APPLE REFRESHES HOMEPOD MINI WITH NEW CHIP AND COLOURS

Apple held a smart home event on Tuesday at which its new HomeView device took centre stage, while the company also unveiled an updated HomePod mini speaker, officially named the HomePod mini 2. The new model carries Apple's S10 chip, which the company says improves dynamic range, loudness and acoustic performance compared with the original. Apple confirmed that Siri's new AI capabilities will come to the speaker, though not at launch — the feature will arrive through a future software update, with no timeframe specified. The HomePod mini 2 is priced at $149, up from the $99 charged for the original HomePod mini when it launched in 2020. It is available for pre-order now, with units shipping from 30 October.

Visually, the new speaker closely resembles its predecessor, with the main change being additional colour options: blue, green and pink join the existing white and Midnight fabric covers. Apple has added a feature called Sound Glow, which lights the speaker's light panel to mirror the colours of playing album artwork, or to display patterns such as raindrops or ocean waves when a soundscape is selected. Two HomePod mini 2 units can now serve as a persistent AirPlay speaker pair for any Mac or MacBook. In the living room, up to four HomePod mini 2 units can be paired with a new Apple TV 4K for surround sound, an expansion from the previous two-speaker limit, and the feature also works with the second-generation HomePod, allowing a mixed set-up of two of each model.

Apple did not say when Siri's AI features would reach the HomePod mini 2 beyond confirming support is planned, leaving the update's full capability unresolved at launch. Pre-orders opened on the day of the announcement, with general availability set for 30 October.