pro flagship earbuds and a fully updated sequel to the AirPods Max, the HomePod needs to be on its way. We’ve waited for over two years for an updated Apple smart speaker, and it’s time for a new unit with better sound, smarter smarts and better third-party app support (Siri control for Tidal, please) to make its debut. We’re done waiting: give us a new HomePod!

MORE:

Read our original HomePod 2 review

These are the best smart speakers you can buy

Apple Event 2025: the new iPhone 16e (not SE 4), but no new HomePod or AirPods

Apple has officially unveiled its latest iPhone, and it's not quite what we expected. While rumours pointed toward an iPhone SE4, we instead got the iPhone 16e which now serves as Apple's entry-level model for the latest iPhone generation.

It's got big shoes to fill, as the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro scored top marks for picture and sound, so an affordable entry into the line that could bring this impressive performance down in price is certainly cause for excitement.

So, now we know that the iPhone 16e is official, will it take the budget smartphone market by storm? And more importantly, where are new AirPods and HomePods?

• Shop iPhone on the Apple Store
• Shop AirPods on the Apple Store
• Shop HomePod on the Apple Store

What we’re expecting from the iPhone SE 4

The iPhone SE 4 is the main item most analysts expect to appear today. There’s been a steady stream of rumours about Apple planning to launch a new mid-range handset ahead of the fabled iPhone 17 line of handsets arrival later in the year. The latest rumours suggest, like past SE-series phones, the SE 4 will be an upgraded version of one of Apple’s older flagships. Specifically, it’s expected to be a modified version of the 2022 iPhone 14 (picture above).

This suggests it will be larger than past SE phones, measuring in at around 6.1-inches. The only other big upgrades of note we’re taking seriously included in the pre–event leaks suggest it will have an OLED panel and feature the same A18 chipset seen in the iPhone 16 range of phones. The latter has an overt focus on Apple intelligence (AI), which focusses on improving things like picture processing and general performance.

If done well the move to OLED will be good news for people that watch TV shows, or even YouTube on their phone. Music fans may be disappointed at the lack of obvious audio improvements, but it's important to remember the iPhone 14 was a great portable music player, by phone standards. So it will hopefully still be competitive, especially if it’s priced competitively.

Will there be new HomePods?

There are lots of conflicting rumours circling about Apple’s speaker plans this year. Some people suggest a reworked HomePod 3 is set to debut, but not until much later in the year. The latest credible report came from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes it will launch between July and September – in the same window as the rumoured iPhone 17 line of phones. Details about any audio improvements are thin on the ground, though there’s a growing chorus of “leaks” suggesting the new wireless speaker will feature a touch screen interface.

Some rumours suggest an upgraded HomePod Mini is also in the works, which would make sense as the original launched all the way back in 2021, and while we stand by our reviewers’ five-star rating, is getting a little long in the tooth. We haven’t seen any credible reports about what hardware upgrades the rumoured new model will include. However, even if it does arrive this year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has suggested it will be between September and November at the earliest.

What about a new Apple TV?

The Apple TV 4K (2022) remains the best media streamer we’ve tested, despite its age. But we’ve recently seen early rumblings Apple may launch an upgraded version of the streamer this year. The latest rumours suggest it’ll also be a very different beast to the current Apple TV featuring new circuitry, updated wireless connectivity and an integrated web camera for Facetime calls. Sadly, like the HomePods above, the same rumours peg the fabled upgrade with a late 2025 release, making it very unlikely we’ll see a new Apple TV today.

Apple Intelligence

As well as hardware there’s a strong chance Apple could have some AI, software related news at the launch. If the rumours are right and the A18, Apple-Intelligence-ready chipset is used on the SE 4 this would make sense. AI is a hot topic for all tech companies including Apple, which has been rolling a steady stream of AI features including ChatGPT integration, voice to text, auto image manipulation, notification summaries and more. But it’s yet to do anything audio related specifically, outside of its hearing test functionality on the AirPods. So we’re not expecting much at the event, given the lack of new hardware. But Apple has surprised us in the past…

Apple AirPods Pro 3

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 is another key product we’ve been waiting for a while now. The AirPods Pro 2 launched in September 2022, so a new model coming this year would make sense – most companies, Apple included, launch new flagship earbuds every two to three years.

Details about the fabled new AirPods Pro remain thin on the ground however. The only recent hint we’ve seen came from a US Patent and Trademark Office filing featuring several revisions to the Pro’s design. However, filings like this are quite common and don’t mean any of the changes or technologies included will actually be used.

Outside of this, commonly rumoured upgrades include minor upgrades to the buds chipset, and optimisations designed to improve ANC and audio quality, rather than a complete redesign.

Does size matter?

The team at What Hi-Fi? have covered iPhones since the first generation model. And as a result we all have a lot of hot takes on the line’s development, including What Hi-Fi? contributor, Esat Dedezade who isn’t enamoured at the prospect of the SE going up in size.

Apple 'HomePad'?

Will the AirPods Max 2 arrive?

There has been a long wait for the AirPods Max 2 since their launch announcement in September, but it looks like we will have to hold out for even longer. We have not heard any of the mutterings that would be expected when a product is launched, so it seems unlikely at this point. Of course they could completely flip the script and announce them anyway but we shall see.

The original Max had a modest upgrade last year when Apple added new colour options and USB C connectivity. When the proper AirPods Max 2 arrive, most rumours currently suggest they will include an upgraded processor compared to the AirPods Max. However, given the modest refresh last year, and lack of credible rumours, as well as the ongoing popularity of the current AirPods Max, we can’t see a new model arriving any time soon.

Top tip: don’t discount the older Apple products

We’re expecting and hoping Apple will unveil its new products soon. But ahead of that we have one top tip: don’t automatically feel the need to go for the new products.

Apple hardware retains its value for a long time and rarely gets significant discounts – outside of when it's about to be retired. With that in mind we’d strongly recommend keeping an eye on the prices of older AirPods, HomePods and Apple TVs whenever new models come out.

While we’re not expecting many of these today, on the off chance Apple does unveil new speakers, earbuds or streamers we’ve attached deals blocks below. Each automatically trawls online storefronts to find the best prices currently available.

The iPhone 16e is here!

Surprise! There isn't actually an iPhone SE 4. Instead there's an iPhone 16e. However, outside of this the phone is roughly in line with pre-event rumours. Key details include:

• A new design that looks like an iPhone 14 and 16 mashed together
• The use of a new A18 chipset with Apple Intelligence (AI gubbins)
• 48MP rear camera
• A 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with OLED display with HDR support
• USB-C charging
• $599 starting price

No new HomePod, no AirPods Pro – and so we wait

Well, while we digest the news about the new iPhone 16e – the new addition to the family that Apple CEO Tim Cook teased for today's launch – it's worth noting that there wasn't any sight of any HomePod or AirPods-related announcements. Perhaps that's to be expected, but that just means we'll be keeping an eye on the rumour mill as we wait for news of the next AirPods Pro wireless earbuds or the next-gen HomePod speaker that are meant to be launching at some point later this year.

If you're keen to see what's been revealed or suggested so far, check out our guide to all the rumours and leaks about the purported Apple HomePod with a screen, as well as our wishlist of what we want from the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

MORE DETAILS ON THE IPHONE 16E REVEALS ITS AV CAPABILITIES

It's official, Apple's latest smartphone is an affordable entry into its iPhone 16 family, and now we have more details about how this new entry-level model stacks up to its siblings in terms of AV specs.

We know it sports a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2532x1170 and a pixel density of 460ppi. Peak brightness is 800 nits for typical use, or it can reportedly reach 1200 nits for HDR content; speaking of HDR, the iPhone 16e supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

Audio-wise, it should come as no surprise that the iPhone 16e features Apple Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, with Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless audio connectivity. It also sports a USB-C socket which allows for wired audio connectivity, meaning it should also play nice with portable DACs.

The iPhone 16e launch is great, but where's my new HomePod?

Another Apple launch event, another lack of any new HomePods. Apple, as you might have figured out by now, launched the affordably priced iPhone 16e, and while we're very happy about its arrival, it's hard not to think: "Is that it?". The affordable iPhone 16e is all well and good, but where's my new HomePod, Apple? A sequel to the Mini or an update to the mainline model are both well overdue, especially when Apple is set to integrate its latest Apple Intelligence software into its new iPhone models.

Apple has confirmed it will be hosting an event on 19th February, where it is expected to launch its hotly anticipated iPhone SE 4 smartphone.

If the rumours are right this could well be a treat for music fans on the hunt for a portable player that can also make calls.

But the team at What Hi-Fi? can’t help but feel a slight twinge of regret that the current industry rumblings suggest the new iPhone SE 4 isn’t going to launch alongside three other key Apple products rumoured to arrive this year.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

The Apple HomePod 3

If you have recently read our best wireless speaker guide you’ll know we are fans of Apple’s HomePod 2 speaker. We like it so much, indeed, that, as well as giving it a five-star rating when we got it in for testing, we also made it a What Hi-Fi? Award winner.

Which is why we’re excited to see what Apple has in store for us with its next HomePod, which is rumoured to feature a new design, with a touch-screen element. Sadly, all signs suggest that while the HomePod 3 should launch in 2025, it won’t be at next week’s event. Instead noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes it will launch between July and September – in the same window as the rumoured iPhone 17 line of phones.

A new Apple HomePod Mini

The other product we would like to see get a hardware spruce ASAP is the HomePod Mini. While our hi-fi and audio editor Kashfia Kabir remains a fan of Apple’s original (and five-star) dinky wireless speaker, it is getting a little long in the tooth having launched all the way back in 2021. So a new HomePod Mini 2 is somewhat overdue.

Sadly the only credible rumbling we’ve seen so far, comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who suggests that we won't see it at Apple’s February event. Instead, he pegs the HomePod 2 as arriving between September and November at the earliest.

A new Apple TV

The Apple TV 4K (2022) is still the media streamer we recommend to most people. The five-star unit features solid HDR support, a great content library and easy to navigate user interface. But, it’s not perfect, featuring incredibly limited physical connectivity options.

Which is why we were excited when rumours started to surface suggesting a new Apple TV would launch this year with better circuitry, updated wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity and quality of life improvements, including a web cam for Facetime calls. Sadly, as with the HomePod Mini 2, the latest word suggests it is also set to arrive at the end of the year. So it’s extremely unlikely we will see it at the event next week.

Are there any other Apple home cinema or audio products you would like to see sooner rather than later? Let us know on our forums and social media pages!

MORE:

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We rate the best wireless speakers money can buy

Our picks of the best hi-fi systems

Apple has announced a surprise launch event on 19th February where it will introduce “the newest member of the family" to its fans.

Current rumblings and betting odds say this will be the hotly anticipated iPhone SE 4 – there has been a steady stream of rumours about a new SE handset for years.

And, of course, I would be happy to see a new iPhone SE – especially if some of those rumours are true.

These suggest it will be a complete departure from the iPhone SE 3, featuring an edge-to-edge OLED display and the company’s latest A18 chipset and circuitry inside.

If Apple hasn’t rocked the boat too hard and sticks to the formula that has made recent iPhones, including the iPhone 16 Pro, one of our go-to recommendations for music fans, then the SE could be a great-value portable music player for buyers on a budget. Or, indeed, those who don’t want to invest in a dedicated player such as the Sony and Astell & Kern devices in our best portable music player buying guide.

But, showing how spoiled I am after nearly two decades covering Apple launches, having seen the invitation I can’t suppress my wish for “one more thing” at the event. Those surprise late additions were a hugely anticipated feature at Apple's launch events when former CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs was at the helm.

Specifically, I’d like to see it launch a proper Apple TV. An OLED Apple TV to be precise. This won't be a surprise for regular What Hi-Fi? readers. What Hi-Fi? TV and AV editor Tom Parsons and I have long made no secret of our wish for Apple to make an actual television to complete its home cinema offering.

After all, Apple has all the ingredients that it needs to make a fantastic OLED TV readily to hand.

It already uses OLED panels to great effect in its phones, tablets, desktop computers and MacBook laptops.

The Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)’s tandem OLED display – which from what we have seen works using a similar idea to the fourth-generation OLED panel technology about to feature on the LG G5, Panasonic Z95A and Philips OLED910 – was a big reason it earned a top five-star rating from our reviewers.

Tandem OLED is a screen technology that stacks two OLED layers together in a bid to boost brightness and generally improve picture quality. And in our time with it in our test rooms it performed so well that we gave the technology our Innovation of the Year trophy at last year’s What Hi-Fi? Awards. Add to this Apple's strong presence in the creative professional space, where it tunes its screens with an overt focus on things such as colour accuracy, and it seems to be in a prime spot to make an amazing looking OLED TV.

And then there is audio. Apple’s HomePod 2 wireless speaker is another top product to which our reviewers have awarded a five-star rating. A big reason for that, of course, is the natural, solid and energetic sound it produces when playing music. But it is also partly because, when two HomePods are put in a stereo configuration and connected to an Apple TV streamer, they prove to be an incredibly competent home cinema package, delivering spacious and three-dimensional audio, particularly with Dolby Atmos.

Finally we come to apps and content. Jump to our best media streamers buying guide and you’ll see the Apple TV 4K at the very top of the list. This is because it provides stellar HDR performance, a complete portfolio of all the streaming apps you will need and a wonderfully easy to navigate user interface.

Imagine how awesome a TV combining these three strengths would be. I have…

MORE:

These are the best OLED TVs we have reviewed

We rate the best tablets for music and movies

These are the best wireless speakers money can buy

Remember when the rumour mill for Sonos's first wireless headphones was churning, and the one thing that dedicated fans were all hoping for – a feature that experts all thought was pretty much guaranteed – was a seamless way to play music between the new Sonos headphones and existing Sonos wireless speakers in your home?

After all, Sonos was famed for its seamless multi-room ecosystem spanning various-sized wireless speakers and soundbars that could all be interconnected to stream music. Well, the Sonos Ace arrived and, to the disappointment of nearly everyone, the headphones didn't feature wi-fi or a way to hand music off to and from any of its many wireless speakers such as the Sonos One or Era 300; they are only compatible with specific Sonos soundbars for a similar TV Audio Swap feature. It felt rather limiting considering the scope of Sonos's wireless ecosystem and ambitions.

Sony, however, has surprised us with exactly the feature we all wanted Sonos to have. During the launch of its new LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open wireless earbuds earlier this week, Sony also revealed a new LinkBuds Speaker. It's a small Bluetooth speaker that sits on a charging dock, but its party trick is an 'Auto Switch' feature that offers "seamless playback" between the speaker and earbuds.

How does it work? We haven't tested this out for ourselves yet – review samples are incoming – but Sony says it is designed to be genuinely seamless and doesn't involve any tapping, selecting an option in the app or changing modes. The Sony website states: In wireless range, the LinkBuds Speaker can pick playback up instantly once LinkBuds earbuds are replaced in their charging case. Heading out? Playback switches back to the earbuds when they're removed again from their case.

It sounds like it's simply a case of putting the earbuds in their charging case or popping them out, and the music switches between the buds and the speaker accordingly. If it really works that easily without any glitches and as seamlessly as, say, when you hand off playing Apple Music tracks from an iPhone to a HomePod, then Sony is on to a big crowd-pleasing win.

The fact Sony has been able to do this without any fancy implementation of wi-fi or other tech, and stuck with Bluetooth is interesting. (And makes us wonder why, considering Sonos's Era speakers have Bluetooth, a similar effort wasn't possible with the Sonos Ace Bluetooth headphones?) We imagine the buds and speaker will have to be within Bluetooth range of each other (no proximity sensor was mentioned in our press briefing), with the hand-off happening as snappily as Multipoint Bluetooth works, for instance. You'll need to set up the speaker and buds in the app/smartphone to start with – as you would when pairing any new Bluetooth earbuds or speaker to your smart device – but after that, it should be plain sailing.

Of course, this is just one new Sony speaker that has this feature (rather than a full ecosystem like Sonos or even Apple), but the earbuds compatible with it aren't restricted to the new LinkBuds. Sony has confirmed that the first-gen LinkBuds S, the WF-1000XM5 premium earbuds and WH-1000XM5 over-ear headphones can all be used with this speaker to take advantage of this auto-switching feature, which is great news. The over-ear headphones have an "alternative way of switching" as there isn't a charging case to shut them in or take them out of; we will have to find out for ourselves what this other way is.

