Apple announced HomePod mini 2 on October 13, the second-generation model of its smallest speaker, with the Apple S10 chip, a new Sound Glow light effect and support for Siri AI. It costs $149 in the U.S., pre-orders are open now, and Apple says availability begins Friday, October 30.
It comes in pink, green, blue, white and midnight. The outgoing model sold for $129 on Apple’s store before the announcement, in white, yellow, orange, blue and midnight, so the new speaker is $20 more.
Price, colours and release date
Customers in the U.S. and more than 23 other countries and regions can pre-order from apple.com/store and the Apple Store app, according to Apple’s HomePod mini 2 press release. Apple says HomePod mini 2 runs HomePod software 27.2.
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| Category | HomePod mini 2 | HomePod mini (previous) |
|---|---|---|
| Price (U.S.) | $149 | $129 |
| Colours | Pink, green, blue, white, midnight | White, yellow, orange, blue, midnight |
| Chip | Apple S10 | Not listed on Apple’s spec page |
| Siri AI | Coming in a future software update | Not announced |
Siri AI arrives later, in English first
Siri AI is the headline feature, but it is not ready at launch. Apple says it is “coming to HomePod mini 2 in a future software update” and will be free. At first it will only work in English, in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK.
Apple describes Siri AI on the speaker as more conversational. It draws on personal context and broad world knowledge, and Apple says it brings richer music discovery. HomePod mini 2 can recognise up to six voices in a household. When it is paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, Siri AI can act across that person’s apps. Apple’s examples include finding a song a friend recommended in a text, setting a reminder tied to a calendar event, or adding ingredients to a grocery list.
Apple’s footnotes add some conditions:
- The owner of the home in the Home app needs an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad on the latest software, with Siri AI turned on and set to a supported language.
- Personal context requests need a paired Apple Intelligence-enabled device.
- Siri AI will not initially be available in the EU on iOS or iPadOS.
- Once Siri AI is enabled on the speaker, people in the home without an Apple Intelligence-enabled device still get its world knowledge, conversations and music discovery.
Four-speaker surround with the new Apple TV 4K
For the first time, HomePod mini can be part of a four-speaker surround setup. Apple says four HomePod mini 2 speakers paired with the new Apple TV 4K (4th generation) recognise each speaker’s position in the room and calibrate timing and levels automatically. Apple calls it its “most immersive home theater setup yet.” Apple’s Apple TV 4K release adds that HomePod (2nd generation) can also be used, as long as the front and rear pairs match.
HomePod mini 2 still works on its own, as a stereo pair, or in multiroom audio. Apple says the S10 chip and computational audio analyse music in real time to tune dynamic range, loudness and acoustic performance.
Sound Glow and Mac speaker support
Sound Glow turns the top of the speaker into a light that pulses with the music and reacts to bass and treble. Apple says it takes its colours from the album artwork in Now Playing, so every song looks different. Soundscapes such as rain get their own animations.
The new model can also act as a speaker for a Mac, for films, games and FaceTime calls. Apple says it is finished in colours that match the Mac.
Smart home hub and safety features
As before, HomePod mini works as a home hub for controlling accessories from the Home app at home or away. Sound Recognition listens for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and sends a notification to your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. You can also check in through the speaker from the Home app to listen and talk to someone at home.
It also works with the new Apple Home Collection video doorbells and cameras that Apple announced on the same day. The speaker uses Face Recognition to announce who is at the door, and the doorbell chime plays through it.
Privacy and materials
Apple says Siri requests on HomePod mini 2 are handled on-device or in Private Cloud Compute, where data is not stored or made accessible to Apple. Apple says the speaker uses 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. Its Apple-designed circuit boards use 100 percent recycled copper, gold plating and tin solder, and its packaging is 100 percent fiber-based.
Should you pre-order?
If your current HomePod mini already handles music and smart home control, the reasons to upgrade on day one are the S10 chip, Sound Glow, Mac speaker support and four-speaker surround with the new Apple TV 4K. Siri AI is the bigger change, but it arrives in a later update and in English only at first. If you are buying your first smart speaker for an Apple home, $149 gets the newest hardware and the Siri AI update when it ships.
