If you’re in the market for a HomePod mini, it may pay off to hold on for just a little longer, as a refresh looks increasingly imminent. Here’s why.
Discontinued at B&H, constrained everywhere else
For the past few months, there’s been no shortage of rumors about an upcoming HomePod mini refresh. Still, the original HomePod mini lingers on.
However, as spotted by MacRumors, B&H, one of Apple’s major retail partners in the professional audio and video gear market, now lists the HomePod mini as discontinued.
In addition to B&H’s “discontinued” listing, multiple colors of the HomePod mini are currently unavailable at several major retailers, including Target and Walmart. Even in Apple Stores, pickup options are very limited, with multiple colors available only at flagship locations.
The current HomePod mini, which is actually the original HomePod mini, was released in 2020, with new colors joining the lineup in 2021, with no internal hardware changes or upgrades.
Since then, there have been multiple rumors about updates, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reporting the following as recently as last September:
“Apple’s other current smart home accessory — its smart speaker — is set to get a new chip to also support the new Siri and Apple Intelligence features. It’s also due to get an updated wireless chip, a new ultra-wide band chip and improved audio quality. Apple has also tested new colors, including red.”
Gurman also reported recently that Apple was gearing up for an Apple Store refresh on Wednesday, November 12, which could be related to the holiday season.
However, with the increasingly constrained inventory and now B&H flat-out listing it as discontinued, you might do well to wait just a bit longer in case you’re in the market for a new HomePod mini.
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