It's not a pricey feature to get, either. The Sony LinkBuds speaker costs just £140 / $180 – that's cheaper than any Sonos speaker on the market now – while the new LinkBuds Fit/Open buds are yours for £179 / $200. The Sonos Ace are £449 / $449. We can't comment on the new Sony speaker's sound quality until we test the unit for ourselves, but even if it sounds half-decent, and if this auto-switching works like a dream... we're in.

Is this a feature that people really want? Sony states a survey was done where the 'young generation' said they wanted the ability to listen to music all the time, across devices, without having to faff about with changing devices on their phone every time. While I no longer fall under Sony's 'young generation' target audience, I similarly use wireless headphones on the move and Bluetooth speakers (and radio) at home. And more often than not, I continue listening to the same playlist or podcast on my headphones when I leave the house as I was listening to at home. Making that process even easier is a good thing in my books.

I didn't have Sony cracking this particular nut before Sonos, but if Sony can make it work as seamlessly as it is suggesting with its new LinkBuds range, then it's a simple, user-friendly feature that I can get behind – and I hope that it could be implemented in many future products too.

MORE:

I think Sony’s latest launch raises some big questions about the WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds

Sony’s new LinkBuds range features two pairs of wireless earbuds and a surprise addition

Read our Sonos Ace review

Apple has launched the latest version of tvOS; the smart platform that powers the Award-winning Apple TV 4K streamer. It released the update yesterday evening alongside iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 for the iPhone and iPad respectively, as well as updates to its Apple Watch, Mac and Vision Pro devices. 

The new software release brings some handy features to the streamer, including the new InSight for Apple TV+ function that allows you to pull up information regarding the actors and title you're watching providing it is Apple Original content. It's similar to Amazon Prime Video's X-Ray feature, meaning it can even identify music playing in a scene, and in true Apple ecosystem fashion, you can then add that song to your Apple Music library.

Other features include automatic subtitles that appear when content is muted or if the dialogue is spoken in another language to your streamer's preferred setting and an improved Enhance Dialogue system which will allow you to 'Enhance', 'Boost' or 'Isolate' dialogue based on your preference. This feature can be found in the accessibility section of the settings menu and is compatible with TVs, HomePod, HDMI sound systems (soundbars and AVRs), and Bluetooth audio devices (including wireless speakers and AirPods). 

You can also set portrait screensavers, tweak the home screen user interface to show four apps per row instead of five and interact with a new on-device Siri assistant with enhanced privacy. AirPlay is also getting a spatial audio-themed upgrade, meaning you can wirelessly stream spatial audio from an iPad or iPhone to an Apple TV 4K, HomePod or supported wireless speaker for immersive audio. Personalised Spatial Audio with AirPods is also now supported for all Apple TV users (providing they have a pair of AirPods that support personalised spatial audio).  

While a handful of the announced features have made it to the final release version of tvOS 18, there are also some notable omissions. 21:9 aspect ratio support for home cinema projectors is missing in action, as is a collection of TV and Movie-themed screensavers – including an adorable animated screensaver of Snoopy. We anticipate these features will be added in a further software update within the next year.

The new version of tvOS is available across the full range of Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD streamers, though some features including enhanced dialogue and on-device Siri require at least a second-generation Apple TV 4K (2021). 

As for how to install this update, simply follow these steps to update your Apple TV 4K: navigate to the Settings app > click System > then click Software Updates > then select download and install, and wait for the update to complete. If you're looking to update your HomePod, then simply open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad > open Home Settings > then click Software Update. 

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K review

Check out our picks for the best media streamer

Here is why we want Apple to make a Dolby Atmos soundbar

Another Apple launch event has come and gone with no announcement of a Dolby Atmos soundbar. It's not that such a thing was rumoured ahead of the launch, because it wasn't – it's that it seems such an obvious product for the company to produce that I'm baffled each time an Apple soundbar isn't announced.

The company already has all of the ingredients. Combine an Apple TV 4K with two HomePod 2s, and you've got a setup that performs much like a soundbar – and a smart one at that – but the form factor is less convenient and many people are put off by the need to buy and set up three separate components.

I used this setup at home instead of a soundbar for a few months last year, and it worked really well, but finding a suitable place for each of the speakers was far trickier than it would have been for a soundbar, especially as HomePods aren't really designed for wall-mounting.

So why doesn't Apple build the superb Dolby Atmos performance of a pair of HomePod 2s into the design of a soundbar, while also including all of the streaming capabilities and the HDMI eARC functionality of the Apple TV 4K? To me, that sounds like the ideal soundbar and something akin to a no-brainer for Apple, but other than a very vague patent unearthed by AppleInsider in April this year, the once-trickling rumours of an Apple soundbar have pretty much dried up.

While I appreciate that Dolby Atmos music has its value, the sound format is far better suited to movies, and Apple isn't making it easy to properly enjoy Dolby Atmos movies through its products. I really hope that changes sometime soon.

MORE:

These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can actually buy

Here are the best Dolby Atmos scenes to test your system

Here's everything you need to know about the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro

There was a time when we thought that the Apple HomePod had taken a permanent dirt nap. Apple discontinued the original HomePod (released in early 2018) despite its popularity and inescapable quality, yet two years after its supposed death, the Californian company decided to surprise and delight us all with the unveiling of the long-awaited sequel. The Apple HomePod 2 was glorious, and it made us hungry for more. 

More hasn’t arrived, though. We've gone through another Apple September launch event which gave us the AirPods 4, the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro, yet not a hint of any new HomePods. The second-gen HomePod currently sits alongside the even older HomePod Mini, and while they’re both five-star products that still slot well into the iOS ecosystem, it seems utterly strange that Apple has been so reluctant to give us a sequel. Perhaps there’s more money in the wireless earbuds market, an arena in which Apple are so unbelievably dominant, or perhaps the decision-makers at the top don’t feel that a new release is worth the trouble when the current models are still performing well.

The thing is, while both HomePods are great products, they’re not entirely perfect, with the ravages of time only opening the door for imperfections to become issues. Rivals are taking smart speakers extremely seriously – Amazon seems to pump out multiple models a year, whereas Sonos impressed us hugely with its Sonos Era 300 and Sonos Era 100 smart speakers. JBL’s having a go too, and while its Authentics 300 and Authetics 500 weren’t perfect, they were feature-packed, versatile and thoroughly modern performers. 

Apple needs to get back into the smart speaker space before it gets left behind or, worse, its devoted customers are saddled with products that are built for a given ecosystem but which aren’t keeping up with their competitors. The HomePod 2 doesn't offer Siri control for the likes of Spotify and Tidal, for instance, while the HomePod Mini doesn’t have the sort of comprehensive control app that we’d expect from a company such as Apple. The Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) isn’t as impressive sonically, but it’s a more amenable app and inescapably smarter AI assistant Alexa can make the Mini, sound aside, look a little primitive.

There’s always room to improve your products’ sound, too. Even if Apple did a sterling job with both the HomePod 2 and the HomePod Mini, there’s no question that internal tweaks could take their sound to the next level. We loved the omnidirectionally of the second-gen model, though we felt that rivals such as the Audio Pro C10 MKII gave more sonic punch and impetus for projecting sound further into a room. Also, what about bringing in support for Hi-Res Lossless (anything over 24-bit/48kHz)? It’s worth considering.

External Design tweaks could also bring the HomePod, especially the hypothetical mainline third-gen model, up to date. We keep hearing rumours that the new unit will have its own 7-inch screen, though Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has previously speculated that this particular debutante won’t make its bow until 2025. It’s also unclear as to whether that will act as a sequel to the HomePod 2 or, running parallel to the likes of the Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show lines, would be a separate product altogether. 

Either way, the wait for a new HomePod has gone on for far too long. It’s been roughly two years since we’ve had a new iteration of either of Apple’s popular smart speakers, and that just feels like an excessively long gap, particularly when you consider how keen its rivals have been to dominate this ever-growing sector. The HomePods are superb, but it may be a little complacent of Apple to assume that they’ll always be top dog, even if it’s tough for its faithful users to jump ship and plug into an entirely new ecosystem. New headphones are all well and good, but a new HomePod would see Apple reassert its authority in a sector that’s only becoming increasingly competitive and sought-after as time goes on. 

MORE: 

Apple iPhone 16 launch event: AirPods 4 are official, AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 2 get updated

Read our Apple HomePod 2 review

And our HomePod Mini review

These are the best smart speakers worth talking to 

While Apple undoubtedly produces high-quality content, it's no secret that Apple TV+ isn't the most popular streaming service on the market currently. Feeling the sting from rising production costs and lacklustre profits compared to its competitors, Apple has therefore decided to scale back spending on its original programming, according to a new report from Bloomberg. 

The iPhone, iPad and HomePod manufacturer has reportedly spent over $20 billion to produce its original programming and films, with $500 million of that reportedly being spent on films from high-profile directors such as Martin Scorsese, Matthew Vaughn and Ridley Scott. A further $250 million was reportedly spent on the Masters Of The Air, which earned a spot in our best miniseries list. 

Despite investing in high-quality content from notable writers and directors and, in turn, getting mostly favourable reviews for much of this original programming, Apple reportedly isn't seeing the returns when it comes to viewing figures. Argyle, the action comedy spy movie directed by Matthew Vaughn, made less than half of its reported $200 million budget at the box office, and Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon also fell short, only earning a reported $67 million at the box office on a $150 million budget; even though it was nominated for nine Academy Awards.

At-home numbers are equally disappointing for Apple TV+ according to the Bloomberg report, with the major bombshell being that Netflix attracts more viewers in a day than Apple TV+ does in a month. We're not totally blown away by that fact, as Apple focuses more on original programming compared to Netflix, which features a mix of original and well-known third-party content, it's concerning no matter how you look at it. 

So how is Apple reacting to this? Bloomberg has identified a trend in cancelling projects faster, with the average length of shows dropping from 3.67 seasons in 2019 (the same year Apple TV launched) to 2.00 in 2021. The percentage of shows that have received a third season on Apple TV+ has also dropped from 100 per cent to just 22 per cent within the same time frame. 

Despite scaling back long-term productions, Apple is reportedly retaining its ethos of pumping money into high-quality productions, with a focus on movie stars and highly regarded directors. It's been reported that The Morning Show stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who were paid $1m per episode in the first season of the show, will now earn over quadruple that for season four which has just entered production. Apple is reportedly spending $50 million on the cast of that show alone, which suggests that it's committed to upholding its existing, well-regarded programming, while also being more conscious and conservative of shows that aren't working quite as well. 

Furthermore, Apple is apparently being more selective of the shows it purchases to feature on its platform, with sellers reporting that Apple is declining offers it would have quickly snapped up just a couple of years ago. It's also being more careful about its spending in other areas, with the production of the upcoming season of Foundation being delayed in order to not exceed the budget. This was partly blamed on Hollywood strikes; however, Apple has also asked the producers to make adjustments to account for additional costs relating to said strikes. 

While it may be turbulent times for the streaming platform, we would be very surprised to see Apple even consider shuttering its streaming business. However, with the competitive nature of the streaming beast, we expect to see some changes come to the platform.   

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV+ review

As well as our review of the Apple TV 4K video streamer

The Apple TV 4K is comfortably the best streamer, but only if you change these settings

Apple mentioned a couple of AV upgrades coming to its operating systems and devices during its WWDC 2024 keynote. But there's a new audio feature coming which wasn’t mentioned during the main presentation but is tucked away in Apple’s official press release.

AirPlay, Apple’s system for streaming audio wirelessly from an iOS device is getting spatial audio support, “including support for Dolby Atmos, when using AirPlay to stream audio from iPhone and iPad to HomePod and compatible third-party audio equipment.”

Up until now, you’ve only been able to play Dolby Atmos tracks through a HomePod which is directly hooked up to Apple Music. This upgrade means you'll be able to stream tracks in Dolby Atmos using just an Apple smartphone or tablet using an AirPlay connection. Not only that, but you'll be able to stream Dolby Atmos to other compatible wireless speakers.

Extra details were thin on the ground, though, so exactly which speakers will be compatible remains to be seen.

If you’re interested in trying out this new feature, the AirPlay update should roll out in the autumn, together with the rest of the software features announced at the keynote.

MORE:

What is AirPlay 2? How it works, and what speakers and devices support it

Read our Apple HomePod 2 review

Our pick of the best AirPlay speakers

Apple's 2024 WWDC keynote has just ended, and while it was heavily focused on AI (as expected), there were a couple of tidbits of news for us AV fans.

These tidbits all relate to the tvOS 18 update, which is heading to the Apple TV 4K this autumn, and the most interesting is also the most vague: 21:9 support for projectors.

We of course know that 21:9 is an extra-wide aspect ratio favoured by many movies and is therefore the ratio that many owners choose to primarily set their projectors to. This new feature will presumably allow the Apple TV 4K to output in a native 21:9 ratio, though how it will do this or what it will do with non-21:9 images hasn't been revealed. We'll be keeping an eye out for more on this one.

Next up on the list of new Apple TV 4K features coming with tvOS 18 is actually an expansion of the existing Enhance Dialogue feature. This does exactly what it says on the tin, but currently only works when sound is being output to a HomePod or HomePod Mini. With tvOS 18, Enhance Dialogue will work with HDMI-connected devices such as TVs, soundbars and AV receivers. It will also apparently perform better, thanks to 'machine learning and computational audio'.

Finally on the list of new Apple TV features that piqued our interest is 'InSight', which is very much the Apple TV+ take on Amazon's 'X-Ray'. This allows you to display movie information that's relevant to the specific scene you're watching and is most useful in those 'what have I seen that actor in before?' moments.

All in all, it's not Earth-shattering stuff, and the wait goes on for new Apple TV hardware, but we can certainly see the 21:9 projector support appealing to some – assuming it's implemented effectively.

MORE:

These are the best projectors you can buy right now

Check out our Apple TV 4K review

And here's our Apple TV 4K 2024 wishlist

The iPhone 16 Pro could have a brighter screen than the new iPad Pro, according to one rumour. Weibo user Instant Digital (via MacRumors) says the iPhone 16 Pro's screen will boast 1200 nits for typical SDR content – that's 20 per cent brighter than both the iPhone 15 Pro and new OLED iPad Pro.

The user says peak HDR performance will remain at 1600 nits, equalling the iPhone 15 Pro and new iPad Pro.

This step up in SDR brightness would be a significant upgrade. The iPhone has had the same 1000 nits standard SDR brightness since the iPhone 13 Pro in 2021. Typical SDR is used in most situations, so would be a noticeable improvement for most phone tasks.

Apple made much of the new iPad Pro's tandem OLED technology, which uses two OLED panels to create a brighter picture. The new iPad is the first Apple tablet with an OLED screen, but Apple's iPhones have used OLED since the iPhone X in 2017. The iPhone 12 family was the first to use OLED across the range.

OLED panel technology has been used in TVs for years, and has come in for criticism for lacking brightness. Recent innovations have allowed TVs to reach as high as 3000 nits. And now it seems OLED smartphones and tablets are following suit.

Of course, you should take this rumour with a pinch of salt. Instant Digital has a somewhat patchy track record, though it has made some accurate predictions.

The iPhone 16 is expected to launch in early September, with larger screens for the two Pro models. New chips are also predicted, along with a new 'Capture' button. We'll bring you more rumours as they emerge.

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What we know so far about the iPhone 16

iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy S24: which 2024 flagship are we more excited about?

Browse today's best Apple deals: iPhone, iPad, HomePod

LG smart TVs are the first models to offer native support for Dolby Atmos following an update to the Apple Music app.

This update marks an improvement in Apple’s offerings on devices made by other brands. Apple Music’s Dolby Atmos support was previously only available on TV via Apple TV 4K, the HomePod or Sonos devices. 

Hopefully, this is the start of native Atmos audio support rolling out to a wider range of brands. Amazon Music and Tidal also support music mastered in Dolby Atmos, though not currently directly via TV apps. If you have Apple headphones such as AirPods, you can still connect directly to TVs via Bluetooth to access Atmos audio. 

In celebration of this latest update, LG is also offering three months of Apple Music free if you have an LG smart TV from 2018 or later. This trial is available in the UK and worldwide and is accessible via the Apple Music app on TVs running webOS 4.0 or higher. It’s also available on the lifestyle models StanbyME, StanbyME Go, and MyView Smart Monitor. 

