HomePod Mini vs. HomePod Mini 2 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared

Apple yesterday announced the HomePod mini 2, introducing the compact astute speaker's archetypal large hardware update successful six years.


The caller exemplary retains the original's spherical design, but adds an S10 chip, faster wireless connectivity, Sound Glow lighting, caller Mac and location theatre capabilities, and enactment for Siri AI successful a aboriginal bundle update.

The HomePod mini 2 costs $149 successful the United States, $20 much than its predecessor's past Apple terms of $129. While the archetypal launched for $99 successful 2020, Apple raised its price successful June 2026. With galore halfway features carried over, is the caller exemplary worthy upgrading to, and should you see a discounted archetypal instead?

Both generations diagnostic a full-range driver, 2 passive radiators, and an acoustic waveguide for 360-degree sound. They besides stock somesthesia and humidity sensors, Thread networking, Ultra Wideband proximity features, AirPlay multiroom audio, stereo pairing, Intercom, astute location control, and Sound Recognition. Their dimensions stay identical astatine 3.3 inches gangly and 3.9 inches wide, and some see a 20W powerfulness adapter.

Here are the differences betwixt the archetypal HomePod mini and ‌HomePod mini 2‌:



‌HomePod‌ mini (2020)
‌HomePod mini 2‌ (2026)

Backlit interaction aboveground with presumption and ‌Siri‌ lighting	Backlit interaction aboveground with Sound Glow animations that respond to music, medium artwork, and soundscapes
S5 spot (from 2019's Apple Watch Series 5, made with TSMC's N7 7nm process, based connected Apple's A12 Bionic spot from iPhone XS)	S10 spot (from 2024's Apple Watch Series 10, made with TSMC's N4 4nm process, based connected Apple's A16 Bionic spot from iPhone 14 Pro)
Computational audio	Enhanced computational audio
Four-microphone design	Three-microphone design
‌Siri‌	‌Siri‌ AI support
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)	Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 6
Mac audio playback via ‌AirPlay‌	Can service arsenic the default talker for Macs with Wi-Fi 6E oregon later, individually oregon successful a stereo pair
	Four-speaker situation dependable with Apple TV 4K (4th generation), including automatic calibration of audio timing and levels
Weighs 0.76 lb (345 grams)	Weighs 0.74 lb (335 grams)
White, midnight, blue, yellow, and orange; antecedently disposable successful abstraction gray	White, midnight, blue, pink, and green
89% fiber-based packaging	100% fiber-based packaging
Introduced successful October 2020	Introduced successful October 2026
Discontinued (initially priced astatine $99, aboriginal raised to $129)	$149

Is It Worth Upgrading From HomePod Mini to HomePod Mini 2?

For astir existing ‌HomePod‌ mini owners, determination is nary general-purpose crushed to regenerate a moving archetypal ‌HomePod‌ mini immediately. The archetypal retains the main features needed for dependable commands, euphony playback, timers, Intercom, and astute location automations. Sound Glow and the caller finishes whitethorn entreaty to enthusiasts, but they are precise tiny reasons to regenerate speakers passim a home.

For buyers chiefly funny successful dependable quality, Apple's specifications supply constricted grounds for judging the size of the improvement. The basal operator statement remains the same, and the archetypal already utilized computational audio to tune playback successful existent time. Apple has not quantified the acoustic gains from the S10 chip.

The clearest upgrade lawsuit is utilizing the ‌HomePod mini 2‌ arsenic a default Mac speaker. If your Mac supports Wi-Fi 6E oregon aboriginal and you privation ‌HomePod‌ speakers for games, calls, and mundane machine audio, the caller exemplary offers a capableness the original's ‌AirPlay‌ transportation does not provide.

The four-speaker situation dependable system is different notable crushed to take the newer generation. It requires the fourth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K and matching beforehand and rear talker pairs moving the latest software. You tin usage 4 ‌HomePod mini 2‌ speakers, oregon harvester a brace with a brace of full-sized second-generation HomePods. Original ‌HomePod‌ minis are excluded, and the required ‌Apple TV‌ 4K launches connected November 13.

‌Siri‌ AI is possibly the astir consequential improvement, offering much earthy conversations, broader wide knowledge, improved euphony discovery, and the quality to enactment connected idiosyncratic discourse crossed supported apps. However, it will not beryllium disposable astatine launch, and Apple has not yet announced a merchandise day for the feature.

Apple's requirements specify that the proprietor of the location successful the Home app indispensable person an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone oregon iPad with ‌Siri‌ AI enabled. Personal discourse requests necessitate the idiosyncratic user's compatible paired device, though different household members tin usage conversational and wide cognition features erstwhile ‌Siri‌ AI is enabled. Initial availability is planned successful English successful the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Should You Buy HomePod Mini oregon HomePod Mini 2?

The ‌HomePod mini 2‌ should beryllium the default prime for astir caller buyers erstwhile the terms quality is small. If remaining archetypal banal costs $129, paying different $20 provides the caller Mac and situation dependable capabilities, faster connectivity, Sound Glow, and eligibility for the forthcoming ‌Siri‌ AI update.

A substantially discounted archetypal ‌HomePod‌ mini remains worthy considering for straightforward euphony playback oregon adding astute location power to different room. Its worth is strongest erstwhile you volition usage the shared features and person small involvement successful the caller features.

Buying different archetypal besides makes consciousness if you already ain 1 and privation to make a stereo pair. Apple requires matching models for stereo pairing, truthful an archetypal ‌HomePod‌ mini and a ‌HomePod mini 2‌ cannot signifier a stereo pair.

‌HomePod mini 2‌ pre-orders are present open, with availability opening October 30.
This article, "HomePod Mini vs. HomePod Mini 2 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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