Apple has updated its compact smart speaker for the first time in six years. Today, the company announced the new HomePod mini 2 in five colors as part of its “Welcome Home” event, confirming a few weeks’ worth of rumors.
The big news is that the HomePod mini 2 will support Siri AI, Apple’s AI assistant powered by Apple Intelligence, but that it won’t be available on the speaker when it launches on Friday, Oct. 30. Apple hasn’t said exactly when it will arrive, just that it will be “in a future software update.”
When the time comes, you’ll need another device that already has Apple Intelligence on it, like a newer iPhone or iPad, in order to update the HomePod mini 2 with Siri AI. Once it’s enabled, the HomePod mini 2 will be able to recognize up to six different users’ voices and use “personal context” from their connected devices to answer questions and complete tasks, such as “finding a song a friend recommended in a text … or adding ingredients to a grocery list,” Apple said.
Those who don’t have a device that supports Apple Intelligence will still be able to ask the HomePod mini 2 questions and have it play music, but they’ll miss out on that deeper, more personalized integration.
Credit: Apple
The HomePod mini 2 runs on the Apple S10 chip and features 360-degree sound. When it’s playing music, the top of the device lights up in colors that match songs’ album art and pulses in sync with the beat. Apple calls this feature “Sound Glow.”
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Apple has also unveiled a new HomeView smart display and a revamped Apple TV 4K — both of which ship with Siri AI — as well as a new collection of smart home security devices made in partnership with LG and Schneider Electric. The HomePod mini 2 can serve as a voice-controlled hub for the latter. And when paired with the Apple TV 4K, up to four of them can be used to create a home theater surround-sound system.
The HomePod mini 2 also works with Apple’s Mac desktops.
Credit: Apple
The new HomePod mini 2 costs $149, or $20 more than it the original HomePod mini from 2020. That model originally launched at $99, but saw a $30 price increase this June due to the ongoing memory crisis. Design-wise, they look the same: like a small orb covered in mesh fabric.
The HomePod mini 2 is now available for preorder through the Apple Store in pink, green, blue, white, and midnight.
This may not be the last we hear from Apple this month: The company is also rumored to be launching an OLED touchscreen MacBook and a new OLED iPad mini at the end of October. In the meantime, we’ll get the foldable iPhone Duo on Oct. 23.
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