The new HomePod Mini may, allegedly, have a locator feature that can track the user’s whereabouts in the house.
Today, Apple will unveil the latest addition to the iPhone lineup. Despite the phone not yet being released, judgments on it abound. Some think that the iPhone 12 is nothing but another slight upgrade from the iPhone 11. Some others believe that the new lineup is Apple’s entry into the future.
As of the moment, it’s best to save the criticisms until the phone is out. What’s equally important to put attention on are the details surrounding the other products that will launch with the iPhone 12.
Contrary to earlier rumors, it seems like Apple will hold off the release of the Apple AirPods Studio and the AirTags to a later time. As such, only the HomePod Mini will be announced alongside the iPhone 12. Nevertheless, a recent rumor on the smart home speaker maybe a thunder-stealing feature.
HomePod Mini could have a user locator feature
Famous tech leaker Jon Prosser shares that the HomePod Mini will be able to track the location of its users inside the house.
At first, this bit of news may be a head-scratcher for some. What use would a locator in a smart home speaker have for its users? Prosser follows up the leak by explaining that the feature turns ‘regular hardware into HomeKit hardware.’
HomePod mini & the new Apple TV will both act as UWB base-stations 🧐
– Will precisely track your location as you walk inside house with other U1 devices.
– Use info for media controls, brightness/volume control, & door locks.
Turns regular hardware into HomeKit hardware.
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) October 12, 2020
9to5Mac surmises that this means that the regular iPhones and Apple Watches could connect even better as a part of Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. In other words, these devices may soon be able to communicate better with Apple’s base stations, such as the HomePod Mini and the Apple TV.
It will be able to do this because of the Ultra-wide bands (UWB), which allows for a stronger and uninterrupted link between devices within a small space. With this band, the HomeKit system will be able to tell better where the user is. After clearer detection, the system can trigger the mood-setting and the ambient setting more accurately.
What else can the location feature do?
Prosser suggests that the new UWB on the HomePods will be far more useful than just for HomeKit features. He tweeted that the new bands can enhance the Find My feature on devices within its vicinity.
Prosser said that devices that are linked and nearby the base stations would trigger an alarm on the user’s device if they are taken away from the connections. In other words, the HomePod can serve as a virtual alarm trigger for connected Apple devices that can be stolen.
Image from Cristian Cristian/ Unsplash