HomePod mini reviews have now been shared by media outlets and YouTubers, providing us with the first impressions of the speaker's sound quality and design. We've rounded up some opinions of the speaker below. For more video reviews, see here.

homepod mini comparison

HomePod mini is equipped with the same S5 chip as the Apple Watch Series 5, which Apple says allows the speaker to "analyze the unique characteristics of the music and apply complex tuning models to optimize loudness, adjust the dynamic range, and control the movement of the driver and passive radiators in real time."

Sound Quality

TechCrunch's Brian Heater said the HomePod mini delivers "remarkably big sound" given its size:

I've used a lot of different smart speakers in my day, and honestly, I'm really impressed with the sound the company was able to get out of the 3.3-inch device.

It's full and clear and impressively powerful for its size.

Fast Company's Michael Grothaus offered similar accolades:

Yet despite its much lower cost and smaller size, the HomePod Mini sounds phenomenal compared to other similarly priced speakers I've used. Even with the volume at only 40%, the HomePod Mini's sounds fill up my large living room richly and evenly.

Indeed, the sound blew me away when I first started streaming tunes. It didn't sound far off from the quality you hear from the original HomePod, yet it sounded twice as good to my ears to the similarly sized sub-$150 wireless speakers I'm used to hearing. After listening to the HomePod Mini for only a few days, when I went back to my old JBL wireless speakers—and even the speakers on my 16" MacBook Pro (which are fantastic speakers for a laptop)—both now seem tinny in comparison to the quality of the sound from the HomePod Mini.

In his YouTube review, Marques Brownlee likewise said the HomePod mini delivers "big sound":

Not everyone was equally impressed. The Verge's Dan Seifert said that while the HomePod mini sounds good, it doesn't sound as good as similarly priced competitors like the Amazon Echo and Google's Nest Audio:

So it sounds good, but I can't say the HomePod mini sounds great. And next to the larger Echo and Nest Audio, both of which cost the same, it simply can't keep up. It doesn't have the presence, volume, or sound stage of either, and it certainly can't match the Echo's bass output. As they say, there's no replacement for displacement.

Design

Forbes' David Phelan said the HomePod mini has a "cool, compact design" that is unmistakably HomePod with its mesh covering:

It's still unmistakably a HomePod though, with the familiar mesh covering that's soft to the touch, not that you'll be touching it all that much. And it comes in the same two colors as the original: a dark, smokey gray that's nearly black but softer-looking, called Space Gray, and white. The white isn't really white, because of the slightly darker color behind the mesh, making for a subtle but appealing look. Both are attractive and more or less indistinguishable from the HomePod shades.

Reviews confirm that the HomePod mini cable ends with a USB-C port for use with the included 20W power adapter in the box.

The Verge's Dan Seifert found the HomePod mini's touch control surface is harder to see from across a room than the Amazon Echo's glowing ring:

In my testing, I've found this light-up panel to be harder to see from across the room than the Echo's glowing ring. Unless you’re right next to the HomePod mini, it's hard to tell when Siri has heard your voice command and is responding.

Availability

HomePod mini is priced at $99 in the United States. Pre-orders began Friday, November 6, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability set to begin Monday, November 16. In addition to the United States, launch day countries include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Spain, and the UK.

Tag: Reviews

Top Rated Comments

NT1440 Avatar
56 months ago

Still not the best option for most, even in the Apple ecosystem. There are smart speakers in the market that do more, have better smart assistant and universal connectivity at half or a third of the price.
I just want a speaker that sounds great personally. Couldn’t care less about the “smart” features.

I was going to buy a HOMEpod this year, now I’m questioning whether I should get two of these instead...
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mdracer Avatar
56 months ago
I have no idea how apple got this HomePod mini to cost less than their MagSafe Duo charger?

On a SIRIous note though, my kids are addicted to yelling at Siri and listing to music all day so these may end up under the tree.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
56 months ago

Still not the best option for most, even in the Apple ecosystem. There are smart speakers in the market that do more, have better smart assistant and universal connectivity at half or a third of the price.
The key take away here, is the sound it’s putting out for the price point. Some of these other Smart speakers that you’re referring to that ‘do more’, come at the cost of sounding like garbage. And if the Mini can execute more rich and dynamic sound over the other smart speakers by spending an extra $30 more, then I’m all for it.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dave245 Avatar
56 months ago

Still not the best option for most, even in the Apple ecosystem. There are smart speakers in the market that do more, have better smart assistant and universal connectivity at half or a third of the price.
Yea like Amazon Alexa, however the HomePod sounds much better. I have both the original HomePod and an Amazon Echo, the Echo is a much better smart speaker, but the HomePod is much better for when I want to blast out the music.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yegon Avatar
56 months ago
My only interest in smart speakers is for music, so I love the HomePods. Stereo pair in my lounge, incoming Mini’s for the bedroom and kitchen.

The big HomePods hold the peculiar status of both my favourite device and most frustrating device, heheh. When they work, they are tremendous....but does it REALLY need “just a moment” occasionally when I ask it to lower the volume???
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
480951 Avatar
56 months ago

Still not the best option for most, even in the Apple ecosystem. There are smart speakers in the market that do more, have better smart assistant and universal connectivity at half or a third of the price.
...and none of them are as well integrated to work as smoothly with other Apple products as this one, which is why it exists. I can’t send messages from my iPhone with a Google speaker, I can’t instantly hand off music from Apple Music, or use it via Airplay with an Apple TV Etc. It’s an Apple device to use with other Apple devices.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
iphone air concept weis

iPhone 17 Air Could Look Like This in Real Life

Friday February 14, 2025 3:41 am PST by
There have been several alleged leaked details of the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's rumored new slim iPhone, but images have been limited to grainy shots taken in component factories. However, this hyper-realistic concept created by WEIS Studio gives us the best idea yet of what Apple's thin device might actually look like. The concept design is inspired by recent leaks indicating that the device...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...