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The HomePod mini 2 is here, but while the upgrades are subtle, the price hike isn’t

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The HomePod mini 2 is here, but while the upgrades are subtle, the price hike isn’t

Techtober is marching on in a pretty big way, and this week it's Apple leading the pack. Alongside its first-ever smart display, the HomeView, Apple is also upgrading the speaker that serves as the entry point to its smart-home lineup.

The HomePod mini 2 is a refresh of the smart speaker that’s been a workhorse in Apple's lineup since it launched in 2020. For this second generation, Apple isn’t changing much: there are new colors, a better processor under the hood, and a new trick with the glowing LED on the top, though Siri AI is coming… but only via a future software update.

It also comes with a notable price hike. In the US, the first-gen HomePod mini jumped from $99 to $129 in June, and now the HomePod mini 2 costs $149.99 — so that's a 50% upgrade over the price the original cost just five months ago. It’s up for preorder now, and will begin shipping on October 30. It's priced at £149 in the UK, and AU$229 in Australia.

Looks-wise, the HomePod mini 2 is still about the size and shape of an tennis ball, but with a flat top and bottom. Alongside White, Blue, and Midnight, new arrivals Green and Pink aim to offer a fresh pop of color. Fans of Yellow and Orange, which were options for the first HomePod mini, will likely be missing those — myself included.

Still, I’m a fan of the fresh Pink here. I saw it demoed in a stereo pair alongside the pink iMac, and there’s definitely some Cupertino synergy here.


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