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Is the HomePod Mini a Good Gift Still? Here's What to Consider

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At $99 in the U.S., the HomePod mini is a more affordable gift option for Apple enthusiasts. However, the speaker was released just over four years ago, so you may be wondering if it is still worth purchasing or if you should hold off.

homepod-mini-thumb-feature.jpg

Below, we outline three things to take into consideration.

First, there have been rumors about a HomePod mini 2, but none of them are recent.

The firmest rumor came from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Back in February 2023, he said mass shipments of a new HomePod mini would begin in the second half of 2024. However, heading into the final month of the year, it is unclear if that production has actually started or if it will soon. There has been no talk about a HomePod mini 2 being imminent, so a launch seems unlikely until 2025 at the earliest, barring a surprise announcement.

Kuo did not reveal any new features planned for the next HomePod mini, but potential upgrades could include a newer chip for improved audio, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for a lower-latency Handoff experience, and new color options. The current HomePod mini is equipped with an S5 chip and a U1 chip.

While the HomePod mini has received no major hardware upgrades since it was released in November 2020, Apple has refreshed its color options a few times. The speaker was released in Blue, Orange, and Yellow in November 2021, and Space Gray was replaced with a virtually-identical Midnight finish in July of this year.

The second thing to take into consideration is that Apple reportedly plans to release an all-new smart home hub as early as March 2025. The hub is expected to feature around a 6-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, so the device could essentially be a more useful alternative to the HomePod mini. It has been predicted that the hub could be priced in the $199 to $299 range, so an Apple gift card that someone could use towards that device next year is another idea to consider.

Third, Siri is widely considered to be an inferior digital assistant compared to the likes of Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant. It's something to keep in mind depending on how much your giftee plans to use voice commands.

If you do go ahead with gifting a HomePod mini this year, that is a fine choice too. The speaker is a bit outdated now, but it remains an adequate speaker for its price, and it will continue to serve its purpose for several years.

Article Link: Is the HomePod Mini a Good Gift Still? Here's What to Consider
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/27/is-the-homepod-mini-a-good-gift-still/
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No, no and no again.

The article doesn't say whether the HomePod mini is a good choice. The article helps to keep you unhappy as a reader. Addicted to the latest products and always spending money.

You want to know if the HomePod mini is a good gift?
First of all, it is an inexpensive HomeKit control center. The successor will be more cost more.
Secondly, it's a nice speaker that can do just that: Play music. Both via Internet or with AirPlay.
It is available in many colors and therefore fits into almost any interior.
The HomePod mini has a temperature and humidity sensor for IFTT.

Is it what you or the recipient want or what he would be happy with?
Then buy.

Don't hope for something that doesn't yet exist.
Hopes and expectations will only make you unhappy. It doesn't matter whether you buy the new device or the old one.

Don't buy the latest product, which is often described as obsolete by Macrumors even before release. Buy what suits your needs.
 
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No. Nice try, but no.

The only thing they're good at is as a stereo pair. So if you buy two for someone who has (or along with) and Apple TV and and set it up for them, maybe.

Other than than, it's outdated and will never receive new features. It's not clear that Apple cares about the HomePods at all, but if they do there will likely be a new one that at least has better Siri.

I mean yeah it could be a good gag gift if you want to see someone struggle with Siri.

Macrumors' own buyer's guide says "caution" which I think is being extremely generous. 1500 days without an update, its main feature and only interface (Siri) is approaching obsolescence, etc etc.
 
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The engineers have been working feverishly since June to add the new Siri edge glow, which will be the only new feature. There will be Kim K editions in various skin tones. And Apple will delay the release to coincide with iOS 19.4.

(jk obv)
 
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Personally, what I did and what I'd suggest for most people, is to buy one of these in good condition used from somewhere like eBay. I got each of mine for about $50 a while ago.
 
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con2apple said:
No, no and no again.

The article doesn't say whether the HomePod mini is a good choice. The article helps to keep you unhappy as a reader. Addicted to the latest products and always spending money.

You want to know if the HomePod mini is a good gift?
First of all, it is an inexpensive HomeKit control center. The successor will be more cost more.
Secondly, it's a nice speaker that can do just that: Play music. Both via Internet or with AirPlay.
It is available in many colors and therefore fits into almost any interior.
The HomePod mini has a temperature and humidity sensor for IFTT.

Is it what you or the recipient want or what he would be happy with?
Then buy.

Don't hope for something that doesn't yet exist.
Hopes and expectations will only make you unhappy. It doesn't matter whether you buy the new device or the old one.

Don't buy the latest product, which is often described as obsolete by Macrumors even before release. Buy what suits your needs.
Click to expand...

The new one comes in midnight though


1732729773035.png
 
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pheonix320 said:
when my HomePod mini is playing music or a podcast, if I ask it to turn the volume up, it always responds with:
“I’ll speak louder”

It won’t do the most basic functions
Click to expand...
EXACTLY!!! I often wonder, who in the hell is in charge of programming this thing? Do they even use it in their homes??? 99.9% of the time, I want to play music louder or softer. I am left confused when I say "Siri, volume up" and she responds with "I'll speak louder..." WTF Apple???
 
