GoKawiilHomePod mini arrived in 2020, and nearly six years later, Apple is reportedly preparing a long-awaited second generation. Here is everything we know so far.
Apple has not confirmed that HomePod mini 2 exists, much less announced a release date.
Still, the latest reporting points to a launch this fall. Bloomberg says the new HomePod mini and Apple TV are both nearly ready, while Apple’s new smart home display is expected between October and early next year.
Apple introduced the original HomePod mini in October 2020, then added blue, orange, and yellow options later. The hardware inside has otherwise remained unchanged.
The new speaker was previously expected sooner, but Apple reportedly held it back while completing the new Siri. A spring report said the HomePod mini, new Apple TV 4K, full-size HomePod, and Apple’s smart display were all waiting on Apple’s AI work.
A much faster chip
HomePod mini 2 is expected to replace the S5 chip found in the current model with a much newer processor.
The S5 originally debuted with Apple Watch Series 5 in 2019. On HomePod mini, it powers computational audio features that tune the speaker’s sound in real time.
Previous reports have pointed to an S9 chip or newer for HomePod mini 2. Bloomberg’s newest report is less specific, saying the device will look similar to today’s model but include a faster chip designed to support Siri AI.
That wording leaves an important question unanswered. An S9-class chip is not powerful enough to run the same on-device Apple Intelligence models as a modern iPhone. Some requests may therefore rely on cloud processing or assistance from another Apple device.
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