For those who don’t know, Apple Music is an ad-free, high-res music streaming service with an extensive library of over 100 million songs. It also conveniently plays Dolby Atmos tracks automatically when using a compatible TV. 

If your TV doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, a full surround system or Atmos-compatible LG soundbar (from 2023 or 2024) can be connected to do the job. This is the route we would recommend in most cases anyhow, as the performance of speakers built-in to TVs is often far from impressive.

If you want to learn more about LG's OLED TVs, head to our guide for all the latest information including specifications and prices.

MORE:

Read our full LG C4 (OLED65C4) review

And our hands-on LG G4 review

LG 2024 OLED TV range: everything you need to know

We're rather fond of the little Apple HomePod Mini wireless smart speaker, but it's been quite a while since the original model appeared, and speculation abounds that a HomePod Mini 2 is in the works.

There were rumours that it could have launched last year, and then again in August 2025, when sources suggested that a HomePod Mini 2 could be on the way. MacRumours claimed that a reference to a new Mini with Apple's refreshed S-series chip had been discovered in some Apple code, so we were braced for an official launch as part of the big 'Apple Event' on 9th September.

It wasn't to be. Once again, the HomePod Mini 2, along with the HomePod 2, failed to materialise, leaving us scratching our heads and wondering if we'd ever see another Apple smart speaker launch in our lifetime (ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration).

We're certainly due an upgrade, so the timing made sense. It has now been around five years since the original HomePod Mini launched, cramming in great sound quality into a smaller and more affordable form than its larger HomePod sibling.

While both of these – and the later HomePod 2 – received five-star reviews and are highly recommended for their great sound and iOS integration, it's high time we saw a new HomePod model considering how long they've both been on the market.

Apple HomePod Mini 2: release date rumours

The disappointment of a no-show on 9th September has left us floundering a little, so it's time to look at Apple's general release patterns to get an idea of any forthcoming launches.

One of the best ways to try and determine a release date, rumours apart, is to look at past launches. In the case of Apple, it was way back in October 2020 that the first HomePod Mini was announced.

Between the original HomePod release in 2018 and the updated HomePod 2 in 2022, there was a four year wait. With that in mind we would expect the Mini 2 to arrive in 2025, so tomorrow as a potential launch date makes a lot of sense.

According to serial tech predictor and all-round Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we were expecting to see Apple begin shipping the HomePod Mini 2 in the second half of 2024, but that clearly didn't happen.

The better bet is that the new Mini will arrive alongside a new HomePod 3 with a screen, which is meant to have a with a 7-inch display, with more recent rumours and outlets, including 9to5Mac and MacRumours, all pointing to the latter-end of 2025 as the most likely time.

Apple HomePod Mini 2: price predictions

The original Apple HomePod Mini was priced at £99/$99 making it a very competitive small speaker, especially when you consider Apple's usually high price tags. In classic Apple fashion, expect the next model either to sit at the same price or to climb ever so slightly as new features are added.

Since the new model is rumoured to feature a more advanced chipset, the price might jump a little – although not by much as Apple wants to keep this competitive in the small-speaker space. Indeed, because of that, we wouldn't be surprised to see the price stay under £100/$100.

If Apple does decide to infuse the HomePod Mini with upgraded drivers, a new design or even more features, however, we think breaching that barrier – to £120/$150 maybe? – would be possible, as long as the performance was worthwhile.

That said, Apple didn't bump the cost of its recently unveiled AirPods Pro 3, suggesting it may be keeping prices stable in a bid to entice customers who have become sick of ever-rising costs.

Apple HomePod Mini 2: new design?

While the HomePod Mini is a well-designed speaker, which finds a balance between compact form and wide-reaching audio function, we'd expect changes to the new model. One such evolution is expected to come in the form of external aesthetics, and it seems that Apple might refresh the colour options with more to pick from.

Current options include Space Gray, Blue, Yellow, White or Orange, but the likes of 9to5Mac and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggest that new finishes, such as a Red option, could be on the way to live alongside the established line-up.

The chipset is another area expected to see updates. The current Mini features an S5 chip as featured in the Apple Watch Series 5, but with the new model, rumours suggest that it will be the same upgraded S10 chip as found in the latest generations of the Apple Watch.

That could be paired with better WiFi 6E support, lower-latency connectivity and an improved microphone setup. All of that could allow for better Siri integration – a feature Apple is always eager to push. Again, the likes of 9to5Mac and MacRumours seem to think that such upgrades are incoming, with some even speculating that the new chip could push things beyond 6E to WiFi 7.

As of 2025, there are even more advanced technologies rapidly launching, and we expect Apple Intelligence (its version of AI) to be integrated along with stronger Siri powers in the next HomePod Mini, much like the HomePod with a screen.

Apple HomePod Mini 2: 4 features we'd like to see

The current HomePod Mini improved on many of the HomePod features and even the second generation HomePod 2 hasn't added much new above what this offers. Yet we still have hopes for some improvements in the next-gen model:

1. Lower latency and Bluetooth
One easy way to improve on the already decent for the price audio performance is to work on latency. Since most audio is coming to the speaker over wi-fi, an improvement on that tech can't hurt.

Not only will this allow for a better audio performance but an upgrade to WiFi 6E or WiFi 7 could also mean a greater range which allows you more options when placing this speaker in your home. Bluetooth would also be a welcome addition for direct playback from most smartphones and tablets.

2. Better microphones and native Spotify/Tidal Siri
While the current model works well at picking up voices, a few more mics for an even more impressive audio perception can't hurt. Using Siri is part of what makes this speaker so accessible, but when the music is playing loudly or there is background noise, it can affect pick-up on commands.

Enhancing that can mean a more seamless communication with the speaker for greater ease and less reaching for the phone to control everything. Native Siri support for Spotify and/or Tidal would be a great option here too.

3. Enhanced audio and support
While the audio performance on the current model does well for the price, there is still room for improvement. Technology has moved along since the original release and Apple's use of Spatial Audio, for example, has really come on.

While we would like to see enhanced speakers to widen the soundstage of this small speaker, the upgrade of the tech inside for greater software smarts would also be a welcome inclusion to get a better audio performance overall. All that backed by more third-party apps support would also be most welcome.

4. Fresh colours and buttons
New colours are an easy way for Apple to add something fresh to a model that can then stand out from the previous generation. So while we would like to see more big changes – a screen, perhaps? – realistically fresh colours are a likely expectation without breaking the bank on price.

A physical mute button would also be a welcome change, as its currently app-only.

MORE:

Apple HomePod 2 vs HomePod Mini: what are the differences?

Read our HomePod Mini review

And our Apple HomePod 2 review

Our pick of the best wireless speakers you can buy right now

Apple has confirmed the dates for its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference – more commonly known as WWDC – and already the rumour mill for what we can expect is hotting up.

The event, which traditionally has focused on the new software features coming to Apple's products, has also been the launchpad for hardware in more recent years. It was at WWDC 2023 that we caught the first glimpse of Apple Vision Pro, and at 2017's event, we got the announcement of the original Homepod. 

Artificial intelligence looks likely to be the hot topic for this year, but there are still some hints that we won't be left without TV and audio news. Here's everything we know so far.

WWDC 2024: When is it?

Apple has confirmed that WWDC will run 10-14th June 2024. As usual, it will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, and will be attended by thousands of developers in person, as well as millions watching online. 

The keynote with all the big announcements will kick off the five-day event, and will be streamed live on Apple's website, usually around 10am PT / 6pm UK time. We'll be covering all the big announcements as they land.

WWDC 2024: What to expect

Apple has made no secret that there is going to be a huge focus on AI this year, with a few hints dropped – including one from Apple's senior VP for marketing Greg Joswiak on X (formerly Twitter). 

It's been a huge year for generative AI and Apple has some ground to catch up on here, particularly when compared with competition from Google and Microsoft. 

However, while AI might be the headline topic, we're still expecting a few audio and TV-focused announcements and updates to pique our interest. Here are a few rumours we've caught wind of in recent months.

New fourth-gen AirPods

Last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that Apple would be releasing a slew of new AirPods models in 2024 – so could they make an appearance at WWDC24?

According to Gurman, Apple is looking to phase out the regular second-gen and third-gen AirPods due to poor sales of the latter.

Apparently, buyers have been opting for the cheaper second-gen model instead, which has remained on sale. The plan, says Gurman, is to launch two new models of fourth-gen Airpods at similar price points to what the outgoing models cost now. They will still sit below the AirPods Pro 2, but there will be more clear cut differences in features between the two models.

This includes a rumoured introduction of noise-cancellation and integrated speakers on the charging case for the more advanced model, plus a design change for both “that looks like a blend of the third-generation AirPods and the Pro model”. 

Apparently this won’t, though, extend to the silicone eartips – with that being a feature that is kept solely for the AirPods Pro.

AirPods Max 2

We loved the original AirPods Max, but considering Apple's biggest and best headphones have been out since 2020, they are now well overdue an update. 

As part of his AirPods predictions, Gurman said he expected the AirPods Max do have a refresh coming in 2024, but it doesn't sound like the update we would be hoping for – mainly a move to USB-C charging and a few new colours. 

While the USB-C update would be welcome, and one of the bugbears in our original review, new hardware feels necessary at this point. The AirPods Max carry the H1 processor, which is less advanced than the H2 processor in the much-cheaper AirPods Pro. This means they miss out on several new features announced last WWDC, including Adaptive Audio, Personalised Volume and Conversation Awareness. 

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is a little more optimistic. He predicts the USB-C and new colour options too, but also has improved noise cancellation, a longer battery life, plus a move to the U1 chip for more precise" Find My" integration, in his list of expected improvements.

The only downer? He's predicting all of this for the end of 2024 (the original AirPods Max were released in December) or even early 2025, but that doesn't mean we won't hear early details announced in June. Fingers crossed.

HomePod mini 2

Now this one is a bit contentious, as the two aforementioned, largely reliable insiders have different opinions on what’s to come.

As reported by MacRumors, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks we could see a second-generation Homepod mini released in the second half of the year, which – if true – could well signal an announcement at WWDC 2024.

It’s not clear what new features a second-gen HomePod mini might come with, so it’s all a bit vague – particularly when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says quite the opposite. 

Gurman reckons that Apple is not actively working on a new version of the HomePod mini, but is instead focused on “new speakers with screens and cameras” ­­­– maybe to create a competitor for the like of Amazon’s Echo Show. 

Still, Kuo says that Apple supplier Goertek has secured “secured NPI [New Product Introduction] and assembly orders” for the new mini, so it remains to be seen if anything appears in June.

tvOS 18

Considering WWDC is a conference for developers, you can pretty much consider details of Apple's next update for its tvOS software a certainty – alongside details for what's to come for the likes of iOS, MacOS and WatchOS.

As you'll read in our Apple TV 4K review, we already like what tvOS has to offer, but the ability to update it every year always brings with it some welcome updates. 

Last year, tvOS 17 delivered some welcome usability tweaks with a redesigned Control Center, introduced the ability to FaceTime using your Apple TV 4K and even quietly threw in some picture improvements too with support for Dolby Vision 8.1

For tvOS 18 this year, we're expecting the artificial intelligence announcements that will likely dominate proceedings to seep into how you interact with your Apple TV 4K. This will likely be through a smarter Siri, for improved searching, and the introduction of recommendations – all wrapped in a more natural, conversational experience.

Outside of that, it's anyone's guess. Could we see the HomePod 2's capabilities extend to using them as wireless surround speakers in a similar way that Amazon allows its Echo devices to be used? In all honesty, probably not – but here's hoping that that WWDC 2024 has at least one or two AV surprises up its sleeve.

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We're big fans of Apple's HomePod smart speaker range, with the HomePod 2 and HomePod Mini picking up five-star reviews and Award wins for their combination of great sound quality and design for the price.

A new HomePod smart speaker is rumoured to be on the way. But unlike the current models, this upcoming is said to have a screen, expanding its functionality considerably in the 'smart' department.

This isn't mere hearsay. Credible Apple experts have weighed in, giving their predictions on when they reckon we'll see the device and what it will offer. We thought we might get a glimpse of this addition to the HomePod family during Apple's launch event on 19th February 2025, but that was solely about the new iPhone 16e. So what can we expect from a potential next-gen HomePod this year?

Read on for all the latest rumours.

HomePod with a screen: rumoured release date

In early 2024, it was thought that the HomePod with a screen was very close to launching. A beta version of tvOS 17.4 contained references to homeOS, thought to be a new operating system for the new breed of HomePod. However, the device was then said to be delayed until later in the year, then early in 2025.

The reason for the hold-up was reportedly Siri, with Apple working on improving its AI assistant's features. There's no concrete time for this delay, although analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who also has a solid track record), still believes that it will launch before the end of the year. If true, it's likely that we could see it launch alongside the iPhone 17. But we'll have to wait and see.

For what it's worth, the latest news from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (who has a very reliable track record when it comes to Apple news and rumours), has stated that the HomePod with screen could “... finally hit the market by the end of this year at the earliest…” with the additional caveat that it remains “up in the air.”

Note that this prediction is for the J490 model, which has a static iPad-like screen. A more advanced, J595 variant (with a screen on a robotic arm that can move around a user's desk), is expected to land one or two years after the armless model.

HomePod with a screen: price prediction

Here, a lot depends on how the screen is implemented. If – as some analysts think – it has a 7-inch screen, the price could be substantially higher than a standard HomePod. But if the screen ends up as a small display on the top end of the device (where the volume controls and Siri animation reside on the HomePod 2), its price might not be much different to the HomePods currently available.

The HomePod 2 retails for £299 / $299 / AU$479, while the HomePod Mini costs £99 / $99 / AU$149. Our guess? The HomePod with a screen will cost at least as much as the HomePod 2.

HomePod with a screen: features rumours

Here's where things get a little murky. No one can agree upon what exactly the HomePod with a screen will be like.

The latest rumours, courtesy of Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, point to two models – the J490 and J595. Both reportedly have iPad-like screens attached to a smart speaker, though the latter also has a robotic arm that can apparently move the screen around.

The first mention of a HomePod with speaker came back in 2021, when Mark Gurman wrote that Apple was considering combining the HomePod and Apple TV into a device for video calls.

But the first major rumour came from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said in March 2023 that Apple was working on a HomePod with a 7-inch screen. That would make it essentially an iPad with better speakers, which would serve as a rival to the Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show. Like those devices, it was predicted that the new HomePod would function as a smart home hub – basically a way to control your smart home devices without taking out your phone.

Others are less sure. Mark Gurman says Apple has come up with all sorts of different ways of giving the HomePod a screen, including a turducken-style combination of some of Apple's most-loved products. "There was a device that would combine the Apple TV, FaceTime and HomePod in one system, as well as a HomePod with a screen that swivels like a robotic arm," Gurman wrote. "Apple also has explored making iPad-like smart displays that could be magnetically attached to a wall."

The closest we've seen to that is the Amazon Echo Show 15 (which is huge), or the business-focussed Microsoft Surface Hub. But if Apple went down this route, the device would look more like an iPad than a HomePod with a screen (which some are referring to as a 'HomePad', which we hope won't be the real name). Now it's widely rumoured that Apple is developing a wall-mounted smart screen as a separate product.

The HomePod with a screen will more likely resemble the Amazon Echo Show, which is very much a speaker with a screen (as opposed to a tablet with better speakers). Yes, you can watch TV shows and films on it, but its screen is primarily used as a way to see notifications, navigate the menu and conduct video calls. We're confident Apple would take a similar approach.

Others think the screen will be less prominent. A now-deleted tweet from a Twitter account called Kosutami revealed a 'prototype' HomePod with a different type of glass on the top that can work as a touchscreen. The fact this tweet was since deleted raises doubts, though 9to5Mac claims its sources confirmed the photos were legitimate.

The HomePod with a screen is rumoured to run homeOS, a new operating system that combines the Apple TV's tvOS platform with HomePod-specific software. As the name suggests, it will be very much focussed on the home, so expect voice controls to feature heavily, giving you the ability to control other smart speakers in your home, hands-free. The original HomePod ran a modified version of the iPhone's iOS 11 when it launched, but Apple since switched it to tvOS.

Apple mentioned homeOS in a couple of job adverts in 2021, but hasn't used the term since.

