Apple has announced HomePod mini 2 with the S10 chip, support for Siri AI and a new set of colors. It costs $149 in the US, pre-orders open today and the speaker reaches stores on Friday, October 30.
Siri AI Comes to HomePod mini 2 in a Future Software Update
Apple says Siri AI will arrive as a free software update, with no date given. It will be available in English in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK. No EU country is on the list, which fits earlier reports of an EU delay for Siri AI.
Siri AI on HomePod mini 2 runs on a new architecture built on the latest generation of Apple Foundation Models. When the speaker is paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, it can draw on personal context. Apple’s examples include finding a song a friend recommended in a text, setting a reminder tied to a calendar event or location, pulling up a recipe from an email and adding ingredients to a grocery list.
HomePod mini 2 can recognize up to six people in a household by voice. The home owner needs an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad for personal context requests. Without one, the speaker still gets Siri AI’s web-based world knowledge, natural conversation and better music discovery.
Apple does not list which HomePod mini models are supported. An earlier report said existing HomePod models may miss out on Siri AI.
Siri requests on HomePod mini 2 use on-device processing or Private Cloud Compute. Apple says data processed in Private Cloud Compute is not stored or made accessible to Apple or anyone else.
HomePod mini 2 Can Anchor a Four-Speaker Surround Setup With Apple TV 4K
HomePod mini 2 uses the Apple S10 chip and what Apple calls advanced computational audio. The speaker analyzes music in real time to adjust dynamic range, loudness and acoustic performance, and it outputs 360-degree sound. It works on its own, as a stereo pair or in a multiroom setup.
For the first time, HomePod mini speakers can form a four-speaker surround setup. It needs the new Apple TV 4K (4th generation) and four speakers in matching pairs, front and rear. Those can be HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation) speakers, and Apple’s own example puts two HomePod (2nd generation) speakers at the front and two HomePod mini 2 speakers at the rear.
The Apple TV 4K detects each speaker’s position in the room and calibrates timing and levels automatically.
HomePod mini 2 can also act as the speaker for a Mac, for movies, gaming, FaceTime and video calls. It works as a single speaker or a stereo pair on any Mac with Wi-Fi 6E or later.
The top of HomePod mini 2 now lights up with Sound Glow. It glows and pulses with the music, reacts to bass and treble, and takes its colors from the album artwork in Now Playing. Users can also pick a soundscape such as rain to trigger matching animations, and voice control for Sound Glow needs an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.
Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Home Product Marketing, said the speaker “fills a room with sound on its own.” She added that it gets bigger in a stereo pair or with multiroom audio.
HomePod mini 2 Listens for Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Sound Recognition detects smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sounds and sends a notification to the user’s iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. From the Home app, users can check in through the speaker, listen to the room and talk to someone at home.
The feature needs the updated Home architecture, which is a separate update in the Home app. Apple warns it should not be relied on in emergencies.
HomePod mini 2 is also a home hub that takes voice commands to lock the front door, close the garage, lower the blinds, adjust the thermostat or turn off the lights at bedtime. With the Home app, users can build automations and scenes, and control accessories from iPhone while away. Compatible accessories are sold separately.
The speaker can announce who is at the door when it is paired with video doorbells and cameras that use HomeKit Secure Video with Face Recognition. That includes Apple Home Collection accessories, which start arriving in December, with select accessories following in early 2027.
HomePod mini 2 Costs $149 and Ships October 30 in Five Colors
Apple built HomePod mini 2 with 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 percent recycled copper, gold plating and tin solder in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based.
Pre-orders are open now at apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app, in the US and more than 23 other countries and regions.
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