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A hands-on report finds Apple’s $149 HomePod Mini 2 faster at music playback and smart-home commands, with a new option to lock its touch controls. The speaker hardware is unchanged, Siri’s promised AI features are not available yet, and the reviewer found the Mac default-speaker experience disappointing.
A hands-on review of Apple’s $149 HomePod Mini 2 found that it responds more quickly to music and smart-home requests than the first-generation model, but its speakers have not been upgraded. The review also praises a new setting to disable touch controls, while reporting disappointment with the speaker’s use as a default Mac speaker; Apple’s promised Siri AI features are not yet available.
The reviewer tested two HomePod Mini 2 speakers in a home office for a couple of days. They reported that Siri commonly responded in under three seconds to commands, including playing music and controlling lights or shades. The reviewer attributed the improvement to the new S10 chip, replacing the original Mini’s S5, and Wi-Fi 6E support, replacing Wi-Fi 4. They contrasted those results with waits of up to 10 seconds they had often encountered on the older model.
Apple’s more significant Siri AI upgrade is not part of the current experience: the company says it will arrive in a software update “later.” In the meantime, the reviewer found that routine smart-home actions often happen with less spoken confirmation than on the first-generation speaker. More complex questions still prompted Siri to offer web results on an iPhone, according to the report.
The report says Apple kept the Mini 2’s speaker system unchanged. The reviewer nevertheless described its sound as capable for its size, with clear vocals and mids and enough bass for music. A pair set up as stereo speakers filled the home office with sound, though the reviewer considered $300 for two steep for computer speakers. Other changes include a deep green color, an optional Sound Glow effect that matches the LEDs to album artwork, and a Home app setting that locks the top touch controls. Sound Glow works with Apple Music and Podcasts and is also available on some older HomePods, the report says.
Faster Commands, Unchanged Audio
The review suggests the clearest case for upgrading is responsiveness, particularly for people who regularly use a HomePod to play music or control a smart home. Shorter waits and less verbal confirmation can make routine interactions feel more immediate, although this is one reviewer’s experience rather than a controlled performance test.
The unchanged speaker hardware limits the case for an audio-driven upgrade. Buyers are paying $149 instead of $99 for the original model’s launch price, while the report’s strongest gains are in processing, wireless connectivity, and usability rather than sound hardware. And shoppers should not treat future Siri AI capabilities as part of what the Mini 2 can do today: Apple has said they are coming later, without a date in the supplied report.
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What Changed Since the First Mini
Apple launched the original HomePod Mini at $99, six years before the reviewer’s account of the second-generation speaker. At Apple’s Welcome Home event the previous month, the company presented the new model at $149. The reviewer initially questioned the higher price because the update did not include new speakers, then became more positive after using two units.
The second-generation model’s listed changes include the move from an S5 to an S10 chip and from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 6E. The report also describes new color options and software features. The touch-control lock is not exclusive to the Mini 2: the reviewer says the Home app setting applies to old and new HomePods. Sound Glow is likewise supported on the first-generation Mini and second-generation HomePod, as well as the new model.
““regularly responding in under three seconds””
— The Verge reviewer
Siri AI and Mac Audio Still Unclear
The supplied report does not specify when Apple will release the promised Siri AI update, what capabilities it will add, or whether those capabilities will require particular hardware. Until that software arrives, the reviewer’s experience is limited to the current assistant, which still directs some complex queries to web results on an iPhone.
The report flags the Mini 2’s Mac default-speaker feature as a disappointment, but the supplied source text cuts off while describing how Apple’s “responsive and persistent AirPlay connection” works. It does not provide enough detail to explain the problem, its cause, or whether it can be fixed. The reported response times also reflect one reviewer’s setup and use; no independent comparative testing or broader reliability data is provided.
Awaiting the Siri Software Update
Apple has said the Mini 2’s Siri AI features will arrive in a future software update, but no date appears in the source material. That update is the next stated development to watch, along with any further explanation or testing of the Mac default-speaker experience.
For now, the review’s findings concern the speaker as tested: faster routine responses, new touch-control locking, an unchanged audio system, and Sound Glow with Apple Music and Podcasts. The report does not establish how the Mini 2 performs across other homes, Wi-Fi networks, or smart-home setups.
Key Questions
What is new in the HomePod Mini 2?
The report identifies an S10 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, new color options, Sound Glow lighting, and faster responses in hands-on use. The speaker hardware itself was not upgraded, according to the review.
Is Apple’s new Siri AI available on the Mini 2?
No, not in the experience described by the report. Apple said the features are coming “later” in a software update, but did not provide a date in the supplied material.
Can owners disable the HomePod’s touch controls?
Yes. The reviewer says a new setting in the Home app can lock the top controls, and that it applies to older and newer HomePods, not just the Mini 2.
Does the HomePod Mini 2 sound better than the original?
The report says Apple did not change the speaker system. The reviewer still found the sound good for the device’s size, but the account does not establish a measured sound-quality improvement over the first-generation Mini.
How much does the HomePod Mini 2 cost?
The hands-on report gives a price of $149. It compares that with the original HomePod Mini’s $99 launch price.
Source: theverge.com