One other feature we could see on the HomePod with a screen is SharePlay, which lets you stream movies and music with whoever you're on a FaceTime call with. SharePlay features within the Apple TV app. Once you scan a QR code on the Apple Music app on the Apple TV, you can start a SharePlay session.

HomePod with a screen: name

Which just leaves the question of name. What would Apple call this thing?

HomePod with a screen seems a bit clunky. There's every chance Apple could just call it HomePod 3, as it would be the third generation of the full-size HomePod (especially if it continues to sell the HomePod 2). If it got bigger than the standard model because of the display, maybe HomePod Max (it's likely to steer away from the 'Pro' moniker as it would be a home-focussed device). Or maybe HomePod View to emphasise the fact it has a screen.

We just hope it's not HomePad.

HomePod with a screen: early verdict

At the moment, a lot is still up in the air. Will we see the HomePod with a screen next week as rumoured? Will it boast a 7-inch iPad Mini-style display, or just turn the existing top panel into a touch-sensitive screen? Will it offer Apple TV functionality? Album art? A way to FaceTime from the kitchen without reaching for your iPhone or iPad?

What we do know is that a HomePod with a screen is an exciting prospect, especially if it can maintain – or even improve upon – the sound quality that has made every HomePod speaker so far a great buy.

We'll update this page as new rumours emerge throughout the year.

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A HomePod with a screen could arrive sooner than we thought, if one leak is to be believed. Code within the first beta of tvOS 17.4 (spotted by MacRumors) mentions 'homeOS', thought to be Apple's upcoming software platform for the screen-equipped HomePod.

Apple's first-gen HomePod smart speaker launched running a modified version of iOS 11, but Apple since ported it to tvOS, the same software as the Apple TV streaming box. It's thought homeOS will combine tvOS and HomePod software into a platform designed specifically for the smart home.

Apple mentioned homeOS in a couple of job adverts in 2021, but hasn't used the term since.

The screen-equipped HomePod is rumoured to be a rival to the likes of the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub. It will most likely combine the FaceTime and screen skills of an iPad with the voice controls and sonic abilities of the HomePod 2. 

Apple recently added SharePlay to the tvOS 17.4 beta. Scan a QR code on the Apple Music app on the Apple TV, and you can start a SharePlay session. This could also feature on the HomePod with a screen.

We're expecting tvOS 17.4 to drop in March alongside iOS 17.4. Apple usually holds a spring event which could see some new products – possibly an iPad refresh, but the HomePod with a screen could also appear. We'll bring you all the news and rumours when we get them.

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Apple has updated its Apple TV 4K streamer to version 17.2, which offers quite one significant change alongside various quality of life and feature updates. 

The latest software upgrade, available on all models of the Apple TV HD (from 2015 onwards) and Apple TV 4K (2017 models onwards), introduces a new look to Apple's streaming service, but in turn, signals the end for another iconic Apple service.

The service in question is the iTunes Movies and TV store, which has now been absorbed into the Apple TV app. Launched in 2008, the store has been Apple's hub for renting and purchasing the latest releases for over 15 years. Now, in the streaming age and with the introduction of the Apple TV platform, Apple has decided to streamline its video offerings. 

Thankfully it's not all doom and gloom, as there are plenty of interesting new features in the tvOS 17.2 update. The main new feature is a new sidebar navigation system for the Apple TV app, something we reported as a beta feature back in October. Here you'll find first-party Apple TV options like Apple TV+ and the new movie and TV store (just titled "Store"), as well as third-party streaming apps like Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. You'll also find your video library in this menu to access your rented and purchased content, with filters for genre as well as if the content is 4K HDR.

This update also introduces features outlined earlier in prior beta builds of the software, including the redesigned control centre, enhanced dialogue options for HomePod users and Adaptive Audio for AirPods users. You'll also be able to initiate FaceTime calls directly from the Apple TV now, with the ability to use your iPhone or iPad as a webcam using the Continuity Camera feature. Finally, you'll be able to connect your Siri Remote (on the 2021 and 2022 Apple TV 4K models) to your iPhone via Bluetooth, with the ability to use the Find My app to locate it if you lose it; ideal for the all-to-common occurrence of the remote slipping between the couch cushions. 

You can update your Apple TV now by navigating to the settings app, scrolling down to "system" and selecting software update. 

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The wireless speaker market has transformed and evolved in leaps and bounds in recent years. The different forms, shapes and types of wireless streaming on offer are more varied than before, and nowhere is that more evident than in the best wireless speakers category at this year's What Hi-Fi? 2023 Awards.

Our wireless speaker Best Buy winners are divided into two categories: home (for mains-powered units) and portable (battery-powered, on-the-go options), and six products in total that won trophies this year. But it was two new 2023 products from two tech giants – Apple HomePod 2 and Sonos Era 300 – that ousted old favourites to shake things up.

Both new speakers impressed us when we reviewed them (both five stars, naturally), delivering ease of use, smart voice control (Siri in HomePod, Alexa and Sonos's own in Era 300) and excellent sound quality for the money. The HomePod 2 (Best home wireless speaker £100-£300) is a refined, smarter and brilliantly well-made speaker that's an irresistible choice for Apple users – we're fond of its natural, energetic sound and subtle way with voices (which we preferred over the similarly-priced Sonos Era 100).

Both speakers, incidentally, also feature spatial audio. It's with the distinctive Era 300 that we were genuinely wowed by spatial audio tracks for the first time. At double the money of the HomePod 2, it delivers a convincingly immersive, engulfing sound that is worthy of praise and bagging the Best home wireless speaker £300-£500 category win. You also get far more versatile choices of streaming features with the Sonos for the higher price, too.

In their price brackets, the new Apple and Sonos speakers knock out the previous favourites at this price: the multiple Award-winning Audio Pro Addon C10 MkII and the Addon C3. While the Audio Pros are enjoyable, musical performers, we found the new Apple and Sonos speakers offered fresher design, newer features and delivered more expansive, expressive and engaging sound overall. Worthy winners, indeed.

• See all What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winners in every category

At either ends of the price scale, however, we see repeat winners. On the budget end, the JBL Charge 5 Bluetooth speaker and the Apple HomePod Mini smart speaker retain their wins in the portable and home categories respectively, despite plenty of new competition. The Charge 5 (best portable wireless speaker under £200) delivers the perfect mix of rugged portability, strong basic features and clear, punchy, organised sound quality that still entertains above all – it offers the best value for its £130-£160 price. 

Apple sees both current HomePods take wins this year, with the smaller, cheaper, HomePod Mini (Best home wireless speaker under £100) still impressing us. It might seem restrictive (Siri works best with an Apple Music subscription), but this tiny, mighty speaker isn't just for iOS users, and we remain amazed at the solid, subtle sound and excellent overall tonal balance and volume you get from this dinky speaker that costs under £99 – Apple's cheapest product by miles.

The Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen and Dali Katch G2 remain worthy winners at the premium end, showing that wireless speakers can deliver elevated audio performance that's a shade away from traditional hi-fi set-ups. Despite stiff competition from the likes of the new JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi, Sonos Move 2 and Ultimate Ears Epicboom, the Dali Katch G2 – the best portable wireless speaker over £200 for another year running – remains unbeaten for pure audio fidelity. For a Bluetooth-only speaker at £349, its clear, insightful, deftly dynamic and musical prowess is unmatched. While others might shout about more features and a bigger scale of sound, the Katch G2 is a beautifully made portable speaker that keeps things simple and focused on the music.

The Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation remains the best home high-end option over £500, and unless you're looking at stereo speaker systems (such as the KEF LSX II) there isn't a single unit that performs at such a high level. A multiple Award winner that keeps its crown for yet another year, it's packed with streaming features and offers a richly textured, large-scaled sound that's full of drive, energy and layers of detail that's far beyond what you'd expect from a relatively compact one-box speaker.

Our Awards season doesn't end here. Out of these six Best Buy winners, only one will take away the coveted Product of the Year prize for the wireless speaker category – this will be revealed on November 15th. Stay tuned to whathifi.com during the evening (GMT) to find out whether we'll see a repeat winner in the Naim or a brand new contender to the throne.

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Apple has some more goodies in store. It's sent out invites to a 'Scary Fast' event on 30th October (that's Monday), the day before Halloween.

So what's in store? Traditionally, Apple announces new iPads around this time of year, shortly after the annual September iPhone launch. But there's plenty to suggest it has some other tricks (and treats) up its sleeve...

New Macs
This is most likely the focus of the event – the relevant page on the Apple site features an animated logo of the Finder file manager on macOS. Rumours abound that a new iMac and MacBook Pro are in the works, both using Apple's own M3 processor.

New iPads
Recently, rumours emerged of the main iPads getting a modest spec boost, including chip upgrades. Though it seems bigger improvements – like 120Hz screens – are further down the line. Noted Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman reckon we won't see new iPads until next year, but October is traditionally when Apple unveils its new slates...

Improved Apple TV app
One of the most exciting announcements could be nothing to do with hardware. Recent rumours suggest that Apple is working on improving the Apple TV app, making it much more of a streaming hub than its current form. The goal seems to be to create one app that encompasses the Apple TV+ streaming library, third-party channel subscription options and rented and purchased content from the iTunes Movie store. Expect plenty more integration with other streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+. A December rollout has been mooted, which makes it a prime candidate for next week's Apple event.

A HomePod with a screen
A HomePod with an LCD screen is in the works, according to the latest rumours. An Apple collector has shared images online showing components from an unreleased HomePod prototype which included a large, fully functional touchscreen at the top of the unit. This unit – apparently codenamed B720 – is reportedly planned to go into production at some point in the future, so it's highly unlikely we'll see it as soon as next week. Still, the same source who revealed the unit claims that Apple's current tvOS 17 code – used for Apple Music and Apple Podcasts – is being rewritten to be fully compatible with a new format to be used on the HomePod's new LCD display. This, it is said, will be controlled by an internal app which can scroll through functions including audio playback, home controls and taking phone calls. Look out, Amazon Echo Show.

Budget AirPods...
Could we finally see the launch of the AirPods Lite? Rumours of a budget pair of Apple wireless earbuds have gone a little quiet of late, with Apple seemingly content to just lower the price of the current model when it launches a new pair. But it has a budget iPhone in the form of the SE, so why not a cheaper pair of AirPods?

... And pricier AirPods too
The AirPods Max are very nearly three years old now, which is ancient in headphones terms. Could we see the fabled AirPods Max 2 model next week? Or updates to the in-ear models – the AirPods 4 or AirPods Pro 3? The AirPods 3 are two years old now, and the AirPods Pro 2 over a year old. 

When is Apple's 'Scary Fast' event?
The Apple event starts at 7.59pm ET / 4.59pm PT / 11.59pm GMT on Monday 30th October. You can watch live on Apple.com, YouTube or through the Apple TV app. We'll bring you all the news worth knowing about, so stay tuned.

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Apple’s latest update to its tvOS will add new features, including support for older models of HomePod.

Version 17 of Apple’s tvOS was released in September and introduced FaceTime, VPN support, and an improved Control Center, to name a few fresh additions. Now, tvOS 17.1 is set to provide even more features and improvements.

A new feature of note is the ‘On-Screen Volume Display’, which allows the volume level from external devices like soundbars to be displayed on-screen, rather than just the standard + / - indicators. This is said to be compatible with soundbars and other devices by brands such as LG, Samsung and Sonos.

The ‘Enhance Dialogue’ will be available to first-gen HomePod and HomePod mini users when paired with Apple TV 4K. This feature was previously only available to second-generation HomePod users, so it’s nice to see some of the latest options are not restricted to just the latest model.

‘Enhance Dialogue’ does what you would expect from the name and could be useful if dialogue sounds muddy or you have trouble hearing what characters in your favourite show are saying. The feature is compatible with streaming apps that provide the standard tvOS playback controls, including Disney+, Hulu, and Max.

Another interesting update is the addition of support for the Nintendo 64 Switch controller. This means the controller can be used to play games from Apple Arcade or the app store, and joins existing support for current-gen console and Bluetooth controllers

Apple’s tvOS 17.1 update is said to be available this week, so Apple TV users, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for further news.

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The much-acclaimed HomePod could be getting an LCD screen upgrade, if rumours swirling online are to be believed. According to a report from 9to5mac, an Apple collector has shared images online showing components from an unreleased HomePod prototype which included a large, fully functional touchscreen at the top of the unit.

This doesn't appear to be a failed or discarded experiment, either, with 9to5mac asserting that Apple is actively working on this LCD model, codenamed B720, with the possible intention of bringing it to market sometime in the future.    

The same source claims that Apple's current tvOS 17 code, used for Apple Music and Apple Podcasts, are being rewritten so that they will be fully compatible with a new format to be used on the HomePod's new LCD display. This, it is said, will be controlled by an internal app which can scroll through functions including audio playback, home controls and taking phone calls. 

This all seems like Apple endeavouring to emulate Amazon's attempts at integrating screens into its popular Echo line of smart speakers, especially now Amazon has recently announced the arrival of the Echo Show 8 with a reimagined design, a better camera and even support for spatial audio. 

It's not a decision (if it ever materialises), however, that has received universal excitement. Some online critics and commentators immediately voiced concerns that if the screen were displayed on top of the unit, as it appears to be on the marketing image provided, it would mean users would constantly have to lean over the HomePod in order to see the information displayed. Others wonder why a voice-activated speaker needs a screen in the first place.

What is not clear is whether this new LCD model would be its own separate line (the HomePod Screen for instance), or indeed whether it could act as an extension /development to either, or both, the main HomePod series and /or the HomePod Mini. 

A screen on the circular Mini seems unlikely, and the prototype images seem to indicate that the LCD surface appears atop the more substantial second-generation HomePod unit, so a screen-boosted Mini model might not be forthcoming. The current HomePod (2nd gen) already features a glass top interface that shows a colourful swirling pattern when Siri is interacted with, so replacing it with a full-blown LCD screen might not be such a ridiculous idea. 

Either way, a small screen displaying key information about the HomePod itself and its key functions (weather, Siri responses, incoming calls etc.) could be a big boost to what is already a five-star Award-winning product. If Apple were to make this prototype a reality, we would be fascinated to see if it takes the excellent HomePod smart speaker to the next level.

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The iPhone 15 has my attention - but I'm desperate for a low-cost sequel to the HomePod Mini

Like a shark swimming through the deep, Amazon never sleeps. It's no surprise that one of the biggest companies in the world continues to churn out products at a quite alarming rate, exemplified by the rapacity and frequency at which it pushes out the various iterations of its Echo range. The classic Echo, the Echo Dot, the Pop; the factory line never stops turning.

It wasn't much of a surprise, then, that Amazon's recent showcase saw the reveal of a new Amazon Echo Show 8, a reimagined version of the brand's flagship screen-ready smart speaker with an overhauled design and plenty of internal changes.

With an edge-to-edge glass touchscreen display and a centralised camera being introduced alongside the implementation of Alexa (now smarter than ever), the Show 8 has seen a complete design overhaul from those iterations that came before. 

It isn't just visual changes that make the Show 8 noteworthy, however. Amazon's latest smart speaker comes equipped with custom-built spatial audio processing support, as well as room adaptation technology that senses the acoustics of the room and then fine-tunes playback depending on the position, something we've seen in rival speakers such as the five-star Apple HomePod 2. 

What we haven't seen before is something Amazon has dubbed "Adaptive Content". Essentially, using computer vision, the Show's home screen changes and adjusts depending on your proximity to the unit: the further away you are, the less info the screen shows. The closer you get, the more detailed the content becomes. 

Alexa obviously returns, with Amazon promising the smartest iteration of its smart assistant yet. Using a new, large language model for quicker responses and up to 40 per cent faster response times, Alexa is now more natural and fluid with its tone and delivery. 

The reveal of the Echo Show 8 came alongside a host of firsts and unveilings from Amazon, including new kids' devices, a new Fire TV stick, a Fire TV Soundbar and, perhaps most interesting of all, a pair of smart glasses dubbed the "Echo Frames" which feature open-ear audio, long-lasting battery and, of course, hands-free Alexa access. We might stick to reviewing the audio and AV items for now...

The Echo Show 8 will be available to buy for $149 dollars (further prices pending). Shipping next month, it can be ordered today via Amazon.  

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Amazon Echo vs Apple HomePod Mini: which is the best smart speaker?

