With the original HomePod discontinued, all eyes are on the HomePod mini and what it could look like for the future of the company’s audio products. Hence, it is now discovered that it includes a secret sensor capable of measuring the temperature and humidity of the environment, but why is it not active?
The HomePod mini temperature and humidity sensor
Within consumer electronics it is common for some manufacturers to include a series of sensors in their products that may or may not be used. Moreover, in most cases they end up having no use whatsoever and if they are there it is because it is usually more profitable. That is, they still acquire a component that not only integrates that sensor but also others that it does need. So if the price is better, they directly bet on it and deactivate what they do not require.
However, there are times when knowing that there is a type of sensor and it is not being used can be a bit annoying. That’s the case with Apple‘s HomePod mini . Apple’s small smart speaker integrates a sensor capable of measuring both the temperature and humidity of the environment, but it is not being used or there is no documentation on the matter.
The small component, made by Texas Instruments, measures just 1.5mm x 1.5mm and sits on the bottom edge of the small speaker base. To be more exact, it is very close to the power cord itself.
Some speculate that it could be used by Apple to measure the temperature of the speaker components and limit power to some of them such as the processor to avoid problems. It could be, but it does not have much logic because it is somewhat far from the chip that gives life to the HomePod Mini.
The most logical thing is that, as Bloomberg indicates, this chip was included by the company with the intention of providing the HomePod mini with functions like those of the 4th generation Amazon Echo that also includes a temperature sensor. Thanks to it, the device could perform a series of related actions that would allow to control other devices such as air conditioners or heating systems among others according to the recorded data.
Will Apple enable the HomePod mini’s temperature sensor?
Interesting question, but we fear that there is no clear answer. At the moment the temperature and humidity sensor is not being used in the HomePod mini and if we look back you will remember that it is not the first Apple device with a sensor or chip that has not been used or that activates it after some time.
For example, in its day iPods had chips that allowed the use of FM radio and Bluetooth connection. The former was never used and users were left wanting to listen to the radio on their portable audio devices. The second one did get used, but it was later than the original release of the 2008 iPod model.
With the HomePod mini we do not know if the same will happen or not. The truth is that if we see the competition, it would be interesting to have this new sensor. Because when it comes to using the speaker with the rest of the HomeKit-compatible ecosystem, it would be interesting. But considering that it is Apple, it may never do it and that when they come to use it it will be through a second generation HomePod mini.
