Updated 1 Nov 2026
Is the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) worth it?
Yes — if you have an iPhone and care about sound.
It sounds rich and natural, with strong bass, voices that sound real and automatic room tuning, and a stereo pair is a big step up again. It plays Dolby Atmos from Apple Music, works as the speaker for an Apple TV, and hands music and calls over from your iPhone. It's also a Matter and Thread hub with temperature and humidity sensors, and can listen for smoke alarms. It's expensive, Siri is less capable than Alexa or Gemini, Spotify works only through AirPlay, and it's set up and run from an iPhone or iPad.
82%of 172 owners give it 4 or 5 stars
- Rich, natural sound with real bass
- Dolby Atmos and room tuning
- Hands off from iPhone, works with Apple TV
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What owners say
Owners love the sound, how good two sound as a stereo pair and how well it works with an Apple TV and iPhone. The main complaint is that the sound didn't live up to the price or to rivals.
Good to know
- Set-up and settings need an iPhone or iPad.
- Siri can't play Spotify by voice; Spotify works through AirPlay.
- No switch to turn the microphones off, and no wired input.
- A stereo pair has to be two of the same model.
From 172 buyer ratings at Costco (US) and Harvey Norman (NZ, Australia), every complaint read by us, November 2026. How we do this
What they love
- Great soundMentioned a lot
- Even better as a stereo pairAlso mentioned
- Works well with Apple TV and iPhoneAlso mentioned
- Easy to set upMentioned by some
- Strong bassMentioned by some
What they complain about
- Sound not as good as expected for the priceOccasional
- Drops its connection or stops workingRare
- Hard to set up, or Siri doesn't respondRare
Get it if…
- You have an iPhone and listen to Apple Music.
- You want the best sound in a single smart speaker.
- You'll use it with an Apple TV.
Skip it if…
- You use Android.
- You rely on Spotify voice control.
- You want a capable voice assistant more than great sound.
More on the HomePod (2nd gen)
How we reached this verdict
Tom's Guide calls it a stellar but pricey speaker: stronger bass than the Sonos One, excellent Apple TV and Atmos support, sensors and Matter, but tied to Apple's ecosystem. Stuff found it a strong all-round improvement with strong bass and great Atmos, but expensive, with Siri behind rivals and no native Spotify. What Hi-Fi found it more natural with voices than the Sonos Era 100. We read verified buyers at Costco and Harvey Norman, and most praise the sound.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: Tom's Guide, Stuff, What Hi-Fi?: Sonos Era 100 review, Apple, Tom's Guide, What Hi-Fi?, manufacturer specifications.
Updated 1 Nov 2026How we decide