Apple unveils HomePod mini 2 with Siri AI, Sound Glow and $149 price

Siri AI arrives later via software update

According to Apple, Siri AI is a "profoundly more capable and conversational assistant" built on a new architecture that uses the latest generation of Apple Foundation Models. It will not be present at launch: Apple says it is coming to HomePod mini 2 in a future software update.

When the speaker is paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, it can draw on a user's personal context. Apple says HomePod mini can recognize up to six users in a household by voice and connect securely to their devices across apps such as Messages and timers. Siri AI can also act on this context across iPhone and iPad apps, for example finding a song a friend recommended in a text, setting a reminder tied to a calendar event or location, locating a recipe from an email, or adding ingredients to a grocery list.

Siri AI can also answer questions on almost any topic by pulling up-to-date information from the web. Apple says that once Siri AI is enabled, even users without an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad get its broad world knowledge, natural conversation and improved music discovery.

The company says Siri AI will be available in English in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK.

Audio, surround sound and Sound Glow

HomePod mini 2 is powered by the Apple S10 chip and advanced computational audio, which analyzes music in real time to optimize dynamic range, loudness and acoustic performance, according to Apple. It can be used as a single speaker, in a stereo pair or in a multiroom setup.

For the first time, users can build a four-speaker surround sound setup with Apple TV 4K (4th generation) and HomePod mini 2. The speakers and the new Apple TV 4K recognize each speaker's position in the room, so audio timing and levels are calibrated automatically. The new HomePod mini can also serve as the default speaker for Mac, covering movies, gaming, FaceTime and video calls.

A new feature called Sound Glow turns the top of the speaker into a visual canvas that glows and pulses with the music, reacting to bass and treble. Album artwork from Now Playing generates a color-matched light display for each song, and users can pick a soundscape such as rain to trigger animations.

Smart home, privacy and environment

HomePod mini 2 acts as a home hub. By voice, users can lock the front door, close the garage, lower blinds, adjust the thermostat or turn off lights. Through the Home app on iPhone they can control accessories at home or away, and create automations and scenes.

Sound Recognition listens for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and sends a notification to the user's iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. The speaker also works with Apple Home Collection video doorbells and cameras, using Face Recognition to announce who is at the door.

On privacy, Apple says Siri requests on HomePod mini 2 can use on-device processing or Private Cloud Compute. According to Apple, data processed in Private Cloud Compute is not stored or made accessible to Apple or anyone else.

Apple also says the product uses 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled copper, gold plating and tin solder in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards. Its paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based, per the company, which is aiming to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030.

Price, colors and what it means for buyers

HomePod mini 2 comes in pink, green, blue, white and midnight. Customers in the U.S. and more than 23 other countries and regions can pre-order from apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app, with in-store availability from Friday, October 30. The U.S. price is $149, and the speaker is compatible with HomePod software 27.2.

For buyers, the key point is timing: the headline Siri AI features depend on a future software update, and Apple has not given a date in the announcement. The speaker's audio, Sound Glow and smart home functions are described as part of the product itself, while Siri AI is limited to English in the listed countries.

"With Siri AI, it understands you better than ever," said Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Home Product Marketing.