Apple's three-year-old smart speaker is getting the new AI brain too.
CNET's Jeff Carlson reports that Siri AI won't be exclusive to the new HomePod mini 2. The original HomePod mini, which runs on the older S5 chip, is set to gain Siri AI compatibility through a software update later this year alongside iOS 27.2. That's notable because Apple has pitched the HomePod mini 2's new S10 chip as the component that handles Siri AI processing. Apple's own website doesn't mention this detail yet, and CNET says it has asked the company to confirm.
This matters because it means Apple isn't gating Siri AI behind a hardware refresh, at least not entirely. Setting it up still requires a paired iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence support, and that same pairing is needed for anything involving personal context. But once enabled, Apple says even people without an Apple Intelligence-capable phone can use Siri AI's broader world knowledge, more natural conversation, and improved music search on the cheaper, older speaker.
If that holds up, it's a rare case of a company extending its flashiest AI feature to hardware it isn't currently selling as the premium option - worth watching whether the full Siri AI experience ends up identical on both chips, or just good enough.