Half a decade on from the release of its predecessor, word on the street is that Apple might finally be working on a HomePod mini 2, ready to shake up its pint-sized speaker lineup at some point in the year.
This follow-up to the original HomePod mini has long been considered unlikely to arrive, given how long its been since that miniature Apple HomePod was released. But at some point in the coming year, that could all change.
The HomePod mini 2, for those of you not versed in Apple product-name lingo, would be the fourth smart speaker from the company (or fifth, and more on that later). Based on its predecessor it could come as a cheaper, slightly specced-down version of 2023’s HomePod 2, to offer quality Apple-centric music and Siri integration for a (relatively) affordable price.
And rumors are breaking about the Apple HomePod mini 2, so here’s everything we know so far, to prepare you for what’s to come. After that, we look at what we really need to see in the HomePod mini 2 if it’s to compete in a hugely competitive market. With the device potentially arriving at the cusp of Apple Intelligence’s roll-out, there are many hopes to be kindled or allayed about the new speaker.
Apple HomePod mini 2 rumors
Let’s start with the HomePod mini 2 arrival rumors: it’s starting to sound very likely that the smart speaker will release at some point this year (that’s 2025, for people who are still easing themselves into all of this).
We heard once in 2024 and another time more recently that 2025 was likely going to be the year that the HomePod mini 2 gets announced. There were no specifics about a month, but the rumors implied that it could come before the new iPhone 17, which we’re expecting to see around September.
While the mini 2 is expected to be the fourth HomePod, it could actually be the fifth. Further rumors point to other new HomePod-adjacent devices being in the works, including one with a touchscreen and one in a pill shape. That HomePod-with-screen story actually goes back even further, to February 2022, when Siri apparently started slipping up by mentioning a HomePod display of some sort (and that was long before the HomePod 2 arrived, in January 2023).
Of course, this is Rumorville, so said devices could launch alongside the mini 2, before it, afterwards, or not at all – but still, it’s worth noting that other Apple home devices have been suggested by reputable tipsters.
So back to Apple’s apple-sized smart speaker offering you came here to read up on: what could the HomePod mini 2 be like under the hood?
One rumor points to it having a new and improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, with support for Wi-Fi 6E. This would basically make the device better at interacting with other ones, be it your smartphone, smart home gadgets or your internet router. The main benefit would be speed and reliability of connection.
And then another rumor points to an upgrade in the Siri department, which suggests that the mini 2’s smart assistant could get improvements. As many TechRadar staffers will attest, the current HomePod Mini has issues in this department.
Another tangentially-related piece of news is that although Siri might get a bit better at hearing your music requests or answering basic questions, Apple allegedly has no interest in bringing Apple Intelligence to HomePods, which would presumably include the future mini 2.
What we want to see in the Apple HomePod Mini 2
1. Improved Siri
This one probably goes without saying, since it was most people’s gripe with the HomePod Mini 1, but Siri needs some improvements in the new model.
In the original device, many found Siri to struggle at hearing comprehension, or in responding in an intelligent (or intelligible) way.
Siri works pretty well on phones and tablets, even if it’s not the dominant smart assistant, and the HomePod Mini 2 really needs to catch up to other iDevices if it’s to find a space on many people’s shelves.
2. A better range of colors at launch
When it came out, the Apple HomePod mini came in white and black colors, and the company also released orange, yellow and blue versions a year later. The HomePod 2 came in just black and white, Apple’s favorite colors for speakers apparently.
Well, I want more. I want Apple to offer the mini 2 in a range of colors from day one, so people who like a bit of vibrancy in life don’t have to settle for boring options or wait to buy an interesting one later down the line.
The HomePod mini already looks sci-fi with its spherical grid so let’s see silver, let’s see gold, let’s see bright green or fiery red or regal purple.
3. Audio improvements
In our HomePod mini 2 review, we were really impressed by the audio chops of the speaker. However, that device came out in 2020, and five years have brought some improvements in the audio sector.
Our ‘demands’ are that the mini 2 brings some sonic improvements to its ageing predecessor, to reflect five years of change. Asking for a subwoofer might be a tall order for a small device, but tweaks to drivers and the original HomePod’s computational audio improvements would be nice.
If we’re being honest, full Hi-Res Lossless playback support (ie. Apple Music’s top-tier resolution) would be great. Currently, the HomePod mini only supports Apple Music Lossless up to 24-bit/48kHz (not full Hi-Res Lossless) but a truer Dolby Atmos sound, with an upgraded driver that’d handle the bass better, would also be a noble upgrade.
4. No price increase… or a discount
The HomePod mini was surprisingly affordable as Apple products go, with its price pitting it as a rival to equivalent Amazon products (almost).
But if Apple is working on a touch-screen HomePod, it’d be smart for Apple to keep the mini 2 as an alternative option for people who don’t want a touch-screen speaker but do want something affordable with Siri at the helm and Apple Music as their music platform.
That’d be doubly true if Apple reduces the price, or at least bundles in an Apple Music subscription or equivalent to make it a truly competitively-priced product.
5. New features beyond Apple Intelligence
For the cynics amongst us (who perhaps aren’t impressed by the Cupertino giant’s rebranding of AI to mean ‘Apple Intelligence’), the HomePod mini 2 is going to need to introduce some useful features to win over people.
The HomePod 2 introduced temperature and humidity sensors which was an interesting addition, and while our review said these features “aren’t much of a push to buy on their own”, more tools in this direction might be a nice get.
For example, ambience sensors to intelligently adapt volume, reverse wireless charging or an easy-to-use on-board equalizer settings (that don’t require an app) are all tools which might push the needle for people who don’t care about AI.
Finally, this is a small and would-be-portable speaker (see the Sonos Roam 2) if it hadn’t been designed to be plugged into a power socket at all times to function. Might Apple add an onboard battery, so it could chop and change between your home Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and thus play away from home? That would be nice…