The Apple September launch event has been and gone, bringing with it a host of new products that will have Apple fans grasping for their wallets in anticipation of getting their hands on the finally unveiled iPhone 15, a new smartwatch or, if money allows, both at once.

I recently wrote about our desire to see more cheap products in the Apple lineup, including a potentially cheaper pair of wireless over-ear headphones to run alongside the excellent premium AirPods Max and more budget wireless earbuds such as the rumoured but still hypothetical AirPods Lite that would skimp a little on features while still providing solid sound and seamless iOS compatibility.

One of the products we were really keen to see unveiled was a sequel to the excellent, Award-winning Apple HomePod Mini. While its bigger brother, the more premium HomePod 2, launched earlier this year, there's been no news of a sequel to this very budget Mini speaker that's now three years old and counting.

The HomePod Mini was released in late 2020, and while some might have scoffed at the idea of Apple making a small-form alternative to the original HomePod smart speaker, the results were deeply impressive. Dinky, dashing and decidedly debonair, the stylish smart speaker won us around in no time with its surprisingly sophisticated, detailed and engaging sound for such a small design. 

Like our desire to see a more budget model of AirPods (the Lite will arrive one day, surely), the HomePod Mini is an integral part of the Apple lineup, not only because of its quality but, more importantly, because of its price. 

Launched at £99 / $99 / AU$149, the Mini remains one of the cheapest products that Apple has ever made, with much of its popularity owing to how affordable it is to a wider market. The number of features and quality you get from our 2022 Award winner is, quite frankly, remarkable. 

To be blunt, we need products like the HomePod Mini to be part of Apple's plans, so we're disconcerted that a no-show could mean a lack of faith in this lower end of the market. The new Apple Watch Ultra 2, for instance, will set you back a whopping $799, whereas the much-anticipated iPhone 15 mirrors that weighty price tag, also clocking in at the £800 / $800 mark. 

That's the value of the HomePod Mini, in that it shows that Apple can make cheaper products for a low cost to a wider market. With the economy the way it is, users are craving Apple products and compatibility without the need to shatter the family piggy bank in the process. The point of the HomePod Mini isn't just that it's a nice option to have; rather, it's a symbolic statement that Apple is committed to a different end of the cost spectrum. It shows that cheaper products can exist at the bottom of the price ladder, rather than everything shifting towards the middle and higher end of that particular spectrum.

If we get a cheaper HomePod model, and customers are receptive to it, it will pave the way for a similar price structure in other market areas, namely smartphones, tablets and, of course, wearable audio. That's better for the consumer, better for the market and, one would expect, better for Apple itself.  

So here's hoping that, even if a release didn't arrive at this month's event and might not even drop before the year is out, we see a reasonably-priced sequel to the Apple HomePod Mini in the very near future. Now, more than ever, it feels like we need one. 

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It’s been a tough few years for the global economy. We’ve had major political upheavals, a major transnational war and, in case you missed it, a mass pandemic that brought most of the globe to a grinding standstill. Times are harder than they’ve been in a while, with many consumers feeling the pinch as a cost of living crisis looms large for many. 

With Apple’s annual iPhone launch event just around the corner on September 12th, many would-be customers are surely hoping for products that are easy on the pocket rather than simply pleasing to the eyes or ears. Whether it be the new iPhone 15, Apple’s Macbooks, wireless AirPods or smartwatches, getting your hands on anything stamped with that iconic image of a piece of half-bitten fruit doesn’t come cheap.

This seems odd, especially in the current audio market. To date, the cheapest product that Apple markets is the HomePod Mini at £99 / $99, an impressively modest sum considering the host of clever things it can do. With lossless and spatial audio support, a smart AI assistant in Siri and great sound for its size and type, the Mini is proof that Apple can make great products on a budget. We like it so much it’s even a 2022 What Hi-Fi? Award winner.

The HomePod Mini is even cheaper than any of its AirPods, which seems astonishing in today’s vast wireless earbuds market. Even the current AirPods don’t fall so low, with the basic AirPods (2019) model tested at £159 / $159 (and now available for around £139 /$100, while the flagship ANC-toting AirPods Pro 2, that are due to get a host of improvements, cost £249 / $249 / AU$399.

While it’s a fair price for a great pair of five-star earbuds at this premium level, it seems odd that Apple hasn’t considered targeting the cheaper end of the market at the same time. Sony, for instance, competes with the AirPods Pro 2 with its excellent new WF-1000XM5 earbuds, yet the Japanese audio powerhouse also caters to tighter budgets with the cheap and cheerful WF-C500 (£89 / $79 / AU$149) and the fantastic, ANC-capable WF-C700N (£100 / $120 / AU$200).

The likes of Jabra and JBL (and many, many others) offer wallet-friendly buds, too, while certain manufacturers specifically target low-cost models at discerning consumers (see Earfun, for example). Why don’t Apple do the same? We’ve heard rumours of a pair of AirPods Lite wireless earbuds that would retail for under £100 / $100, and I’d love to see the market shaken up by Apple’s entry at the lower end. The company has the resources and know-how to do it, as the HomePod Mini clearly demonstrates, so what’s to stop it taking influence from the sound crafted by the AirPods 2 and transposing it into a budget pair of buds with, say, fewer features and slightly lower-grade build quality? 

The same goes for the mega-brand’s line of wireless over-ears headphones, too.  Apple currently only makes one pair of over-ear wireless headphones in the shape of the fantastic AirPods Max, and while we’re anticipating a Max 2 sequel to those very premium, five-star performers, it would be great to see Apple develop a model that comes in a little cheaper, ideally to rival Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless over-ears or similar offerings from Bose or Sennheiser in the £250-£350 ($250-$350) price range.

These more budget products, incidentally, could drop that premium, Apple-exclusive feel in favour of the cheap and cheerful styling and aesthetic of the HomePod Mini. One of the other things the What Hi-Fi? Team continues to love about the Mini is its variety of bright and colourful options (yes, even the orange finish), and, considering the AirPods Max also comes in some fetching hues, it’s a shame that the rest of Apple’s audio products have remained rather plain.

I was, admittedly, a tad disappointed to see the larger HomePod 2 arrive this year in just two basic black and white colours. Even the iPhones come in a range of attractive hues, and it would be great to see an element of that fun injected into the AirPods line, say, providing a chance to pep up the slightly tired Apple all-white aesthetic while serving a new corner of the customer base at the same time. 

Perhaps Apple isn’t keen on devaluing the brands and model lines that it already has, or maybe it isn’t comfortable straying from a now-iconic and oft-repeated design. Or, maybe it simply feels that it couldn’t keep costs down sufficiently to make the idea of cheaper headphones or wireless earbuds economically viable. But considering the calibre of the HomePod Mini, which offers excellent performance and value for money, I think Apple is missing a trick here.

The world, now more than ever, needs innovation at the softer end of the cost spectrum. The more Apple competes, the more the market should be forced to adapt (as we’ve seen in the light of more high-end models from Focal, B&W and Mark Levinson following the AirPods Max), and while nobody wants to see a one-company monopoly, competition may be a good thing in the long term on behalf of consumers. 

The unveiling of the rumoured AirPods Lite would be welcomed at this year’s September event, as would any products that give customers more cost-effective alternatives to Apple’s premium, pricier products. The likes of Sony and Bose are already leading the way – time for Apple to join the party. 

MORE: 

Read our Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

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Read our review of the HomePod Mini 

We know about plenty of new features coming to the Apple TV later this year, but there's one that Apple has been keeping under its hat: Spatial Audio becoming available in two pairs of AirPods simultaneously.

At the moment, Apple's Spatial Audio immersive audio content on the Apple TV is limited to playing through one pair of AirPods at a time. But FlatpanelsHDhas discovered that this will change in the autumn with the launch of tvOS 17.

This Shared Spatial Audio feature works with 5.1 and 7.1 audio as well as Dolby Atmos, just like regular Spatial Audio. Supported apps include Netflix and Apple TV+, and Beats headphones that support Spatial Audio will also support this audio-sharing feature.

FlatpanelsHD has reportedly used the new feature with an Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen) connected to a pair of AirPods Pro and AirPods 3. We assume all Spatial Audio-compatible models of AirPods will be able to use the feature, though that is yet to be confirmed.

However, there's a catch. Connect two pairs of AirPods/Beats to the Apple TV 4K with Spatial Audio enabled, and you won't be able to use Spatial Audio's dynamic head tracking feature. This anchors the sound so that it always seems like it's coming from the audio source even if you turn your head to the side. Instead, only the 'Fixed' option is available – turn your head to the left and the soundstage won't adjust to 'follow' your head movements. For now, anyway. As tvOS 17 is still in beta, this feature could be enabled at some point in the future.

The tvOS 17 software will launch this autumn, probably around the same time as the iPhone 15. It will bring FaceTime for video calls, an Enhanced Dialogue feature through the HomePod speaker, the ability to find your Apple TV remote using your iPhone, and more. 

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Read our full Apple TV 4K review

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Sonos' next Bluetooth speaker should launch next month, according to a report, and it looks like a significant upgrade on its predecessor.

The Verge claims the Sonos Move 2 is set to arrive at the end of September, and even has a leaked press photo to back it up (see above). The site has leaked numerous Sonos speakers recently, including the Era 300 and Era 100.

While it should look much like the Sonos Move, the portable Move 2 will have true stereo sound thanks to its dual angled tweeters. (The original Move only had one.) Battery life has been given a significant boost, now standing at 24 hours compared to the original's 10. The speaker will also use less power when on standby, so will need recharging less frequently. And the battery is once again replaceable, extending the lifespan of the product.

The controls are also new, and will look familiar to anyone who's seen the Era speakers, including the dedicated volume slider.

It gains a feature from the Sonos Roam Bluetooth speaker, which launched after the original Move. This is the ability to play tunes via Bluetooth from a device across your whole Sonos multi-room system. The original Move couldn't do this, as it couldn't use Bluetooth and wi-fi at the same time.

Like the Era speakers, the Move 2 will support line-in playback through its USB-C port, as long as you buy an adapter. This means you could hook it up to a turntable. It can also charge your mobile device from the same port, much like the JBL Charge 5.

Sonos has made some smaller tweaks, too. The base station now has a detachable power adapter (the original was hard-wired), and a switch on the back disables the voice assistant microphones. There's still no Google Assistant, but you can use Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice Assistant.

Other than that, a lot looks the same as the original Move, including the bulky design (but it's meant as a speaker you take outside into the back garden or maybe to a BBQ, rather than one you sling in your bag to always be with you). Automatic Trueplay adjusts the sound depending on its surroundings, and the speaker retains the original's IP56 water- and dust-resistance and shock absorbent materials to protect it in case of a fall.

It comes in a new olive colour (pictured) as well as the standard back and white. It's said to cost $449 (other prices TBC), which is $50 more than its predecessor.

If true, these improvements will be very welcome and could help the Move 2 improve on the original's four-star review. We'll bring you official news as soon as we get it.

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Despite its elongated running time, Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote was so jam-packed with information, particularly around the divisive Vision Pro headset, that a lot of interesting stuff got mentioned only in passing and some bits and pieces got missed off entirely.

The Apple TV 4K has a big year ahead of it thanks to the tvOS 17 update that’s coming ‘this Fall’ (probably September), but you wouldn’t necessarily know that if you’ve only watched or read about the main event. Thankfully, we’ve been treated to a deeper dive into the new features that are coming to Apple’s awesome streaming box. So, with no further ado, here are seven pretty cool new features that are coming to the Apple TV 4K.

1. Enhanced Dialogue

All the rage at the moment, Apple is introducing an Enhanced Dialogue option with tvOS 17. This will only work when using a HomePod or HomePods as your speaker system (something we recently tested and enjoyed), but it will apparently result in much clearer dialogue, even when bullets are flying or the score is soaring. We don’t know yet whether it will have the intelligence of Prime Video’s Dialogue Boost feature, but we will of course be testing it as soon as it’s available.

2. Find your Apple TV remote using your iPhone

This is one of those Ronseal-type deals. If you can’t find your Apple TV’s Siri remote, you can track it down using your iPhone. A circle on your screen will grow in size as you get closer, guiding you to your target.

3. Automatic profile recognition

On the subject of iPhone and Apple TV interoperability, if you start up the Apple TV via the app on your iPhone, it will automatically switch to your profile. A small thing, but a good thing.

4. Continuity Camera (video calls on your Apple TV via your iPhone or iPad)

Another bit of inter-device functionality, you’ll soon be able to conduct video calls on your Apple TV, using the camera of your iPhone or iPad. This will be done wirelessly, so you’ll be able to place the camera device wherever is most convenient – though it being close to the screen makes sense so you’re actually looking at your friends or family while talking to them.

FaceTime will obviously be the primary app that supports this, but Zoom and Webex have also committed to introducing Continuity Camera-compatible apps by the end of the year. And you’ll be able to watch movies with your mates using SharePlay.

5. An extra app in the dock

Once you log in after the tvOS 17 update, you’ll spot that there’s an extra app in your dock. In fact, there’s an extra column of apps along the whole home screen. That might not sound like a big deal, and in many ways it isn’t, but many Apple TV users never venture below the ‘dock’ row at the top, so having a sixth app at their fingertips could be a very useful thing.

6. Fancy new Control Centre

The new home screen features a little oval-shaped cutout in the top-right corner that’s very reminiscent of the so-called ‘Dynamic Island’ of recent iPhones. It performs in much the same way, too, adapting the info it presents depending on what you’re up to.

Primarily, it will give you info such as the time and the profile currently in use. If you press and hold the ‘Home’ button, the full Control Centre will pop up, and it’s much more organised and intuitive than it used to be. It also features extra tabs for switching profiles and viewing your smart security cameras.

7. Photo screensavers

The Apple TV’s screensavers, which feature custom-filmed footage of stunning locations around the world, are rightfully legendary, but you’ll soon be able to opt instead for a ‘Memories’ screensaver that uses your photos instead. This will involve the daily curation of a new album, with photos transitioning via fancy animations. This looks very neat, but Apple isn’t ditching its own screensavers, which will also soon include Monument Valley and California Coastal Redwoods.

MORE:

Read the full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

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Sonos only launched its pair of Era speakers just a few short months ago, however, they're already subject to some major savings at BT Shop, as long as you use discount code 20SONOS23 at checkout. Offering 20 per cent off either model, you can currently save £50 on the Sonos Era 100, or £90 on the Sonos Era 300.

Usually retailing for £249, the Sonos Era 100 can now be snapped up for just £199 at BT Shop, making the already excellent speaker even more tempting. However, if you want the latest and greatest Sonos speaker, the Era 300 is also subject to some mighty fine savings, as it's available for just £359, down from its usual RRP of £449.

The Sonos Era 100 replaces the beloved Sonos One smart speaker, and it brings a host of upgraded features and design cues. Starting from the outer shell, the Era 100 brings an updated look to the smart speaker, swapping out the rounded cuboid design of the One with a cylindrical build, with a new touch-sensitive volume slider adorning the top of the speaker. As is to be expected with Sonos, the build quality and overall experience are sturdy and smooth, and it even has a USB-C wired input and Bluetooth for enhanced connectivity. 

Much like the existing Sonos speakers, you can stream wirelessly to the Era 100 via the Sonos S2 app, Apple AirPlay 2 or Spotify Connect. There are also voice assistants built into the Era, with Alexa and Sonos' own voice assistant; however, you won't find the Google Assistant on these newer speakers due to Sonos and Google currently being at odds.

When it comes to sound quality, the Sonos Era 100 is crisp, well-defined and balanced. Its engaging and lively sound won us over, and while the Apple HomePod 2 (its main rival) does tend to sound more natural when it comes to vocals, we still find the Era 100 to be a top-notch wireless speaker. 

Functionality is a huge part of the Sonos experience, with the ability to use the Era 100 as surrounds with either a Sonos Beam (Gen 2), Arc or Ray soundbar for use in a home theatre speaker system, within an existing Sonos multiroom set-up, or even with another Era 100 in order to create a stereo pair. 

The Era 100 ticks practically every box when it comes to a smart speaker, but if you want the latest and greatest from Sonos then you may want to turn your attention to the Sonos 300.

Sonos knocked it out of the park with the Era 300, its first spatial audio-focused smart speaker. While the Era 300 doesn't replace the Sonos Five, instead acting alongside it, we'd recommend it in leaps and bounds over the Five thanks to its extensive list of features and performance pros. 

