Apple announces the HomePod Mini 2, but it isn’t ready for Siri AI at launch
The Verge Jennifer Pattison Tuohy ● Covered by 4 sources
Apple’s HomePod Mini 2 is here, but Siri AI won’t work at launch. It gets a new chip, a glow trick, and a $149 price tag.
Based on reporting by The Verge, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy — read the original for the full story.
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Apple has announced the HomePod Mini 2, the follow-up to its small smart speaker. The headline feature is a new chip that can handle Siri AI, although Apple says those AI features won’t be available when the speaker ships.
That makes this a slightly awkward launch. The hardware is ready for the next wave of Siri, but the software side is still waiting in the wings. Apple is selling the promise now and the payoff later.
There are some actual upgrades to talk about. The speaker adds a new sound glow feature that syncs its LED lights with a song’s album art, and it can now serve as a Mac’s default speaker. Up to four units can also pair with the new Apple TV 4K for surround sound.
Price is moving up, too. The HomePod Mini 2 starts at $149, which is $20 more than the previous model, and that older version is being discontinued. Color choices now include pink, green, a new shade of blue, white, and black.
Preorders open today, October 13th. Apple has done the usual neat trick here: ship the hardware, tease the smarter future, and ask buyers to wait a bit for the part that sounded most interesting in the first place.
My take — AI-written commentary, not fact-checked reporting
This is classic Apple: sell the future in a box and let the software catch up later. Fine if you like polished hardware, less charming if the main selling point is still somewhere on Apple’s roadmap. It’s the sort of move that keeps the upgrade treadmill spinning without breaking a sweat.
Read more about this at: The Verge
