Apple unveils the fourth-gen Apple TV 4K, with Siri AI, an A19 chip, 128GB of storage, far-field mics, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6, shipping November 13 for $299 (Jennifer Pattison Tuohy/The Verge)

Apple has unveiled the upgraded HomePod mini 2 smart speaker, complementing the introduction of the HomeView smart display and fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. The new model retains the original design but comes in new color options: green, pink, blue, midnight, and white. The HomePod mini 2 replaces the outdated S5 chip with the more powerful S10 chip, promising enhanced features and experiences.

The speaker integrates Apple's upgraded Siri AI, a refined version of the personal assistant first introduced with iOS 27. Siri AI, based on Apple Foundation Models' latest generation architecture, significantly boosts the HomePod mini's capabilities, enabling users to accomplish more tasks than ever. Users with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad can enjoy Siri AI's personalized context-aware assistance, helping them find needed information in real time.

A standout feature of HomePod mini 2 is its new hardware called Sound Glow. The top of the speaker transforms into a visual canvas that glows and pulsates in sync with music. This real-time reaction to bass and treble creates a unique light experience for each song, with the song's album artwork from Now Playing generating a custom color-matched light effect.

Users can also select soothing soundscapes like rain for a calming atmosphere. When paired with the newest Apple TV 4K, the HomePod mini 2 delivers a full home theater experience, creating a four-speaker surround sound system when used with a full-size HomePod 2 and Apple TV 4K.

HomePod mini 2's compact size belies its impressive audio capabilities, providing rich 360-degree sound from its small footprint. It can be used as a single speaker, in a stereo pair, or as part of a multiroom audio setup. For the first time, users can create a four-speaker surround sound experience with the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2, intelligently recognizing each speaker's position in the room to automatically calibrate audio timing and levels for optimal performance.

Pre-orders for the HomePod mini 2 begin today, with a launch date set for October 30. The speaker retails at $149, with software compatibility running "HomePod software 27.2." While Siri AI is set to launch in a future software update, its availability at the initial release is uncertain. The original HomePod mini, introduced in November 2020 at $99, saw a price increase to $129 earlier this year.