Multi-functional microwaves

Ball and response Even with music playing, the Mini’s four mics mean Siri is keen to respond. There’s rarely any need to raise your voice.

Ball of duty

Can Apple’s diminutive Siri-packing smart speaker be an even more well-rounded performer than the new Amazon Echo?

■ The Mini is much smaller and more rounded than the original HomePod, but there’s no doubt they’re related – it wears the same fabric coat (available in space grey or white) and has an almost identical touch-sensitive disc on top, which illuminates when it’s playing music or Siri’s listening.

■ You’ll need a relatively recent iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch (remember those?), but getting the HomePod Mini up and running really is a masterclass in simplicity: plug it in and hold your iThing nearby to transfer the Wi-Fi details. Apple’s process puts most other tech companies to shame.

■ With Siri on board, the Mini can do all the usual smart speaker stuff – set timers, check the weather forecast, add events to your calendar – but it also works as a HomeKit Hub for control over products from the likes of Philips Hue, Netatmo and Belkin.

■ This speaker produces a far more well-balanced sound than you’d expect from something the size of an orange. It inevitably falls short on sheer room-filling power, but linking two to form a stereo pair takes just a few taps in the Home app and adds some real sonic heft.

■ For now, you’ll still need an Apple Music subscription to make the most of a HomePod Mini. There’s an AirPlay-based workaround that allows you to use other services, but that rules out voice control and makes things feel a bit disjointed.

■ Too close to ball

If you’ve got an iPhone 11 or newer, you can transfer songs between it and the HomePod Mini just by holding them close together. The novelty might wear off but it’s a decent substitute for the flexibility offered by Spotify Connect. £99 / stuff.tv/HomePodMini

■ Conference ball

The intercom function allows you to send short voice messages to other Apple devices inside and outside your home. It could come in handy if you’ve a family of Apple fans, although it’ll struggle to usurp the trusty WhatsApp group. Tech specs

Drivers 1x full-range, 2x passive radiators Processor Apple S5 Connectivity Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Thread, U1 ultra-wideband Dimensions 99x98x84mm, 345g

STUFF SAYS This smart speaker is a sonic success – but old issues remain HHHH✩

A great little Apple Music speaker with Siri on top

Tom Wiggins As a smart home hub it might not be quite as capable as an Amazon Echo, but from a musical point of view the HomePod Mini comfortably outperforms expectations… although it’s currently a little too picky about where it gets its tunes from. Apple fans won’t mind those limitations much, and there’s still a lot to love here, but for now the Mini falls just short of greatness.

TWO WEEKS WITH THE DJI MINI 2 All drone up

DJI’s second-gen dinky flyer has arrived, refined in all areas and capable of 4K capture – so Basil Kronfli finds out if it’s the new king of the compact copters

£419 / stuff.tv/DJIMini2

Fold up the Mini 2 and this capable flyer will fit in a large jacket pocket or a bag with ease.

DAY 01

The Mini 2 promises a lot of drone for your dollar, but its true pulling power is its size. We’ve heard the story before, but it remains pivotal to fuss-free flying: weighing 249g means it doesn’t need to be registered with the authorities. So, rather than being stuck in an administrative holding pattern, you can charge it up and take off almost instantly.

Folded up, this quadcopter resembles an insect-a-like Autobot; but once you lift it out of the box and unfurl its arms, everything starts to make sense. On the front is a 12MP camera. It looks a bit wobbly, to be honest, but that’s because it’s placed on top of a stabilising gimbal to smooth out pans and swooshes for super-steady footage from the air.

The battery slots into the back under a flap and there’s a microSD card slot for storage, so you’ll want to pick a good 4K-supporting card before you head off into the wilds and start filming. Oh, and after you’ve cooed over the drone for a few minutes, prepare to get every bit as geeky over its controller — a multi-function marvel, and a big improvement over last year’s chonk of an accessory.

As well as navigating the Mini 2, it has a potential lifesaver of a party trick: screw on the joysticks, secure your smartphone with the spring-loaded clasp then plug it in, and the controller becomes a portable charger thanks to its massive 5200mAh battery. It also keeps the Mini 2 connected at a range of up to 10km.

Before take-off, I’ve installed a couple of apps. The first is DJI Fly, available for Android or iOS. Next, AirMap could save you thousands. How? It tells you where you can and can’t fly your drone, so you can avoid fines and stay safe by checking local guidelines before you take to the sky.

After all that, let’s go and fly a drone. Set the Mini 2 on a flat surface, connect your phone, lock on your GPS and register a home location. Then long-press the take-off button and we’re up, up and away.

The new controller is a multi-function marvel, and a big improvement over last year’s chonk of an accessory

Tech specs

Sensor 1/2.3in CMOS Video 4K @ 30fps Stills 12MP Battery life Up to 31 minutes Max speed 36mph Dimensions (folded) 138x81x58mm, 249g

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Donut of Truth™

01 Easy to fly and fast enough in ‘Normal’ mode 02 Switching to ‘Cine’ mode brings luxurious pans 03 ‘Sport’ captures speedy objects with ace stabilisation 04 This is a solid all-round upgrade on the Mavic Mini… 05 …but it is a little pricier than its predecessor 06 There’s no mode to make it follow you like a willing pup

DAY 02

After a day getting to grips with the controls of the Mini 2, it has to be said this is categorically the most intuitive drone Stuff has used. Push the left stick up to go higher, down to go lower, then left or right to rotate. Meanwhile, the right stick moves the Mini 2 left and right or forward and back.

These basic controls are all you really need to get started, with everything the drone sees displayed in real time on the phone using the DJI Fly app, which is also where you can start shooting your 4K masterpiece.

DAY 05

Playing back our first few days’ footage, it’s clear this is a little beast that grabs stellar aerial video. To really get the most out of it, though, it’s time to dive into the QuickShots. These set the Mini 2 on a series of predefined flightpaths to capture high-impact clips around a subject. Think of it as your own Ben Fogle Castaway expansive pan fantasy and you’re on the right track.

DAY 07

I’ve pushed the limits with the DJI Mini 2 in my local park. Sure, you’re allowed to fly a drone there, but you can’t really test this pocket rocket’s potential with people around. And so, after a week of sticking to sensible distances, it’s time to plan a beach shoot. I’ll pick a day that’s clear (drones can’t hack rain) and get ready for a road trip.

DAY 10

Before my beach trip, it’s important to really understand what footage shot on the Mini 2 looks like. Taken into an editing app (Premiere Pro), the colours are a bit flat, slightly underexposed, and may seem lacklustre. Don’t be fooled, though: this drone’s footage is anything but weak – it’s tuned to give editors room to boost levels. Brighten up the shadows and exposure, ramp up the saturation, and things come to life very quickly.

DAY 14

Thanks to its ability to hold things together in wind speeds of up to 10.5m/s, my blustery coastal shoot with the Mini 2 has been a solid gold success. The 12MP RAW photos, 4K videos and seaside scenery have all come together beautifully to illustrate exactly why drones like the DJI Mini 2 exist.