New HomePod Mini Finally Expected This Year Following 2020 Launch

It might be hard to believe, but the HomePod mini launched alongside the iPhone 12 series all the way back in November 2020. Fortunately, after more than a four-year wait, a new model is finally expected to launch later this year.

homepod mini thumb feature
Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is aiming to launch the new HomePod mini "toward the end of the year." According to his reporting, the speaker will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, with Wi-Fi 6E support. The current HomePod mini supports Wi-Fi 4, so Wi-Fi 6E would be an upgrade, enabling faster and more reliable Wi-Fi connectivity for Siri, music playback, and more.

While there are no other firm rumors yet, likely upgrades for the next HomePod mini include a newer "S" chip, improved sound quality, new color options, and a newer Ultra Wideband chip for a lower-latency Handoff experience. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the S5 chip, which debuted in 2019's Apple Watch Series 5.

In addition to a new HomePod mini, Apple reportedly plans to release an all-new smart home hub at some point this year. The hub is expected to feature around a 6-inch to 7-inch display that can be mounted on a wall, or attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, so the device could be similar to the HomePod mini in some ways.

The home hub is expected to support Apple Intelligence, but the next HomePod mini is not. Read our HomePod mini roundup for more details.

Related Roundup: HomePod mini

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro is Vulnerable to Scratching, But Not Where You Might Think

Tuesday September 23, 2025 2:18 pm PDT by
Early reports have suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air are more vulnerable to scratches and scuffs, primarily due to damage spotted at Apple Stores. Apple customers have discovered that the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models Apple has out for display at its retail locations have scratching in the area of the MagSafe charger. Those devices are handled by hundreds to thousands of...

Top Rated Comments

Naraxus Avatar
9 months ago
Wired, not wired not a big deal either way for me. All I care about is the sound quality.

I can imagine people here though. If it's wired, we get what we have here today. If it's wireless, endless complaints about the battery in it ?‍♂️
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thefrost Avatar
9 months ago

The home hub is expected to support Apple Intelligence, but the next HomePod mini is not.
Doesn't matter since Siri is still trash anyways.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Warputin Avatar
9 months ago
Every time I think about buying a few, I’m like oh yeah it’s not wireless…
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Remy149 Avatar
9 months ago

Doesn't matter since Siri is still trash anyways.
For smart home functionality I find HomeKit and Siri to be the best with voice commands.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
furd Avatar
9 months ago
I dunno. I bought a couple and, for a while, they were truly "plug and play" -- fdo the setup once and I was done.

But now, they have become practically unusable; requiring endless resets and STILL not being something I can connect to. The design decision to make everything "automagic" means that I can't troubleshoot the problem and I have come to hate them -- seriously considering taking a baseball bat to them, just to see how far I could pound one (given their softball size).

I've tried to be calm, but I would never be able to recommend these to anyone
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
awdodson24 Avatar
9 months ago
On the whole wired/wireless debate: The current Homepod Mini, as it's designed today, is not a good wireless (on-the-go) product. It's designed for the indoors. Take it outside and it's going to get wrecked by dirt, etc. Apple would need to design a brand new product if they want to go that route.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)