Apple updates the HomePod mini with more audio features and new colors
Apple has announced the HomePod mini 2, an updated smart speaker with new audio features and colour choices. It goes on sale on 30 October, but the promised AI version of Siri will not be available at launch, and Apple has not said when it will arrive.
New features include lighting effects that match album art or soundscapes, persistent AirPlay pairing with a Mac, and support for up to four speakers with a new Apple TV 4K. The speaker comes in blue, green and pink alongside white and Midnight, and costs $149, up from $99 for the original model when it launched in 2020.
- HomePod mini 2 arrives on 30 October for $149.
- New lighting and multi-speaker audio features are included.
- AI Siri is planned, but has no launch date.
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The HomePod mini is Apple’s small smart speaker, designed to play music and work with other Apple devices. It uses Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, for spoken requests and controls.
Apple sells the speaker as part of a wider range of connected home products, including Apple TV. Features such as AirPlay let people send audio from a Mac or other Apple device to a speaker, while multiple speakers can be used together for sound around the home.
The update’s price is higher than the original model’s launch price. Its planned AI version of Siri is a separate software feature, so it is not included in the speaker’s launch availability.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Apple can argue the higher price reflects a more capable speaker, with added audio features, broader speaker support and new colour choices. Releasing the hardware now gives customers an update without making them wait for the AI version of Siri, whose arrival Apple has not yet scheduled.
The case against
Customers can argue that the increase from $99 to $149 is hard to justify when the update’s benefits may not matter to everyone and the promised AI version of Siri is absent at launch. Without a date for that feature, buyers may reasonably prefer to keep the original or wait until the full upgrade is available.