HomePod mini 2 adds Siri AI and S10 chip as new $59 Siri Remote works with older Apple TVs

The most consequential change, according to 9to5Mac, is Siri AI, which brings capabilities similar to those coming in iOS 27 to the HomePod. Apple says the assistant will handle broad world knowledge queries, richer conversational exchanges and upgraded music discovery, while personal context support lets a user ask about a song a friend recommended through Messages or pull key information stored in an email. The original HomePod mini will not support Siri AI and stays on the older Siri. Siri AI will not be available when the new speaker ships, and is expected to arrive as a software update next month. The new model also carries three far-field microphones for interacting with Siri, down from four on the original, and Apple has not said whether performance is affected.

The S10 chip replaces the S5 chip in the six-year-old model and is the main reason the new speaker supports Siri AI. Apple's press release says the device, powered by the S10 and advanced computational audio, analyzes music in real time to optimize dynamic range, loudness and acoustic performance. The company does not explicitly claim an improvement over the previous model, and 9to5Mac notes that reviews will be needed to confirm any audio gains.

A new feature called Sound Glow turns the top of the HomePod mini 2 into a visual canvas that glows and pulses in sync with the music, reacting in real time to bass and treble. Album artwork from Now Playing generates a color-matched light experience unique to each song, and soundscapes such as rain trigger bespoke animations.

Two ecosystem features are exclusive to the new model. It can be set as a Mac's default speaker, either alone or as a stereo pair, while the original HomePod mini can only serve as a Mac speaker over AirPlay. With the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, a new surround sound feature lets the TV use four HomePod mini 2 speakers for audio output, and users can mix in the larger HomePod 2, for example two HomePod 2 units as front speakers with a HomePod mini 2 stereo pair at the rear.

The color lineup changes to blue, green, midnight, pink and white, from blue, midnight, orange, white and yellow on the original, and the top of the device shows new animations built around Siri AI's color scheme. Connectivity moves to Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 6, from Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) and Bluetooth 5.

Separately, The Verge reports that Apple's new Siri Remote with Find My support is sold on its own for $59 and works with every Apple TV model back to the Apple TV HD, so owners of older boxes do not have to buy the new Apple TV 4K to get it. Find My support covers the Siri Remote (second generation and later). Precision Finding, which shows a distance such as 20 feet on an iPhone, requires an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air or iPhone 17 or later, excluding the iPhone 17e, because those models include the N1 networking chip with Bluetooth channel sounding that enables AirTag-like tracking without a UWB chip. The remote ships November 13, the same day as the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. Only a few features remain limited to the new Apple TV 4K, including its built-in microphone and surround sound with paired HomePods, according to Stephen Robles.

Also on October 14, The Verge reported on Sprout Pi and Sprout Pico, replacement iPod motherboards that add Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C, a microSD card slot and FLAC playback without requiring soldering. The firmware supports audio over USB and the original 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth connections to AirPods or a party speaker, and Wi-Fi for Google Cast, AirPlay streaming and podcast downloads. The higher-end Sprout Pi also streams Spotify and Apple Music and runs apps, which The Verge said misses the point for users drawn to iPods as a break from algorithms and distractions. The boards work only with third- and fourth-generation iPods and the iPod mini, and the project will launch a crowdfunding campaign through Crowd Supply, with no price announced yet.