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A hands-on report by The Verge says Apple’s $149 HomePod Mini 2 responds faster than the original, adds a green color and supports locking its touch controls. The main disappointment is that the promised Siri AI is not available yet; the report also says the Mac speaker feature did not meet expectations, though the supplied source cuts off before explaining why.
The Verge’s hands-on report says Apple’s $149 HomePod Mini 2 responds to music and smart-home requests much faster than the original, while its promised Siri AI remains unavailable. The report highlights three practical upsides—a quicker assistant, a new green finish and the option to disable touch controls—but raises a disappointment around the speaker’s intended role as a default Mac speaker; the supplied account ends before giving the details of that criticism.
The reviewer tested a pair of HomePod Mini 2 speakers in a home office for a couple of days. They report that the devices regularly answered basic requests in under three seconds, compared with waits of up to 10 seconds they often experienced on the first-generation model. In the test, music began within a few seconds, a question about the World Series was answered in under two seconds, and commands to turn off a light or open shades took under three seconds.
Apple’s new model uses an S10 chip, up from the original’s S5, and supports Wi-Fi 6E rather than Wi-Fi 4, according to the report. The reviewer says those changes help make routine tasks feel faster. However, the more advanced Siri AI features are not available yet. Apple said they would arrive “later” in a software update, and the reviewer found that a question about who would win the U.S. midterm elections still prompted Siri to offer web results on an iPhone.
The report also notes that the speaker hardware was not upgraded. In the reviewer’s listening tests, the Mini 2 still delivered clear vocals and mids and handled bass well for a small speaker; two units paired for stereo produced room-filling sound in the office. The reviewer praised the deep green finish and a new Home app setting that locks the top touch controls. A separate Sound Glow effect matches the LEDs to album art, but the report says it works with Apple Music and Podcasts and is subtle.
Faster Responses, Pending Siri AI
The most consequential improvement described in the test is not a new audio format or speaker component, but reduced waiting during everyday voice and smart-home tasks. For people who already use HomePods to control lights, shades or music, responses under three seconds could make the device feel more dependable than the original, according to the reviewer’s experience. The faster performance is a hands-on observation, not an independent benchmark across all homes or network conditions.
The report also separates what buyers can use now from what Apple has promised. The speed gains and touch-control lock were available to the reviewer, while Siri AI is still pending. That distinction matters for anyone considering an upgrade mainly for new AI capabilities: the report does not show those features working, and Apple has not provided a specific arrival date in the material supplied.
At $149, the second-generation model costs $50 more than the original’s $99 launch price, as the report notes. Because Apple did not update the speakers, buyers weighing the price need to decide whether quicker processing, newer Wi-Fi, a preferred color and the control lock justify the cost for their own use. The reviewer’s positive view of stereo sound is based on a pair of units, which cost $300 together.
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How It Compares With the Original
Apple introduced the first HomePod Mini six years before the new model, according to The Verge’s account. The reviewer initially judged the second generation as a modest update because it raised the price from the original’s $99 launch price to $149 without changing the speaker hardware. After testing the new units, the reviewer was more positive, chiefly because ordinary Siri and smart-home tasks felt substantially quicker.
The report describes the new model as a chip and connectivity update, with the S10 replacing the S5 and Wi-Fi 6E replacing Wi-Fi 4. It also reports new visual and control features. The control-lock setting in the Home app applies to older HomePods as well as the new Mini, while Sound Glow is also described as compatible with the first-generation Mini and second-generation HomePod. These details mean some of the software changes are not exclusive to buyers of the new speaker.
The reviewer’s assessment is based on a short test in a home office, including a stereo pair. It is not a full review of long-term performance, sound across different rooms, or how the device behaves on every home network. The report’s supplied text ends as it begins discussing the Mac default-speaker feature, limiting what can be stated about that part of the hands-on experience.
““regularly responding in under three seconds””
— The Verge reviewer, describing the tested response times
AI Timing and Mac Audio Results
The supplied report does not give a date for the promised Siri AI update, list the features it will include, or establish whether its performance will match the reviewer’s expectations. The report also does not provide enough of the Mac-speaker discussion to explain what the reviewer found disappointing about using the Mini 2 as a default speaker.
Other limits remain: the hands-on test covered a couple of days and a home office, with no controlled comparison data or longer-term reliability findings. The reviewer’s sound assessment reflects personal listening to music and a stereo pair; it does not establish how the speaker will perform in every room or for every listener. The source also does not provide detailed pricing or availability information beyond the stated $149 price and comparison with the original’s launch price.
Awaiting Apple’s Software Update
The next stated milestone is Apple’s promised Siri AI software update, which the company said would arrive “later.” The supplied material gives no date, so readers will need to wait for Apple to announce availability and describe the capabilities included.
For the Mac feature, the remaining next step is a fuller account of the reviewer’s test: the available source introduces the responsive, persistent AirPlay connection but stops mid-sentence. Until that result is available, the Mac-speaker disappointment cannot be described more specifically. Buyers can evaluate the reported speed, touch lock and sound observations now, while treating the AI and Mac-use questions as unresolved.
Key Questions
What is the HomePod Mini 2’s price?
The Verge report gives a price of $149 and compares it with the original HomePod Mini’s $99 launch price.
Is the new Siri AI available on the HomePod Mini 2?
No. The report says Apple described the Siri AI update as coming “later”, without providing a release date in the supplied material.
What changes does the report identify?
The report points to an S10 chip instead of the original’s S5, Wi-Fi 6E instead of Wi-Fi 4, a new green finish, a touch-control lock setting and Sound Glow. It says the speaker hardware itself was not upgraded.
Can owners disable the HomePod’s touch controls?
The reviewer says a new setting in the Home app lets users lock the top controls. According to the report, the setting applies to older HomePods as well as the Mini 2.
What was the reviewer’s disappointment?
The report flags the Mac default-speaker feature as a disappointment, but the supplied source cuts off before explaining the test result. It also says the promised Siri AI was not yet available, so the reasons for the Mac criticism remain unclear.
Source: theverge.com