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macmac30 said:
EXACTLY!!! I often wonder, who in the hell is in charge of programming this thing? Do they even use it in their homes??? 99.9% of the time, I want to play music louder or softer. I am left confused when I say "Siri, volume up" and she responds with "I'll speak louder..." WTF Apple???
Click to expand...

When I still (tried) using Siri, I would say "Hey Siri", and then my watch and Homepod, or iPhone and Homepod would both wake, decide that the other was listening, and would cancel each other out... every...single...time.

Now it's just a temp and humidity monitor in our home office for our hvac.
 
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Siri on the HomePod mini is stupid and glitchy, my wife has to walk out of the room with her iPhone to ask Siri a complex question because the HomePod mini gives such silly answers. And, the sound on the unit is tinny. I have the original HomePod, even though Siri on it is just as stupid, the music on it is still sensational. Until Apple figures out how to incorporate their AI into the HomePod, it is becoming more useless.
 
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"Hey Siri, turn off the lights" I whisper quietly as to not wake my wife.

"OK, I'LL TURN OFF THE LIGHTS. 4 OF YOUR LIGHTS ARE NOT RESPONDING" she screams back at me.

<All of the lights turn off>

I swear she used to respond at the same volume that you would speak to her, but since the iOS 18 "update" she's worse than ever.

Given the privacy concerns I have of putting a smart speaker in my bedroom, are there any other, better, alternatives?
 
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HenryAH said:
Siri on the HomePod mini is stupid and glitchy, my wife has to walk out of the room with her iPhone to ask Siri a complex question because the HomePod mini gives such silly answers. And, the sound on the unit is tinny. I have the original HomePod, even though Siri on it is just as stupid, the music on it is still sensational. Until Apple figures out how to incorporate their AI into the HomePod, it is becoming more useless.
Click to expand...
Holding down the power/standby button on an iPhone invokes Siri. I use that for the moments where I want my phone to handle the request instead of my HomePod mini.
 
It's not bad but do Not expect much from it, esp. from Siri.

Me: Siri, what's the temperature outside?
Siri: I can't tell. But have some websites if you want...
- Despite standing 1 ft. in front of the speaker.
Me: Siri, what.. is.. the.. temp.. outside? [speak slowly]
Siri: It's 'xx' degrees outside.

Don't use the reverse/fast forward controls on the iPhone when listening to music or esp. audiobooks. There's ~5~10 sec. pause and may even disconnect.
Yet, using those same functions on the iPhone, there are no such issues.

You set the volume to midlevel yet when music or audio plays, the volume level sometimes goes Up and needs to be readjusted.

If you want one... Best thing to do is buy an 'open box' unit, say from BestBuy or eBay, which are usually Returned Items from people who tried it, didn't like it so returned it. If you're lucky, you can get it for ~$70~$80, sometimes with free shipping if bought online, or pick up at a nearby BB, if available. Remember to wipe down the units and power cable.
Not worth paying full price for the units.
Got 2 for the living room as stereo paired speakers and 1 for the bedroom. Got some wooden stands for each, which improved the sound.
 
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Not a single person here says anything good about Siris/HomePods 'Smart' capabilities. So my question is - How is Apple not listening to these concerns for years now?

Yes, I do have to scream at Siri, out of frustration, because it/she(whatever) doesnt respond when I ask it in normal voice, most of the time.
 
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If you want the Mini primarily as a speaker it punches above its weight when you consider its size and especially the improvement when using a stereo pair. It's an ideal choice in places like kitchens where space to mount bigger, better speakers may be limited.
The worst thing about them is Siri and, for users in the UK the inability for the user to call up any BBC radio station without resorting to quite a convoluted Shortcut routine. Neither the BBC or Apple seem willing to resolve this but our pair work reliably with the shortcut in place.

I think it's a shame that Apple don't put more work into audio elements such as speakers. The least they could do otherwise is to support legacy/passive/active speakers with a new AirPort Express but I'm 100% sure that will never happen.
 
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Slix said:
Personally, what I did and what I'd suggest for most people, is to buy one of these in good condition used from somewhere like eBay. I got each of mine for about $50 a while ago.
Click to expand...
Likewise, did the same. Bought two for stereo use. Much better in Stereo. Airplay has 2s delay with things like Youtube from Mac. Siri is useless on it. I added a pair of stands (Etsy - £45 pair) which greatly elevated the sound. One thing (important), a solid internet connection is a must.
 
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klasma said:
It never was.
Click to expand...
Agreed, but IMO, it's because our enjoyment of speakers and headphones is entirely too subjective. If someone gives AirPods Pro or a HomePod, they should be sure to include a gift receipt, preferably from a retailer where the recipient is likely to find something they like better, if need be.
 
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