The Era 300 shares the same feature set as the Era 100 in many regards, with the same connectivity, streaming and smart features all bundled in. The new USB-C and Bluetooth connectivity options are on board, and it's worth mentioning here that Sonos sells a USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack adapter for hooking up everything from smartphones, tablets to even record players. As is the case with the Era 100, the 300 can also be integrated into a multiroom, home cinema or stereo set-up if you have existing Sonos speakers or fancy treating yourself to a pair of Era 300s. 

The main upgrade over the Era 100 is more powerful sound and spatial audio support on the Era 300. Its controversial hourglass design isn't merely for aesthetics, as the Era 300 includes side-firing and upwards-firing speakers within its curvy outer shell to allow for spatial audio playback. You can either opt for Dolby Atmos mixes on Amazon Music Unlimited, or Spatial Audio tracks on Apple Music, however tragically Tidal is not yet supported.

But how does the Era 300 sound? Well, it earned five stars in our review for a reason, as the spacious, dynamic, punchy and detailed sound impressed us at every turn. The Sonos Era 300 is the smart speaker to go for, even with tough competition from Apple's HomePod 2 which is admittedly cheaper, although you'll need to be within the Apple ecosystem already if you want the HomePod. However, at this price, the Sonos Era 300's main flaw, its eyebrow-raising price tag, is somewhat diminished, so if you're looking to enter a new Era of smart home speakers, now is a great time.

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Read our full Sonos Era 100 review

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Another WWDC has come and gone, and while it will have left many Apple devotees delighted with its array of announcements, big updates and promises for the future, there are many of us left wondering what might have been. After all, part of the fun of listening to a momentous keynote speech is complaining about all that was left out rather than praising those things we actually saw. 

We certainly wanted more audio news, and while the reveal of Apple Adaptive Audio will be good news for AirPods Pro 2 owners, WWDC 2023 was pretty thin on the ground when it came to news concerning headphones, sound quality and the HomePod smart speaker. 

That last one is a surprise, especially considering the fact that the original HomePod Mini is fast approaching its third birthday without any sign of an upgrade or a new model. The five-star HomePod Mini impressed us when we reviewed it a few years back and even snapped up a What Hi-Fi? Award; so isn't it high time we saw another model approaching on the horizon? 

If we do get a new Mini, we would certainly like to see a few tweaks and adjustments to make it an even better smart speaker than it is now. Here's our wishlist:

A newer, faster processor 

The current HomePod Mini uses Apple's S5 chip that you will be familiar with if you own a Series 5 Apple Watch or an Apple Watch SE. That's all fine and decent and it has certainly served the current generation very well, but it's a step down from the S7 chip currently powering the larger HomePod 2. 

It's not rocket science to state that a new processing chip would lead to an enhanced experience, including better audio and a faster, smoother level of performance. A more advanced chip could also bring upgrades to Siri and make it much smarter.

It's unlikely Apple would fit the smaller, cheaper model with the same chip as its larger, higher-performance companion, however, so we may be being slightly hopeful when asking for a new Ultra Wideband chip in the second-gen model. 

Even better sound quality

There's no question that musically the HomePod Mini is a really strong performer, comfortably giving you more detail, texture and loudness than you would probably expect from its petite size and price (£99 / $99 / AU$149). 

Still, there's always room for improvement, even for the best in class. That, after all, is what What Hi-Fi? is all about, so forgive us for being overly demanding. We have seen other brands evolve the audio performance to new heights (the Sonos Era 100 improving upon the Sonos One in every way, for instance), and Apple's more serious outlook on sound – as evidenced by an improved HomePod 2 performance – means that the HomePod Mini's performance could certainly see a step up.

The newer generation could offer even richer detail and delve into even finer textures, or else go louder without distortion creeping in and provide more fluid dynamic swings. Even if we are looking at incremental upgrades over a model that is already performing well above its pay grade, it would be time worth spent for Apple.

Maybe such improvements could be achieved by bolstering the new model's internal hardware. Both the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen and Sonos Era 100 smart speakers, for example, offer multiple drivers to beam sound out in a wider arc. The current HomePod Mini only offers a single, full-range driver that fires sound downwards and out of the 360-degree waveguide around the bottom. It's an arrangement that has worked well for its ultra-compact size, but it could look to its bigger brother HomePod 2 to see how it can implement (if possible) a multi-driver arrangement to push out a broader, fuller sound.

• Apple Music lossless: which devices will (and won't) play lossless and Spatial Audio

A better Home app 

This, admittedly, isn't a problem with the HomePod Mini alone. All HomePods come equipped with the rather blandly named Home app, a rather sparse and boring platform for controlling your smart devices that, surprisingly for Apple, is a bit of a letdown.

Not only does it look cheaply made and feel badly laid out, but there's just not a huge amount of depth or intuitiveness within the app itself. There are only three tabs at the bottom dictating where to go (Home, Automation and Discover), there are hidden settings that aren't easy to find, and almost nothing about the experience is what you might term "user-friendly". Instead, everything feels disjointed and not where you would expect, as though nobody really thought to design it in an ergonomic or user-friendly way.

It's even worse when you compare the Home App with Sonos's far more intuitive and user-friendly app, or Amazon's excellent effort with the Alexa App. The latter is a more detailed, intuitive platform that provides five tabs at the bottom (including a useful "More" button"), not to mention shortcuts for most of your Amazon device's useful functions, such as finding devices, device settings, music settings and announcements. If Apple wants to keep up with Amazon and Sonos, it needs to redesign its Home App from the ground up.

Even smarter Siri

Siri is great, but we know that Apple's virtual AI assistant can be even better. This isn't pure speculation: the Californian tech giant recently confirmed at WWDC 2023 that improvements to Siri were incoming to almost all mainline devices, including iPads, iPhones and the Mac laptop series.

As Apple revealed, Siri's trigger phrase has been shortened from "Hey Siri" to simply "Siri". It also now has the ability for you to use back-to-back commands so that Siri can handle multiple tasks at once rather than having to be addressed, say, two times for two tasks. 

We can pretty reasonably speculate that such upgrades will make their way to Siri, but we would also like to see the usual raft of improvements integrated into a new HomePod Mini: faster response times, a greater array of responses and better third-party support. The best Siri experience is still tied into Apple's own apps and ecosystem, and while that works brilliantly for Apple Music subscribers, other music apps aren't as easy to use with Siri.

Voice-assistant compatibility is a big reason for choosing a smart speaker in the first place, so making Siri respond to our commands in a more intuitive manner across a wider range of tasks and apps would serve the hypothetical second-gen Mini very well, if and when it finally arrives. 

Small design tweaks

Let's be clear from the offset that the HomePod Mini looks great and performs fantastically in its current guise. It's a stylish little item, with that thick speaker mesh and perfectly spherical shape making it look the part alongside its great sound and great set of features. And it comes in multiple colourful finishes, too.

There are just a few design tweaks that Apple could do to make the next-generation Mini perform even better. For one thing, a grippier non-slip rubber sole at the bottom would provide a little more peace of mind. If there's a way Apple can make the Mini more stable without increasing the overall size, all the better.

Secondly, while the top panel touchscreen interface that activates when summoning Siri looks lovely, it's not always useful. For one, it requires you to be looking at the unit from above to confirm whether or not Siri has been activated. Apple increased the amount of illumination across the glossy top panel in the HomePod 2, so here's hoping that Mini gen 2 will get a more all-encompassing light system that can be seen from a distance.

Lastly, one feature that stood out with Amazon's Echo Dot (5th Gen) is that you can tap anywhere on its surface (in theory, at least) to get a response, so it may make sense for the Mini to become fully interactive no matter where your prodding fingers land.

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Apple’s WWDC keynote has been and gone and while there was plenty to get excited about, for me personally, it was a bit of a damp squib when it came to audio announcements.

Jump over to my pre-event what to expect from WWDC 2023 guide and you’ll see there was plenty of buzz about potential upgrades to its AirPods hardware, as well as a wishlist of new audio quality improvements we wanted.

But come the event, none of the features appeared, with Apple instead focussing on the updates it made to its homegrown computing silicon, upgraded Mac desktop and MacBooks and hotly anticipated headset, the Vision Pro.

And to be clear, if we were a computing or gaming website I’d be much more positive and excited about the releases. 

I’m not personally sure about Apple’s pitch to have the Vision Pro replace my TV - even if it can give you a “100ft viewing experience” - given my past experience reviewing Oculus and Vive headsets over the years. I’ll address why this is the case in a separate opinion piece.

It’s because the company was oh so quiet about any quality upgrades to its music and mainstream audio offerings. There were painfully few quality upgrades to be seen at the event. Hi-res audio on Apple TV? Nah. Lossless on the AirPods Pro Max? Not a whisper at the event.

Instead, what did we get? Productivity and Dolby Vision upgrade to tvOS 17 and news SharePlay is coming to cars and AirPlay will be featured in “select” hotels. Now don’t get me wrong, as a man who loves a good Festify, I can see the appeal of Shareplay in a car. And if I used Apple devices as my daily driver being able to connect to a TV in a hotel to stream my stuff using a simple QR code is convenient.

But, because it’s Apple I really was hoping for more. Specifically, I really wanted to get more hardware upgrades. The HomePod 2 is one of the most impressive speakers we’ve tested this year. Its clever ability to work in stereo as a home cinema sound system, brilliant sound and cool smart functionality earned it a perfect five-star rating when we reviewed it. 

I was really hoping to hear some insights about Apple bringing some of its best features to the smaller HomePod Mini, which is beginning to show its age. 

Equally, while the AirPods got a cool new Adaptive Audio feature, which is basically a really clever ambient mode, what I really wanted was for it to showcase upgrades for its products' sound quality - like the ability for its top-of-the-line AirPods Pro Max over-ears to play proper lossless audio.

The fact Apple has not mentioned improving audio at all feels like a missed opportunity and one I really hope doesn’t repeat if it wants to retain its place as one of the leaders in the world of big-tech hi-fi.

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Apple has unveiled tvOS at its WWDC conference, the latest update for its Apple TV 4K media streamer. While there isn't much in the way of AV upgrades, there are a few notable new features for navigation and the user experience.

The biggest news is the redesigned control centre, which will give you easy access to various settings including audio output to AirPods or HomePod(s), a quick search function, wi-fi settings and power options. From the brief look we got at the new control centre, we saw the option to quickly change Spatial Audio settings including head tracked or fixed and enable spatialised stereo. There are new system status indicators too, including the time and which user is logged in, as well as a way to quickly switch users. 

There is a quick reference to Dolby Atmos under this Spatial Audio settings menu which looks (to us at least) like a quick way to see if your Apple TV is outputting Atmos as well as a way to quickly tweak Atmos settings on AirPods.

As for dedicated AV upgrades, Apple buried some references to Dolby Vision 8.1 support, which it says will allow for a "more cinematic visual experience" via dynamic metadata across a broad range of content and streaming platforms. There will also be an Enhance Dialogue mode, which will reportedly allow for clearer speech over explosions and other loud sound effects, much like what we've seen from Amazon Prime recently. 

You'll need to HomePod 2 in order to enable Enhance Dialogue mode and the process involves separating dialogue from the background noise, moving it forward to the centre channel. 

Those who often lose their Apple TV remote between the sofa cushions can now breathe a sigh of relief, as Find My is coming to the Apple TV Siri Remote, meaning you can dip into the Find My iPhone app which will point you towards your missing remote - a neat feature for sure.

The third and final feature that Apple highlights with tvOS 17 is FaceTime, which is making its debut on the Apple TV 4K. You will soon be able to accept a call on your iPhone and continue said call on your TV screen via an Apple TV. Simply position your iPhone next to your TV and use its cameras to continue your video call, but that's not the only new FaceTime feature. 

FaceTime SharePlay is also coming to the Apple TV, meaning you can watch content in sync with whoever you are on the call with. Your content from an Apple TV app will play on the left-hand section of the screen, while your FaceTime call continues on the right-hand side. 

While these new features are certainly not AV focused by any means, they do add new functionality and usability to the tvOS experience.

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Smart speakers are all the rage right now, and with Amazon recently announcing a raft of new and updated models, including the all-new (and daftly named) Echo Pop, that trend is only likely to continue as our homes become smarter and we, inevitably, become more reliant on trick-laden tech.

Amazon is very much at the forefront of this push through its impressive AI assistant Alexa, but it isn't the only runner in this particular race. Google has its own smart speaker-cum-assistant courtesy of the Google Nest, whereas Apple's Siri-powered HomePod series is keeping this from becoming a Jeff Bezos-controlled monopoly. 

It's an interesting match-up, here, too, with the recently-released, five-star Echo Dot undercutting the Award-winning Apple rival by a considerable margin in terms of cost.

Time to see if Siri reigns supreme or whether Alexa is the ultimate AI.    

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) vs Apple HomePod Mini: price

The Award-winning Apple HomePod Mini offers a smaller and more affordable alternative to its larger sibling, the HomePod 2. The Mini's original £99 / $99 / AU$149 pricing has stayed firm, with a tenner or so off during Black Friday or holiday sales seasons, but it's still a surprisingly affordable option from Apple. And it's still a very reasonable outlay for what remains a very impressive little smart speaker. 

The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen), meanwhile, is a much more budget option at £54.99 / $49.99 / AU$79. We've seen discounts popping up for this already – Amazon UK pulled the price down to just £34.99 recently (although it's back up to full price at the time of publishing), but this is one to keep an eye on for big discounts throughout the year. Even at full price, though, the Echo Dot is superb value for money, giving you extensive in-depth Alexa assistance and a solid-sounding speaker to boot. 

**Winner: Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)**

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) vs Apple HomePod Mini: design

Most smart speakers are not artistic tours de force, instead opting for unobtrusive, muted designs that can slot into your home's general aesthetic without sticking out like a sausage in a trifle. 

The fifth generation of the Echo Dot continues its run as a spherical object, with most of the Dot covered by finely-woven speaker mesh and the rest encased in smooth plastic at the unit's base. The Alexa ring, which glows a rather pleasing shade of blue when she's called into action, encircles the bottom rim.

The HomePod Mini is rather similar, although there are some key differences. While it's broadly a spherical design, the top and bottom are cut off to accommodate the base and upper control panel respectively, while the speaker mesh is a little wider and loser than that found on the Dot. The top panel does swirl around attractively with multiple colours when you call for Siri's assistance (and when she replies) – it's a more premium finish, too.

You can also tap on the top panel for music playback controls and volume up/down. However, where tapping on the top panel will wake up Siri (apart from just using your voice), Amazon boasts that you can tap the Echo Dot pretty much anywhere and get a response from Alexa.

Aesthetically, though, there's not much to choose from, although the HomePod Mini does come in more colourful shades than the Echo Dot. This is very much a question of taste, though, so we'll consider it a tie here.

**Winner: Draw**

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) vs Apple HomePod Mini: features

In terms of physical connectivity, the fifth-generation Echo does see a downgrade as it no longer supports a 3.5mm input, so there's no longer any way to connect a wired source – that could well be a dealbreaker for some. However, it's the same case for the HomePod Mini, which has never offered a wired connection. 

Connection to both speakers will have to be done wirelessly, then, with Bluetooth for Amazon and AirPlay 2 for Apple coming in handy alongside the home wi-fi network connection.

The HomePod Mini comes fully loaded with Apple's Siri, well-known to anyone who's ever owned an iPhone or pretty much any other Apple product that wasn't the original iPod. Siri's a decent assistant to have around the house – smart, capable and attentive to your questions.

Speaking of being responsive, Siri's knack of always knowing which device is being addressed is particularly clever, especially when you have multiple Apple products knocking around the house. Alexa, meanwhile, can often get confused as to who is speaking and who is being addressed, leading to occasional moments of frustration.

The usual raft of Siri-powered smart functions are all present and correct, including controlling HomeKit-compatible devices, setting timers and alarms, creating reminders, sending messages, making phone calls – the usual stuff, but it's worth bearing in mind that third-party support is still sparse, with Apple prioritising its own ecosystem here. Siri can also make announcements to one or all other HomePods in the house using the new Intercom feature, something that Alexa can also do.

