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HomePod Mini 2 Expected Later This Year With These New Features

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Apple released the HomePod mini nearly five years ago, so you may be wondering when a new version of the speaker will finally arrive.

homepod-mini-thumb-feature.jpg

Below, we recap rumors about a next-generation HomePod mini.

HomePod mini: Timeline
HomePod mini 2: Rumors

In January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was aiming to release a new HomePod mini "toward the end of the year." If that timeframe remains accurate, the HomePod mini 2 will likely be released in September, October, or November this year.

The new HomePod mini will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Gurman. He said the chip will support Wi-Fi 6E, which is much faster and has lower latency compared to the current HomePod mini's Wi-Fi 4.

No other features or changes have been rumored yet, but improved sound quality and a newer processor are safe bets. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. The speaker could also be updated with Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which debuted in iPhone 15 models.

New color options are likely as well.

Article Link: HomePod Mini 2 Expected Later This Year With These New Features
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/07/14/homepod-mini-2-expected-later-this-year/
I have two of these little bastards in my home and have such mixed feelings. They do a decent job of playing audio in multiple rooms, but for whatever reason they are absolutely idiotic at recognizing what room I'm in. So many times I've made a clear command to one that is less than five feet away from me in one room, only to hear that command responded to (often wrongly) from the other HomePod Mini, two rooms away. And that's not even touching on the intense, almost willful stupidity of Siri. It somehow manages to screw up even the simplified set of commands I try to stick to to avoid trouble.

If there's some measurable improvement in performance and accuracy I'd consider it, but given how behind Siri is, I'm not optimistic.
 
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I have 4 of the HomePod Minis and I will say this: don't buy them for Siri. They do work great as a stereo pair in conjunction with our Apple TV, and the other 2 are nice for playing music that can be heard in the rest of the house. The sound quality is good, and if you can get them on sale (I paid something like $70, on average) they are a good deal since they integrate well with an Apple ecosystem.
 
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ignatius345 said:
I have two of these little bastards in my home and have such mixed feelings. They do a decent job of playing audio in multiple rooms, but for whatever reason they are absolutely idiotic at recognizing what room I'm in. So many times I've made a clear command to one that is less than five feet away from me in one room, only to hear that command responded to (often wrongly) from the other HomePod Mini, two rooms away. And that's not even touching on the intense, almost willful stupidity of Siri. It somehow manages to screw up even the simplified set of commands I try to stick to to avoid trouble.

If there's some measurable improvement in performance and accuracy I'd consider it, but given how behind Siri is, I'm not optimistic.
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Hopefully these aren't shipped until Apple corrects the Siri debacle. I, too have such a hard time with Siri on HomePod mini, especially trying to answer my "Hey Siri" requests to my iPhone from the other room in the house, only to refer me to the results on my iPhone anyway. Home automation and shortcuts fail almost daily now.
 
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I don't think Apple realizes how much of an ecosystem win they'd have if they made Siri even a little bit better and/or improved the Home/HomeKit experience. So many people just go with Amazon or Google (and thus Android) because of how much better their smart ecosystem is.
 
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I have 3 and really like them but wired and WiFi is just too limiting. If they can make them Bluetooth and WiFi that would be great. Also make them USB-C if you can’t make them battery powered
 
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Not expecting much to change but better sound quality is a given along with a new chip. Apple will probably change the colors too.
 
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I have 2. One is simply disconnected as they are only used to play music, which they can’t from a music server. So it is a bit worthless to me, and we do have apple music but only for my spouse. I really don’t like them at all.
 
My current Mini is basically dead because it keeps resetting itself for no reason. Seems like they are having touch sensor issue. Its sad that all we can do is throw it away and buy a new one. No support whatsoever from Apple!
 
Timpetus said:
I have 4 of the HomePod Minis and I will say this: don't buy them for Siri. They do work great as a stereo pair in conjunction with our Apple TV, and the other 2 are nice for playing music that can be heard in the rest of the house. The sound quality is good, and if you can get them on sale (I paid something like $70, on average) they are a good deal since they integrate well with an Apple ecosystem.
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I would say the opposite: Don’t buy them for sound quality, at least if you ever lived with good speakers. Even something like the JBL Flip 6 sounds way better. Do buy them if you need something stationary to receive simple Siri voice commands for alarms, timers, or lights.
 
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I hope they have a battery powered option with MagSafe connector. The bottom of them is almost the exact size of the phone MagSafe connector. I would love to be able to tae them with me on trips, or to my backyard by the pool or for parties etc (not that I have a lot of those anymore). I also think it's bizarre how hard it is to use them with Siri.
 
They need to be able to store ringtones/chimes. Right now, we have some automations set to announce things but the announcements are missed because you can’t start with a chime of some kind (as far as I know)
 
If you haven't listened to them in a stereo pair, in near field listening, you are missing out. That is where the audio quality shines. I also control them via iTunes on my Mac, so I don't use the Siri part.
 
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greenbreadmmm said:
It'll be interesting to see how audio quality improves, if any.

To make another $99 HomePod mini in 2025, I imagine they'll have to apply some cost cutting measures.

I worry the only "improvement" will be "better audio processing" from the newer chip, but a worse overall build quality.
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The new one would probably cost more (I think the mini started at $149 before going down to $99) and maybe the old one will get a discounted price.
 
Best use case for these is on nightstands for a bedroom TV. Great sound quality, clear vocals and you dont have to turn the TV way up when the kids are in bed. They're also handy for when you want audio in a room but quality isnt vital. They don't have enough bass for my tastes, but they're good for passive listening or the news (or the podcasts my 9 year old must have before bed). I agree with the calls to fix Siri. It's somehow gotten worse over the years.
 
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