Apple Announces $149 HomePod Mini 2 With Siri AI, 'Sound Glow', and Four-Speaker Surround Sound

On October 30, Apple unveiled an updated version of its HomePod mini, priced at $149, featuring advanced Siri AI capabilities, enhanced audio features, and a new design with four color options. The new HomePod mini incorporates an S10 chip that delivers real-time adjustments to dynamic range, loudness, and acoustic performance through computational audio technology.

A standout feature of the upgraded HomePod mini is its "Sound Glow" functionality, which transforms the speaker's top into an animated visual canvas that reacts to music, with colors derived from the song's album artwork for a personalized experience. This feature works in tandem with the latest Apple TV 4K, allowing up to four HomePod minis to create a four-speaker surround sound system when paired with the Apple TV 4K, with sound calibrated to the room's dimensions.

The HomePod mini also functions as a speaker for Mac computers, and Apple plans to integrate Siri AI in a forthcoming software update. Upon pairing with an iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence enabled, the AI can recognize up to six users by voice, granting personalized access to data like Messages. Like its predecessor, the new model continues to serve as a home hub for controlling smart home devices, and its Sound Recognition feature alerts users to potential emergencies such as smoke or carbon monoxide alarms.

The HomePod mini is available in pink, green, blue, white, and midnight and is set to launch on October 30.