Alexa, in fact, can do pretty much anything the HomePod can do and more, not to mention offering a wider variety of third-party app support and, in some cases, being a bit responsive to questions. In addition to everything listed above (control for compatible smart devices will vary), Alexa has a range of apps, known as "Skills", which allow the Echo Dot to become anything you want. Want to play a game? Ask Alexa to boot up a Harry Potter quiz. Want to have some karaoke fun? Easy. Want Alexa to make a variety of fart noises? You need to grow up, but yes, she's happy to oblige. 

All of this can be customised and set up in the Alexa app, an interface that beats the HomePod's rather sparse, bland Home app hands down. Where Apple claws its points back, though, is via its excellent music curation using Apple Music, learning your tastes and responding to the phrase “Play something I'll like” by streaming a new, unheard collection of songs that fit into your habits. Alexa can't compete with that. 

This depends on what you'll be using your smart speaker primarily for. If it's smart skills you want, go for the Echo Dot. If music playback is the higher priority, we'd recommend the HomePod Mini.

**Winner: Draw**

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) vs Apple HomePod Mini: sound

While this could have been the weakest area for both performers, it's actually ended up as both models' greatest strength. We're at the point now at which audio manufacturers can get impressive amounts of wallop out of the smallest of units (just look at JBL and the portable speaker market), and while nothing will compare to your bespoke hi-fi setup (or a really good dedicated wireless speaker), this is one area in which smart speakers continue to improve.

Amazon promised the fifth generation would be the best-sounding Echo Dot, and it's a promise well kept. Considering the Echo’s small size and big bag of tricks, the sonic experience delivered is remarkable for the price. Rock, hip-hop, even orchestral numbers, the Dot has a seriously impressive crack at it all.

Apple's effort, however, is simply outstanding for its price and size. The sound presentation of the Mini is refreshingly mature, solid and authoritative, while its well-formed bass is seamlessly integrated into the overall picture. There’s even superb tonal balance and consistency, with no frequencies over-exaggerated or colouring the broader ensemble.

The clincher, though, is that the HomePod Mini will support playback of Apple's spatial audio with Dolby Atmos format when connected to an Apple TV 4K. The Mini also supports lossless audio and will play various tracks in up to 24-bit/48kHz quality via Apple Music. 

While the Echo Dot is a perfectly pleasant performer, the HomePod Mini offers the more sophisticated sound quality.

**Winner: Apple HomePod Mini**

Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) vs Apple HomePod Mini: verdict

Amazon and Apple have managed to pull some seriously impressive smart speakers out of the bag. Both the new Echo Dot and the HomePod Mini look stylish and well-made, they're both simple to use and a breeze to set up, and while sound could have been an issue, each manages to deliver enough heft and nuance to justify its existence as a music player as well as a smart assistant. 

Ultimately, your choice may boil down to whether you're more into Apple than Amazon, or vice versa. Anyone who's more au fait with Siri's way of doing things and the wider Apple ecosystem as a whole (and is a firm Apple Music subscriber) will be more inclined towards the charming HomePod Mini, while Amazon devotees will find little to dislike with Alexa's stellar integration with the fifth generation of the Echo Dot. For real music aficionados, though, Siri's fantastic curation abilities may be enough to tip the scales in the HomePod Mini's favour, as will the implementation of Dolby Atmos for certain tracks. 

In reality, though, it's a very close call, especially considering the Dot's measly cost. Taking both speakers at their full price, the Echo Dot and the HomePod Mini are both fairly priced for what you're getting, but if you manage to get the Dot at a discount, it may be hard to resist a five-star performer.

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Smart speakers are becoming more and more integrated into our daily lives. No, we haven’t quite arrived at the point at which all aspects of our domestic existence can be governed by a series of brusque commands to Alexa or Siri like something from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but voice-controlled speakers hooked up to the wi-fi aren’t going anywhere any time soon.

Amazon has been at the forefront of the smart speaker explosion, its Alexa AI assistant now practically synonymous with the whole concept of smart domestic audio. Apple’s own effort in the form of Siri in the HomePod speakers is one of the few that can challenge Jeff Bezos’ bid to dominate the so-called home of tomorrow, but Alexa remains by far the most popular.

The Amazon Echo range, consisting of the standard Echo (5th Gen) model, the hefty Echo Studio, the touchscreen Show series and this Echo Dot, has been a great success for Amazon. We have to admit that we too have been broadly impressed with Amazon’s broad plethora of smart speaker options, particularly the very affordable Dot range which earned five-star reviews for its 3rd and 4th Generation models.

With that consistency has come the weight of expectation, a weight that could be too much for the latest model to shoulder. The new Amazon Echo Dot (5th Generation) isn’t just tasked with fighting off its rivals, but competing with its own past too.

Price

Considering the Echo Dot (5th Gen) is the smallest speaker in Amazon's Echo range, it isn't surprising that it is also the cheapest. The tiny Echo launched in 2022 for £55 / $50 / AU$99 and has kept its price well, although along with its Echo siblings (and Amazon's Fire range of AV products) tends to enjoy a generous discount during big sales events such as Black Friday and, of course, Amazon's own Prime Day.

Its predecessor, the fourth-gen Dot, has been available at a discount since the current model's arrival and is enjoying its final months of shelf life.

While the smart speaker market isn't riddled with many compact, budget options, the fifth-gen Echo undercuts its closest rival, Apple's HomePod Mini (£99 / $99 / AU$149), and is a different beast in more ways than one. Our Amazon Echo Dot (5th Generation) vs Apple HomePod Mini in-depth comparison is worth reading if you aren't sure which smart speaker (or brand ecosystem) to commit to.

Build

The fifth incarnation of the Amazon Echo Dot doesn’t exactly break from its predecessor in the looks department, retaining that round shape and understated aesthetic that served the 4th Gen Echo Dot so well. Available in a choice of three colours – white, charcoal and blue – the Echo Dot’s subtle, unobtrusive look is pleasingly un-impactful. It’s not a boundary-pushing artistic tour de force, but it hardly ever looks out of place whether positioned in your swanky modern kitchen or happily perched on your expensive mahogany bookshelf. 

There’s not much going on in terms of physical on-device features and controls, either, but that’s hardly a bad thing. Atop the dimpled dome sit four buttons – volume up, volume down, microphone off and an action button that deals with things like pairing and Alexa control – with the blue “Alexa ring” encircling the bottom of the speaker’s rotund form. Considering the fact that you’ll spend most of your time speaking to the Echo Dot, this minimalist approach makes sense.

Build quality is reassuringly substantial, too. Amazon’s latest smart speaker isn’t exactly heavy, but there’s a pleasing solidity when you hold it in your hand. The small-knit speaker mesh, meanwhile, sits tight to the frame without any noticeable bulges, feeling even more premium than the rival (and more expensive) HomePod Mini. It’s also pretty tough to knock out of place thanks to a wider base area than the Mini, as well as a non-slip rubber bottom to keep it from slipping.

Features

Yes, the 5th Generation of the Echo Dot is a proudly Amazon product, but that doesn't mean it’s limited in its capabilities out of brand loyalty. Practically all ‘rival’ music streaming services are supported alongside its own Amazon Music, including Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music, meaning the Dot isn’t tied down to a single platform. Our favourite music streamer, Tidal, is sadly not catered for, but setting up and using the Dot with Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Music is a stress-free experience, as is flitting between the services via the designated Amazon Alexa app. 

Speaking of Alexa, Amazon’s AI assistant is as matronly and helpful as ever. “Hey Alexa,” said in pretty much any tone of voice or accent grabs her attention, while a wide range of voice-activated functions is supported, including setting alarms, receiving weather forecasts and playing music on the platform of your choosing. From football scores to the meaning of life, Alexa usually has it covered.

The expected smart functionalities are also pleasingly integrated. The Echo Dot will work with your compatible Amazon smart devices, allowing you to change things like lighting and temperature via Alexa voice command. You can also use the Dot in conjunction with your Fire TV when you set up Alexa Home Cinema for a more immersive and interactive viewing experience. 

There are also a few hidden tricks up the Echo Dot’s sleeve. Tell Alexa you love “her” and it will happily pump out a cheerful tune that finishes with the line: “Know that I’ll be there for you, as always, your trusty AI.” It’s hard to know whether this is the start of a blurred romantic boundary between man and machine à la Spike Jonze’s Her or whether you’re about to be sucked into a scene from Alex Garland’s disturbing 2014 sci-fi Ex Machina.

Sound

Amazon promises that this is its “best-sounding Echo Dot yet”, teasing “clearer vocals, deeper bass and vibrant sound in any room” thanks to a single 44mm front-firing speaker, 4mm larger than the previous gen’s 40mm.

The claims are bold, and yet firing up a range of tracks brings out one reaction above all others: pleasant surprise. Considering the Echo’s diminutive stature and wide-ranging functionality, great sound was no guarantee, but the sonic experience is somewhat remarkable when you also consider the Dot’s remarkably slim price tag and unobtrusive design.

Playing Greta Van Fleet’s Zeppelin-esque operatic ballad Meeting The Master is a stern test for a small speaker, but the dynamics, range and balance of presentation are impressive, and while you’ll get a far superior experience on more dedicated hi-fi speakers, this is an admirable effort from a budget-friendly smart speaker.

Bright, sparky numbers fare even better. Katy Perry's Hot N Cold practically pops with energy, that peppy drum beat given the appropriate amount of spark and spirit as the track bounces along. Over the instrumentation, Perry’s vocals feel authentically like the Californian singer's actual voice, occasionally breathy and then punchy and powerful as the chorus hits.

Where the Echo Dot finds things understandably hardest is with bass, especially with regard to both force and detail. There’s certainly weight at the lower register, even if some of the detail gets lost in the mud, and while there’s no shame in that at this price, it remains worthy of note. 

Volume, too, is always going to be a drawback of a speaker that’s not much bigger than a standard hockey ball. You’ll still receive space-filling sound in smaller rooms around your house, even if the Echo Dot starts to struggle and distort whenever the knob gets turned towards the upper echelons. 

Verdict

The latest Echo Dot sees Amazon taking its diminutive smart speaker to the next level as we enter the model’s 5th Generation. We rated the five-star 4th Generation of the Echo Dot so highly thanks to its broad sound, robust Alexa integration and sleek design for the modest price, all tricks that the sequel manages to repeat with unerring confidence.

This year’s model is stylish, fantastically made and quietly excellent on the audio front, providing a peppy, robust and often genuinely musical sound from a small unit at an even smaller price. If you’re serious about hi-fi then you’ll want to invest in a proper speaker, radio or full-blown system, but if you want a versatile, engaging smart speaker that sounds superb on a shoestring, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Generation) can unquestionably hold its own.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 4
• Build 4

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California-based tech giant Apple has recently filed a patent for a new charging case for its hugely popular AirPods which features a fully interactive display. Spotted by Patently Apple, the US Patent & Trademark Office has granted the patent for Apple’s cases to feature a built-in touchscreen with an interface similar to that used on the Apple Watch. 

Useful features and apps, such as Maps, Weather, notifications and music controls, would all be viewable from the case unit. The patent also covers voice commands, so users could switch between applications and functions using Siri. 

This isn’t, however, the first time a tech company has launched a smart charging case with user functions built into the unit. That honour goes to JBL, which floated the technology with its Tour PRO 2 wireless earbuds. 

There’s no guarantee that Apple will follow through on the project, but having the patent, filed in September 2022, at least allows the company to explore its vision if ultimately deemed worthwhile. 

The form the case will take and the role it will play, however, remain up for speculation. The obvious use is as an external companion to a classic music source such as an iPhone or even a HomePod, but there’s a chance Apple could allow for the updated case to be used as a standalone item that, with the basic functionality of an Apple Watch, could simply be used with the AirPods without requiring an alternative source, a bit like an updated reimagining of the old iPod Nano 7.

This, of course, is all speculation. Apple’s patent is still new, meaning that the boffins in California still have twenty years before the patent's term expires. However, the idea of quicker, easier functionality simply by using the charging unit itself does have some appeal. There's certainly a case to be made for it, at the very least.

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"The goal with Era 300 was really to create the best standalone spatial audio experience of any single speaker." As far as intentions go, it’s a bold statement from Sonos. 

Sonos's Era 300 is a wireless smart speaker that comes packing all the goodness and seamlessness of a Sonos system, with a key stand-out feature that Sonos believes is the next generation of sound: spatial audio. 

Spatial audio has been in the spotlight in recent years, featuring in Dolby Atmos-soundtracked movies, TV shows and now music. Spearheaded by Apple, ‘spatial audio’ has turned into a catch-all term that covers any music that uses the Dolby Atmos format to create multiple channels of audio (beyond the standard two) to deliver a greater sense of immersion. For music, which has been in good ol’ stereo for many decades, that’s quite a big change. 

Apple led the charge this year with its spatial audio-toting HomePod 2 smart speaker, which impressed us with its musical talents across the board. Will the bigger, more expensive Sonos Era 300 beat Apple at its own game? And more importantly, will the Era 300 deliver an enjoyable sonic experience beyond just spatial audio? 

Price

Sonos has priced the Era 300 at the premium end of the smart speaker market, clocking in at £449 / $449 / AU$749. That's quite a hefty sum to pay – in comparison, the closest rival Apple HomePod 2 costs £299 / $299 / AU$479. 

It's still £50 / $100 shy of the most expensive wireless speaker that Sonos makes, which is the Sonos Five at £499 / $549 / AU$700. The big difference between the two is that the Five delivers stereo music; Sonos Era 300 ups the ante with an all-new design and spatial audio output. 

Build & design

There’s no denying the Era 300 has an unusual shape – a “cinched hourglass” design is what Sonos calls it. It’s a bit bulky, yes, and it doesn’t quite blend into the environment in the way its other speakers do, but we feel Sonos wants to stand out and attract attention with this speaker. With the 300 placed in a room, we found ourselves soon getting used to the style and just listening to the music it’s delivering. 

Like it or loathe it, it’s a design born out of necessity. With spatial audio playback being the Era 300’s focal point, this means a carefully considered but unusual arrangement of drivers and amplification that can fire out sound in all directions to deliver that 'immersive' audio experience – while still keeping a familial look that fits into Sonos's family of speakers. 

Inside the Era 300 are six drivers: four tweeters (one forward-firing, two side-firing, one upward-firing) and two woofers (angled left and right for stereo playback). These are complemented by custom waveguides that help direct sound out forwards, upwards, left and right to surround you with music. Each of the six drivers is also powered by its own class D amplifier.

That upward-firing tweeter is Dolby Atmos-specified, too, loaded into a directional horn and designed to reflect sound off the ceiling when playing Dolby Atmos music. When setting up the Era 300, Sonos suggests you leave at least 8 inches (20cm) from the wall, and you can adjust the level of the height channel in the app’s settings, too.

The upward-firing driver needing space to fire out sound through the top of the speaker means that Sonos has had to move the control panel a touch forward as opposed to it being in the middle as originally intended, and also move the cinch point – hence the quirky design.

Visually, the Era 300 has a clean profile and we can’t argue with the build quality, which is made to Sonos’s typically high standards and is a breeze to use. Apart from the Sonos logo on the grille, there aren't any buttons or displays (bar a single LED that you can turn off) on the front. And the finish – in matte black or matte white – fits in neatly with the rest of the brand's products, especially its more affordable stablemate, the Era 100.

On top, you’ll find a refreshed interface, with a volume slider dented into the speaker to help users glide their finger across to change the volume. It’s satisfyingly responsive and beeps feedback as you change the volume (which is rather friendly), while the touch capacitive buttons for playback and voice control are as responsive as ever. 

• Sonos Era 300 and Era 100: everything you need to know about the new speakers

Features

The headline feature here is the support for spatial audio with Dolby Atmos tracks, but there’s the small matter of exactly where you can play Dolby Atmos-powered spatial audio tracks from on the Era 300. Sonos has always erred on the side of being platform-agnostic – a fairly open approach meaning that regardless of what device or streaming service you use, you can play the music you want through a Sonos speaker. That’s been a key pillar of its popularity throughout the years. 

There’s a small caveat with the Era 300’s spatial audio playback. At launch, Dolby Atmos Music from Amazon Music Unlimited and spatial audio from Apple Music are supported. There’s still no support for Tidal’s catalogue of Dolby Atmos/spatial audio tracks in sight, however, which is a shame.

Of course, it’s worth noting that Apple’s HomePod 2 only supports spatial audio through Apple Music, and doesn’t even support other streaming services through its Siri smart control. Sonos still gets the upper hand for wider compatibility, in comparison.

