Apple Announced the HomePod Mini Four Years Ago Today

Apple announced the HomePod mini smart speaker four years ago today at its "Hi, Speed" special event.

homepod mini colors
The low-cost smart speaker was announced alongside the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max in October 2020. The ‌HomePod mini‌ is Apple's first compact smart speaker, offering high-quality audio, Siri voice control, and smart home integration via HomeKit.

Priced at $99, it stands in contrast to the full-size HomePod, which sells for $299 and is focused on delivering bigger, better sound thanks to more advanced audio hardware such as multiple tweeters and woofers. While both models share ‌Siri‌ integration and smart home capabilities, the ‌HomePod mini‌ is considerably smaller, powered by the Apple S5 chip, lacks spatial awareness, and comes in a wider range of color options.

In October 2021, Apple introduced three new colors—Blue, Yellow, and Orange—to its lineup, adding vibrancy to the previously monochrome options of Space Gray and White. audioOS 14.3, released shortly after its launch, added support for 18W power adapters. With audioOS 16.3, Apple activated previously undisclosed temperature and humidity sensors within the ‌HomePod mini‌. Although these sensors had been identified by teardowns shortly after launch, Apple waited to enable them alongside the release of the second-generation full-sized ‌HomePod‌. On July 15, 2024, Apple refreshed the ‌HomePod mini‌ yet again by discontinuing the Space Gray variant and replacing it with a Midnight color option to match the full-size ‌HomePod‌.

Despite its age, the ‌HomePod mini‌ remains on sale with the same hardware it debuted with four years ago. However, Apple is believed to be working on a second-generation version that could debut in the near future.

Related Roundup: HomePod mini
Buyer's Guide: HomePod Mini (Caution)

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Top Rated Comments

godorowski Avatar
9 weeks ago

A wonderful product. The only thing I'd like to have different is a removable power cable. There's one room in which I can't put one because the power cord is too short.
Have you ever heard of an extension cord?
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tpannier Avatar
9 weeks ago
I have a pair of them, but my experience has been plagued by connection issues, drop-outs and unreliability in general. Wished these came with an ethernet port.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
abatabia Avatar
9 weeks ago
Have a bunch and love them, when the HomePod OS cooperates. However, and as has often been said, how I wish they could be paired with the large HomePods for a true surround system.

Would be nice if the next gen gets atmos.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BelgianChoklit Avatar
9 weeks ago
A wonderful product. The only thing I'd like to have different is a removable power cable. There's one room in which I can't put one because the power cord is too short.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeanCorp Avatar
9 weeks ago
Probably my worst purchase. I’ve tried resetting it and it’s up to date, from day one it’s been unreliable. I’d have phone calls and the call will completely drop out. Never happens if not on the HomePod Mini.

Since it’s reliant on Siri it is a pointless “smart” device. “Hey Siri can you say Dean” it can’t even do that. I’m hoping with the AI intelligence Siri will improve. Majority of the time it will respond with “I found this on the web for you.” Again pointless as I can use my iPhone instead to search the web.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tubular Avatar
9 weeks ago
My sister has a pretty severe neurological condition affecting motor control. With a HomePod mini and smart lamps she doesn’t have to fumble for light switches at night.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)