👀 Apple has announced HomePod mini 2, with a new S10 chip, five colors, a light-up top called Sound Glow and support for Siri AI
📈 It costs $149 in the US – a $50 hike on the launch price of the original
📅 Pre-orders are open now, with availability from October 30, 2026, two weeks ahead of the new Apple TV 4K and HomeView
🔜 Siri AI isn’t available at launch and will arrive in a future software update
Apple has unveiled HomePod mini 2, the next generation of its compact smart speaker after years of waiting.
It adds a new chip, more colors and a glowing top surface, and it’s the cheapest way into Apple’s new Siri AI lineup. It can also act as the rear pair in a four-speaker surround setup with the new Apple TV 4K.
Here’s everything you need to know about HomePod mini 2, including the price, release date and pre-order details.
HomePod mini 2 price
Apple’s newest pint-sized smart speaker costs $149, making it $50 more than the current model.
For reference, when the original HomePod mini launched in 2020, it debuted at $99.
HomePod mini 2 release date
HomePod mini 2 goes on sale on Friday, October 30, 2026. That’s earlier than the new Apple TV 4K and HomeView, which both arrive on November 13, giving the smart speaker a two-week head start.
Siri AI won’t be there at launch. Apple says it’s coming in a future free software update, and it will be in English in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. HomePod mini 2 is compatible with HomePod software 27.2, confirming Apple is keeping the same naming convention across all of its OSes.
HomePod mini 2 pre-order
Pre-orders are open now in the US and more than 23 other countries and regions for HomePod mini 2, through apple.com/store and the Apple Store app.
HomePod mini 2 specs and features
If you’ve been wondering what Apple has chopped and changed with the new HomePod mini 2, then here’s all you need to know:
Colors: HomePod mini 2 comes in pink, green, blue, white and midnight, giving you a good spread of hues.
Sound: HomePod mini 2 uses the Apple S10 chip from the Apple Watch 10 and computational audio to analyze music in real time and optimize dynamic range, loudness and acoustic performance. It produces 360-degree sound and can be used as a single speaker, a stereo pair or part of a multi-room setup.
Sound Glow: The top of the speaker lights up and pulses in time with music, reacting to bass and treble. Colors are drawn from the album artwork in Now Playing, and you can choose soundscapes like rain to trigger their own animations. Voice control for Sound Glow needs an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.
Siri AI: Once it arrives, Siri AI will give HomePod mini 2 more natural conversation, broad world knowledge from up-to-date web information and improved music discovery. Paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, it can draw on personal context, such as finding a song a friend recommended in a text, setting a reminder tied to a calendar event or location, or adding ingredients to a grocery list.
HomePod mini 2 can recognize up to six people in a household by voice. Without a compatible iPhone or iPad, you still get world knowledge, conversation and music discovery.
Mac speaker compatibility: It can serve as a speaker for Mac, for films, games and calls. It works with all Macs that have Wi-Fi 6E or later, as a single speaker or a stereo pair. Apple’s coordinated colours are aimed at matching desktop setups.
Smart home: HomePod mini 2 works as a home hub, with voice control for locks, garage doors, blinds, thermostats and lights, plus automations and scenes in the Home app and remote access from your iPhone.
It also works with Apple Home Collection video doorbells and cameras, using Face Recognition to announce who’s at the door. That requires HomeKit Secure Video with Face Recognition turned on, and Home Collection arrives in December, with select accessories in early 2027.
Sound Recognition: HomePod mini listens for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and sends alerts to your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. You can also check in through the speaker to listen and talk to someone at home.
Apple says Sound Recognition shouldn’t be relied on in high-risk or emergency situations. It requires the updated Home architecture and the latest software on every Apple device that accesses the home.
Up next: Apple TV 4K (4th gen): everything you need to know about the brand-new Apple TV
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.