Apart from spatial audio, the biggest news is that the Sonos Era 300 can play music both over wi-fi (wi-fi 6 is supported) and Bluetooth. It's the first time Bluetooth has been included in Sonos's mains-powered speakers, having previously featured only on its portable Roam and Move models. Era 300 sports the Bluetooth 5.0 standard, with the basic SBC and AAC codecs on board. Bluetooth pairing is incredibly quick – instantaneous when you press the pairing button. It’s a swifter process than we’ve seen in any other Bluetooth speaker, and have to applaud Sonos for how seamless the connection with our iPhone is. 

Also new is a USB-C port for wired connection to sources such as turntables. You will need a specific Line-In Adapter if you do want to use this connection though, and our main complaint is that this isn’t included in the box. You’ll have to pay £19 / $19 to buy the adapter through Sonos, which feels rather dear on top of the Era 300’s asking price. 

AirPlay 2 streaming returns, along with 24-bit/48kHz hi-res music support from Qobuz and Amazon Music services. Voice control is also supported – through Alexa for all your smart home needs, or through Sonos’s own voice control that deals with music playback only. The latter is available in English and French only for now, but we found it responded well to our simple commands and the mic picked up our voice over the loud music being played. There’s now a physical switch to turn the speaker’s mic off entirely for full privacy, and the Bluetooth pairing button is also neatly hidden away at the rear. 

There’s no Google Assistant, however. A change in Google’s technical requirements for third-party devices meant that Sonos hasn’t been able to include it in the Era 300, but we hope the two companies are able to work it out in due course.

Playback from a huge number of streaming services, multi-room and stereo-pair grouping and more can be controlled through the excellent Sonos app, which we've always found to be well-featured and seamless to use. The ability to control all your music from one intuitive place is a neat solution, especially if you play music from multiple streaming services and internet radio.

You can tweak the speaker’s EQ settings for treble and bass more finely, and initiate Sonos’s Trueplay room calibration tuning. Now available for both iOS and Android, Trueplay optimises the Era 300’s sound to suit the room it’s in. We find that it makes the Era 300 sound clearer, more focused and less boomy in the bass, and we’d recommend taking advantage of Trueplay wherever you place the Era speaker in your home. 

There’s also big news for AV fans: the Sonos Era 300 can be used as Dolby Atmos surround speakers, delivering multi-channel rears for the first time. These can be used in conjunction with the Sonos Arc and Beam Gen 2 soundbars and Sub to create a maximum 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos home theatre experience. We only have one review sample of the Era 300 for our testing, but the full Atmos movie experience is something we’re keen to try out in the future.

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Sound

The majority of our Era 300 listening was done with Apple Music and Tidal for stereo music, while we used Amazon Music Unlimited and Apple Music for spatial audio with Dolby Atmos songs.

The first impression we get with the Era 300 is of scale. The spread of sound is immense from one single wireless speaker box. It projects sound further into the room and overhead more confidently than any other similar wireless speaker we’ve heard. 

What’s just as impressive is how solid and cohesive it all sounds. Regardless of whether you’re listening to plain ol’ stereo or spatial audio tracks, the rich tapestry of instruments and vocals all feel apiece. There’s solidity, ample detail and fluid dynamics to each song, whether you’re listening to an ’80s rock anthem or a piano-led classical piece. Songs are thrown out into the room with the kind of scale and power we’d normally hear from much bigger speakers.  

Sonos never shares power ratings, but there’s no denying the huge reserves of power brimming underneath the hood. Not just because the music’s rhythm is grippy, with ample grunt and impact to the low end; but also because of how easy it all sounds. 

Where you can hear the smaller Era 100 speaker straining against its physical limitations at times, the Era 300 has no such restraints. The meaty, taut, propulsive bassline in Rage Against The Machine’s Bullet In The Head is gorgeously textured and effortlessly delivered. The crunchy guitars and spitting vocals are just as impactful; there’s punch and muscle alongside subtle but powerful dynamic shifts that keeps everything flowing. 

Taylor Swift’s vocals in Anti-Hero flourish in the wonderfully spacious soundfield, with her voice sounding crystal clear and no bright or thin edges to be heard. 

With spatial audio with Dolby Atmos tracks, the sound is flung far from the Era 300’s box. The ominous choral intro to Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ Unholy is delivered as a wall of sound that completely fills the room and envelops you. The sound goes far beyond the confines of the speaker and the spread of sound is so convincing that it’s hard to actually pinpoint where exactly the music is coming from. The ‘spatial audio’ effect, for the most part, doesn’t feel separate from the original musical intent; it simply sounds more immersive – something we’ve not encountered before with so much enthusiasm. How well the effect is communicated does vary depending on the song and how it’s been mixed for spatial audio, however. But for the most part, we enjoy the effect from the Sonos speaker. It’s worth noting that spatial audio tracks can only be played over wi-fi, not Bluetooth, on the Era 300. 

In the app’s settings, you can adjust the height channel’s level to suit how loud or intense you want the effect to be. We left it at zero after some experimentation, as it sounded the most balanced with the rest of the sound. 

We continue listening to tracks we know and love in spatial audio (Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac, No Diggity by Blackstreet, Come Together by The Beatles) and it’s the same story: it all sounds detailed, engaging and accomplished. And it’s fun, too. 

While there’s a significant price difference between the Era 300 and the HomePod 2, a comparison between the two spatial audio speakers is unavoidable. The HomePod still retains its rich texture and wonderful sense of musicality, but we’re struck by how small-scaled it sounds next to the Era 300. When it comes to spatial audio tracks, we once again run into the issue of depending how songs are mixed, it will have an impact on the output from each speaker. For the most part, the Era 300 outdoes the HomePod 2. There’s more power and punch, more convincing shifts in dynamics, and there is more detail and subtlety around each note. The Era 300 relays the rich harmonies and decaying reverberations around the piano notes in Light Of The Seven from the Game Of Thrones soundtrack, while James Blake’s Limit To Your Love is breathtaking with its cavernous scale and gut-punch impact of the plunging, deep bassline.

This is a very mature, very assured performance from Sonos. 

Verdict

The Era 300 may have sounded a bit like a gimmick when first unveiled, but it’s a bold move from the company that feels fresh, innovative and confident. Does it convince us that spatial audio will overtake stereo sound? Not quite, but it’s the first time we’ve felt the two formats could be on a similar footing. 

Sonos’s mission to deliver a great spatial audio experience from a single wireless speaker is a success, but that metric alone isn’t what makes the Sonos Era 300 an all-round enjoyable speaker. It performs admirably with any format of music you throw at it, no matter what source or genre. The addition of Bluetooth streaming, not to mention the vast array of features you get from being part of Sonos’s seamless experience, goes a long way toward justifying the rather high price tag attached to it. It all adds up to an enticing experience that’s worth embarking on.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

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Want a cheaper smart speaker? Read our Sonos Era 100 review

How do you follow up on one of the best wireless smart speakers on the market? Sonos hit the sweet spot jackpot with the Sonos One back in 2019, with its enjoyably sophisticated sound, compact size, extensive streaming features and affordable price meaning it easily found its way into people’s homes – not to mention a five-star What Hi-Fi? review.

But Sonos isn’t the type to stand still and rest on its laurels. For the sequel, the company went back to the drawing board and redesigned the entire speaker.

Enter the Sonos Era 100. Now packing stereo sound and Bluetooth streaming alongside its plentiful wireless streaming talents, the Era 100 looks to be a souped-up speaker that aims to improve on its predecessor with panache. 

Price

The Sonos Era 100 cost £249 / $249 / €279 / AU$399 when it launched on 28th March. The outgoing Sonos One launched at £199 / $199 / AU$ back in 2019 – a £50 / $50 increase in price from a four-year-old speaker doesn’t seem like too much of an extra outlay in the current landscape, and that’s before you consider the multiple improvements you get with the Era 100. 

The new Era 100 has replaced the One, and we've found you can still nab a deal or two while stocks last on the outgoing model. Currently, the One is selling for as low as £149 in the UK at certain retailers. The Era 100 itself saw first discounts of about £20 off during the Black Friday sales, so there's money to be saved if you hunt for a deal now.

At this price, however, the new Era 100 also veers dangerously close to the five-star and now 2023 Award-winning Apple HomePod 2, which offers a convincing wireless speaker experience for just £50 / $50 more than the Sonos.

Build & design

The Era 100 has been refreshed from the ground up, with Sonos stating that there isn’t a single bit of the old One in the new Era 100. 

Both models are in keeping with Sonos’s clean, minimal design and are built to a high standard, but the new speaker’s shape is fairly different. The rounded square design of the One is gone; the new Era 100 is a more oval shape. The Era 100 is one inch (about 2cm) taller) and a tad heavier too (2.02kg vs 1.85kg) but it’s still a compact wireless speaker. In our weeks testing the speaker, we found it easy to fit onto any shelf, desk, table or corner in the home – that’s near a mains socket, of course. 

The Era 100 comes in a matte black or matte white finish, and the wraparound grille now stretches to the edges more than before for a seamless look.

Why the change to the shape? This isn’t done just for aesthetics; it’s also to accommodate the new drivers inside the Era 100. One of the biggest changes for the new Era 100 is that it delivers stereo sound. The One was mono only. 

To that end, inside are two angled tweeters with custom waveguides, alongside a woofer that’s 25 per cent bigger than before. Sonos says this should deliver "detailed stereo separation" and deeper bass. All three drivers are powered by their own Class D amplifier. Sonos is typically tight-lipped about power ratings, but even a quick listen confirms the new Era 100 sounds louder and more powerful than the old model. 

The speaker’s interface and on-unit controls have been updated, too. Touch capacitive buttons return for music playback and voice control, and there’s a new volume slider in the form of a ‘trough’ in the top panel. Sliding our finger along this ‘trough’ changes the volume smoothly and at satisfying increments (albeit a bit too keenly at times).

Around the back, you’ll find the Bluetooth pairing button and a switch that turns the speaker’s mic on or off. While you can tap the speech bubble icon on/off to enable/disable voice control, Sonos has added this extra physical switch for full privacy and peace of mind if you never, ever want any voice assistant listening in. Handy.

You’ll also find a USB-C line-in connection for hard-wiring sources like a turntable or music player. The downside is that you’ll need an adapter to complete the wired connection, but Sonos doesn’t include it in the box. It does sell the line-in adapter (USB-C to 3.5mm aux) on its website for £19 / $19 – which feels like a rather steep price to pay for a small dongle. 

Features

The Era range marks the first time Sonos has included Bluetooth in its wi-fi-based home speakers and the flexibility is more than welcome. It uses Bluetooth 5.0 and the standard AAC and SBC codecs are supported. We've used and reviewed plenty of Bluetooth speakers over the last decade(s), but we have to praise the Era 100 for a particularly fuss-free swift pairing with our iPhone 12, and the connection remains stable throughout. 

There’s no support for spatial audio like big brother Era 300 (the Era 100’s small form factor wouldn’t do justice to the spatial audio effect, says Sonos), but 24-bit audio streaming is supported for local files and through Qobuz and Amazon Music Unlimited.

The Sonos control app is where the speaker’s multitude of functions and features are unlocked. We find that the current Sonos S2 platform makes the whole experience that much smoother and more sophisticated. The app lets you integrate a huge amount of music sources, from all the major streaming services (Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and more) to various internet radio stations. You can also control every element of the speaker: its name, which room it’s in, playback, multi-room grouping, voice control, EQ settings and more. If you’re brand new to the Sonos ecosystem, don’t worry – every bit of the app is easy to navigate for tech pros and novices alike.

The Era speakers host Sonos’s own voice control (available in English and French only), alongside Amazon’s Alexa. There’s no Google Assistant – Sonos cites a change in technical requirements for third-party devices that would need a “heavy engineering lift” for the Era, so it seems they’re at an impasse. Meanwhile, Sonos’s own voice control is focused just on music playback commands, rather than controlling smart home or automation features. It responds to its wake word (“Hey Sonos”) and natural speech well during testing. It’s not quite as nuanced as Apple’s Siri (which learns your music tastes when linked with Apple Music), but it’s a handy and more private alternative for those who want to make simple music-related requests but don’t want any of their data stored in the cloud. 

Another welcome returnee is Sonos’s Trueplay room calibration tuning, which optimises the speaker’s sound depending on where it’s placed in the room. The good news is that this is now available for Android users for the first time. While iOS users can continue using their iPhone’s mic (now called Advanced tuning in the app), Android users can choose the Quick tuning option and use the microphone inside the Era 100 speaker for the calibration.

Both methods work well during our testing period, and you can toggle the tuning on and off to hear the difference. We’ve always found the tuning helpful and it proves the same once again with the Era 100, as it nips in the initial booming bass and delivers clearer mids that sound better in our listening room. Additionally, you can use the EQ sliders for treble and bass to adjust the sound even more to your liking. 

Other features we weren’t able to test out for this review but are worth mentioning: you can link two Era 100s together as a stereo pair, and home cinema fans will be pleased to know you can use the Era 100 as surround rear speakers with the Arc, Beam (Gen 1 and Gen 2) and Ray soundbars. 

Sound

The Era 100 takes everything we liked about the Sonos One – crisp and detailed, spacious sound, deep bass – and cranks it up a dozen notches. It sounds so much bigger, more spacious, more detailed and deeper in the bass, while still retaining a great handle on timing, dynamics and its even tonal balance. 

The spread of sound you get from what is still a fairly compact speaker is really impressive. The delivery is powerful, with voices projected out into our listening room with confidence. The Era 100 sweeps you up into the groove of a song from the get-go, whether you’re listening to Lizzo’s exuberant About Damn Time (toe-tapping rhythm, taut bass) or are enveloped in the instrumental interplay of Four Tet’s Circling. 

The bass delivery isn’t just deep and powerful; the Era 100 manages to flesh out the shape and texture of basslines in demanding songs like Massive Attack’s Angel with admirable dexterity. Where the Sonos One gave a decent impression of that brooding tone, the Era 100 gives it actual depth as well as delivering it with excellent agility and control. 

It’s an impressive step up in performance, offering a new-found openness that allows instruments and voices space to breathe while still delivering each element as part and parcel of a musical whole. Detail levels are plentiful, with the acoustic guitar strums and nuanced, ragged textures of Corey Taylor’s voice in Bother coming through clearly. 

There’s an ease with which Sonos delivers every track we play through it. It never feels dull or distant, nor does it try to attract your attention unduly; this is an overall pleasing sound that is comfortable to listen to for hours. 

Yes, if you push the volume up far too high a coarse edge begins to creep in, but the Era 100 filled our large listening room without needing to reach party levels. We try the Bluetooth connection and that same, easy-going character is present, if a touch less crisp and clear than when streaming over wi-fi. 

Does this mean you should immediately throw out your old Sonos One? Not so fast. While the Era 100 does admittedly improve on it in nearly every way, sonically, the Sonos One still does a great job of keeping music knitted together in a cohesive manner. It’s a smaller, less refined sound, but there’s a full-bodied richness to the voices that we really like. It’s the only element we wish Sonos had carried over to the Era 100, which doesn’t quite deliver the natural warmth of human voices as convincingly as the Apple HomePod 2. The Era 100 does demand your attention more than the Sonos One, however. If you’re keen to upgrade, we’d simply find separate rooms for them to live in.

How else does the Era 100’s sound compare with the HomePod 2? It’s easily a bigger sound and goes louder with more gusto, but Apple’s wireless speaker offers a tad more nuance and dynamic subtlety. It doesn’t stop us from enjoying the large-scale, spacious and forthright nature of the Era 100, though. 

• Which Sonos speaker should you buy in 2023?

Verdict

There are few rivals that compete with the Sonos Era 100’s versatility and array of features at this price. Sonos’s gamble of making this speaker from scratch has paid off with winning results on the audio front. It may have just missed out on a 2023 What Hi-Fi? Award to the HomePod 2 and bigger Era 300 sibling, but don't let that deter you.

Those already part of the Sonos ecosystem will find the new Era 100 speaker difficult to resist, while those new to Sonos will find it a charming entry to a capable and feature-rich wireless speaker experience with plenty of extra goodies to play with. 

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

MORE:

Read our review of the new Sonos Ace wireless headphones

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Want spatial audio? Read our Sonos 300 review