Apple has refreshed the HomePod mini, bringing Siri AI, five new colors, and a richer audio experience to its compact smart speaker. Alongside the redesigned color lineup, HomePod mini 2 introduces Sound Glow, a glowing light show synced to the music, and support for four-speaker surround sound when paired with the new Apple TV 4K. It remains one of Apple’s most accessible entry points into whole-home audio and smart home control.
Siri AI Arrives on the HomePod mini
The headline update is Siri AI, coming to HomePod mini 2 in a future software update. Built on an entirely new architecture powered by the latest generation of Apple Foundation Models, Siri AI is a far more conversational assistant with personal context understanding and broad world knowledge. Paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, the HomePod mini can recognize up to six household members by voice, surface a song a friend mentioned in a text, set location-aware reminders, or pull a recipe straight out of an email — all without reaching for a phone. Even without a paired device, users benefit from richer music discovery and more natural back-and-forth conversations with Siri.
Immersive Audio and Sound Glow
Powered by the Apple S10 chip and advanced computational audio, HomePod mini continues to deliver rich 360-degree sound from a compact footprint, whether used alone, in a stereo pair, or as part of a multiroom setup. For the first time, two HomePod mini 2 units can join two full-size HomePod speakers with the new Apple TV 4K to create a four-speaker surround sound system, with speaker position automatically calibrated to the room. A new feature called Sound Glow turns the top of the speaker into a glowing, pulsing visual canvas that reacts to bass and treble in real time, with colors drawn from the album artwork of whatever is playing. Finished to match Apple’s latest Mac colors, HomePod mini can also serve as the default speaker for Mac, handling everything from movies and gaming to FaceTime calls.
Effortless Smart Home Management
As a HomeKit hub, HomePod mini lets users control locks, blinds, thermostats, and lighting with just their voice, and automate routines like closing the garage when leaving home or dimming the lights at bedtime through the Home app. Sound Recognition listens for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and immediately notifies a user’s iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch if one is detected, while new Apple Home Collection accessories, including video doorbells and cameras, use Face Recognition to announce visitors. As with every Apple product, Siri requests can be processed on-device or through Private Cloud Compute, keeping the same privacy standards Apple applies across its ecosystem. Owners of the existing Apple HomePod (2nd Generation) will find many of these smart home fundamentals familiar, now extended to the smaller, more affordable model.
Pricing and availability
HomePod mini 2 is available to pre-order today in pink, green, blue, white, and midnight from Apple and the Apple Store app, priced at $149, with availability in stores beginning Friday, October 30. Siri AI will arrive later as a free software update in English in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the UK; it will not initially be available in the EU. HomePod mini 2 requires HomePod software 27.2.
Key specifications
- Chip: Apple S10 with advanced computational audio
- Assistant: Siri AI (future software update), built on Apple Foundation Models
- Audio: 360-degree sound, single speaker, stereo pair, or multiroom audio
- Home theater: four-speaker surround sound with Apple TV 4K (4th generation)
- Lighting: Sound Glow, music-reactive top-surface light show
- Smart home: HomeKit hub, Sound Recognition, Face Recognition with compatible cameras
- Colors: pink, green, blue, white, midnight
- Price: $149 (U.S.)
