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Apple announced the HomePod Mini 2, a $149 smart speaker with an S10 chip, five color options and Siri AI features planned for a future update. A CNET reporter heard a four-speaker demonstration and described its sound as room-filling, but the speaker has not yet received a full review. Apple has not detailed when the AI features will arrive or how they will be priced.
Apple announced the HomePod Mini 2 at its Welcome Home event, setting a $149 starting price and an Oct. 30 store release for the new smart speaker. The model adds an S10 chip and is slated to receive Siri AI features in a future update, though Apple has not given a release date or pricing details for those features.
The roughly 4-inch speaker is available to preorder and comes in five colors, including green and blue. Its price is nearly $50 higher than the previous HomePod Mini, according to the supplied CNET report. Apple says the S10 chip analyzes music in real time to optimize playback. The speaker also has a full-range driver and dual passive radiators designed to provide 360-degree sound.
At the event, CNET reporter Ajay Kumar listened to four HomePod Mini 2 units playing together. He described the result as richer and more room-filling than he expected from speakers that size, and said turning off two of the speakers made the sound less robust. That was a demonstration, not a full product review or a controlled comparison with competing speakers.
Apple says future Siri AI features will use contextual information from iPhone activity to handle requests, such as finding a song referred to in a text message or locating a recipe in email and adding its ingredients to a shopping list. The HomePod Mini 2 also supports basic Siri requests, Apple Home device control, and a feature that can listen for fire alarms and send alerts when the owner is away. Apple says up to four speakers can be linked, and the Mini 2 works with the new Apple TV 4K announced at the event.
A Higher Price for Apple Home
The Mini 2 raises the entry price for Apple’s small smart speaker while making Siri AI a key part of its pitch. For people already using iPhones, Apple Home devices and services such as Apple Music, the ability to draw on information in messages or email could make voice requests more useful. The announced examples depend on future software, however, so buyers cannot yet judge how reliably or broadly those features will work.
The speaker also arrives amid competition from newer products by Amazon and Google. Apple’s event demo suggests that linking several Mini 2 units may improve coverage across a room, but the company’s claims and a brief hands-on session do not establish how it compares with rivals in everyday listening. The nearly $50 price increase makes sound quality, AI availability and compatibility important questions for prospective buyers.
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What Apple Announced at the Event
The HomePod Mini 2 was part of Apple’s Welcome Home event, which also introduced the HomeView smart display and a new Apple TV 4K. The announcement followed recent smart-speaker releases from Amazon and Google, placing Apple’s new model into a market where companies are promoting both connected-speaker setups and AI-assisted voice controls.
Despite the new chip and Apple’s audio optimization claim, the reported hardware design resembles the original HomePod Mini: both use a full-range driver and dual passive radiators. The available information does not describe a redesigned speaker system. CNET’s report also says Apple’s listed audio services include Apple Music, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and Audacy, but does not mention Spotify or Tidal.
“The four HomePods set up for the Mini 2 produced surprisingly room-filling sound.”
— Ajay Kumar, CNET reporter, describing the event demonstration
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AI Timing and Audio Tests Pending
Apple has not specified when the Siri AI update will arrive, whether it will require a subscription, or whether any features will be limited by region, language or device setup. The company’s examples describe intended capabilities; the report does not establish how they will perform in regular use. CNET’s supplied report also contains a correction: despite an earlier statement suggesting older HomePods might get Siri AI, Apple confirmed that the features will be available only on HomePod Mini 2.
It is also not yet clear how the Mini 2’s audio compares with the first-generation speaker or current Amazon and Google models. The shared driver-and-radiator description leaves open what changes, beyond the S10 chip and software processing, affect sound. Apple has not confirmed support for Spotify or Tidal in the information cited by CNET, and the report does not explain how older HomePod Mini units will work alongside the new model in linked-speaker setups.
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Reviews and Siri Details Ahead
Preorders are open, with the HomePod Mini 2 scheduled to reach stores on Oct. 30. CNET said it plans to test the speaker’s audio and compare its linked-speaker capabilities with competing products once review units are available. Those tests should provide evidence beyond the event demonstration.
For buyers weighing a preorder, the next useful information will be Apple’s timing and terms for Siri AI, along with independent listening tests and confirmation of music-service compatibility. Until those details are available, the announced capabilities and event impressions should be treated as early information rather than a complete assessment of the product.
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Key Questions
How much does the HomePod Mini 2 cost?
Apple set the starting price at $149. The supplied CNET report says that is nearly $50 more than the previous HomePod Mini.
When does the HomePod Mini 2 go on sale?
Apple opened preorders with store availability scheduled for Oct. 30. The supplied report does not specify a year for that date.
Which HomePod models will get Siri AI?
Apple confirmed, according to CNET’s correction, that the Siri AI features will be available only on the HomePod Mini 2. The report gives no rollout date.
What did early listeners say about the sound?
CNET’s Ajay Kumar heard four speakers playing together at Apple’s event and described the sound as room-filling and richer than he expected. That demonstration does not establish how one speaker performs or how the product compares in full testing.
Does the HomePod Mini 2 support Spotify?
The supplied report lists Apple Music, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and Audacy, but does not mention Spotify or Tidal. Apple’s support for those services is not confirmed in the cited material.
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