HomePod mini

The HomePod mini 2 is Apple's smaller smart speaker, featuring a round design, an updated S10 chip, 360-degree audio, a U1 chip, and Wi-Fi 6E for $149. The original HomePod mini used to be priced at $99, but Apple raised the price to $129 in June 2026 and then increased it again with the second-generation launch.

The HomePod mini was introduced in October 2026, so it is brand new and now is the best time to buy.

Though the HomePod mini is more expensive than it was before, the new model has faster processing and support for Siri AI. It can be used to control Apple smart home products, it works with Apple Music, and it can be paired with other HomePods and the HomeView for multiroom audio and Apple TV surround sound. It is the best compact speaker option for the Apple ecosystem.

The HomePod mini 2 is a smaller speaker that may not be appropriate for a large room. If you need a bigger speaker, Apple sells the $349 HomePod. For a speaker that's more versatile, Apple has the $299 HomeView, a smart home hub with a 7-inch display and a speaker base.

Apple introduced the HomePod mini 2 in October 2026, marking the first real refresh to the speaker since its 2020 debut.

The HomePod mini 2 is a smaller version of the HomePod, measuring in at 3.3 inches tall compared to the HomePod's 6.6-inch height. Compared to the HomePod mini, the HomePod mini 2 has no exterior design changes, but there are new color options. The HomePod mini is available in white, pink, green, blue, and midnight.

The HomePod mini 2 has a fabric-covered spherical design with a flat top that has a backlit touch interface with Sound Glow. Sound Glow is a visual canvas that glows and pulses in sync with music that's playing, pulling colors from the song album's artwork. Colors are unique to each song, and Apple says soundscapes like rain have bespoke animations. The HomePod mini 2 supports gestures like tap to play, double-tap to skip, and touch and hold to activate Siri, plus it has volume buttons.

Like the HomePod, HomePod mini 2 works with Apple Music, but it also supports podcasts, news briefings, Apple Music Radio, radio stations from iHeartRadio, Audacy, and TuneIn, and some third-party music services such as Pandora, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Content can also be AirPlayed to the HomePod mini from any iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV 4K.

Two HomePod minis can be paired together to create a stereo pair with left and right channels for rich sound, and with the latest Apple TV 4K, four HomePod minis can be combined for surround sound and multiple HomePod minis can work together throughout the home to stream music to multiple rooms. The HomePod mini 2 can be used as a native speaker for the Mac, with two offering stereo sound.

Inside, the HomePod mini 2 is equipped with an S10 chip, which is the same chip that was first used in the Apple Watch Series 10. The S10 chip uses computational audio to analyze the music that's playing and optimize loudness, adjust dynamic range, and control driver and passive radiator movement in real time.

The HomePod mini 2 is equipped with a full-range driver and two force-cancelling passive radiators for what Apple says results in deep bass and crisp high frequencies. It uses a custom acoustic waveguide for a 360-degree sound field and acoustically transparent fabric.

A far-field three-microphone array listens for Siri commands and can isolate sound coming from the speaker for voice detection even when music is playing. Support for Sound Recognition lets the HomePod mini 2 listen for smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sounds and send alerts.

Siri AI is coming to HomePod mini 2, with personal context available through a connected iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Siri can identify the different voices of up to six members of a family, matching music and podcasts to their preferences and responding to personal requests that draw from iPhone and iPad. Siri AI requires a connected Apple Intelligence-capable device for processing power.

The HomePod mini 2 features Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, plus it has a built-in U1 Ultra Wideband chip that allows it to interface with iPhones that have an Ultra Wideband chip. Bringing an iPhone close to the HomePod mini 2 allows the music that's playing on the iPhone to be handed off to the HomePod mini.

The HomePod mini 2 supports visual, audible, and haptic effects when sound transfers from one device to another. Personalized listening suggestions show up on the iPhone when it's next to HomePod mini, and controls are available even when the iPhone isn't unlocked.

HomePod mini 2 can activate Find My to help you find a lost iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Apple Watch in the home by triggering a sound. Like the HomePod, the HomePod mini is able to control HomeKit-compatible smart home accessories and it serves as a home hub to enable access to HomeKit devices when you're away.

There are humidity and temperature sensors in the HomePod mini 2 that can be used to trigger automations. The HomePod mini requires continual power and it has a color-matched USB-C power cord that plugs into a power adapter.

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HomePod mini 2 is priced at $149 in the United States and it can be pre-ordered from Apple. It is set to launch on October 30.