The HomePod Mini is getting its first real update in nearly six years.
Apple opened preorders today for the HomePod Mini 2, priced at $149 and shipping October 30th. The new model runs Apple's S10 chip, the same silicon that debuted in the Apple Watch Series 10. Siri AI support is coming too, but only after a future software update. Pair it with the new Apple TV 4K and you get a four-speaker surround setup, or use it as speakers for a Mac with Wi-Fi 6E.
Six years is a long gap for a $149 product to go unchanged, and the fact that the price hasn't moved is the real story here. Apple is betting the smart-speaker category still needs a cheap, no-fuss entry point even as rivals push voice assistants further into AI territory.
Apple's revamped Siri has already slipped past one deadline, so treat 'Siri AI after a future update' as a promise, not a feature you get on October 30th.