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A hands-on report on Apple’s $149 HomePod Mini 2 says it responds to music and smart-home requests much faster than the original, and adds a setting to disable touch controls. The reviewer liked its green finish and sound for its size, but found the promised persistent Mac AirPlay connection disappointing; Apple’s upgraded Siri AI is not yet available.
A hands-on review of Apple’s $149 HomePod Mini 2 found that the speaker responds to music and smart-home requests much faster than the original, but the reviewer was disappointed by its Mac AirPlay performance. The report also notes that Apple’s promised Siri AI features are not available yet, and that the new model keeps the previous speaker hardware.
Writing for The Verge after testing two speakers in a home office for a couple of days, reviewer Jennifer Tuohy said the Mini 2’s routine Siri requests were often handled in under three seconds. Music began within a few seconds, and commands such as turning off a light or opening shades also completed quickly. Tuohy compared that with waits of up to 10 seconds she often experienced on the first-generation model. These are the reviewer’s observations, not results from a controlled benchmark.
The speed increase is attributed in the report to Apple’s S10 chip, replacing the original’s S5, and support for Wi-Fi 6E, up from Wi-Fi 4. Tuohy also found that Siri gave shorter spoken confirmations for many smart-home actions. More demanding questions still prompted Siri to offer web results on an iPhone, a sign that the announced Siri AI upgrade has not arrived.
The review describes the new green color as its favorite and says the unchanged speaker system still provides clear vocals and mids, with enough bass for its size. Two Minis used as a stereo pair filled the reviewer’s office with sound. A Home app setting can lock the top touch controls on all HomePods, including older models. The Sound Glow lighting effect, which matches the LEDs to album art, works with Apple Music and Podcasts, according to the report.
Faster Responses, Familiar Sound
The Mini 2’s most practical improvement, as described in the hands-on report, is less waiting for everyday requests. That matters for people who use a speaker to start music or control lights and shades, particularly if their older HomePod Mini feels slow. The change is more about responsiveness and usability than a new sound system: Apple has not updated the speaker hardware, and the reviewer judged the existing audio capable for a compact device.
The touch-control lock also addresses an everyday annoyance that can affect owners of earlier HomePods, since the setting is not exclusive to the new model. But the $149 price is $50 above the original’s launch price of $99, as noted in The Verge report. Buyers weighing the upgrade should distinguish the features available now from Siri AI, which Apple says will come later, and from the Mac AirPlay experience that did not satisfy the reviewer.
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What Changed From The Original
Apple introduced the first HomePod Mini at $99, and the new model arrives after a six-year gap, according to The Verge’s report. The Mini 2 costs $149. Its reported changes include the S10 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, new color options, Sound Glow, and a Home app control lock. The review says the audio hardware itself was not upgraded.
At Apple’s Welcome Home event the previous month, the company presented the new speaker and said its more advanced Siri AI would arrive in a later software update. In the reviewer’s testing, that feature was still pending. The review therefore assesses the Mini 2’s current behavior and available features, rather than the eventual Siri AI experience.
“Siri on the Mini 2 is much snappier than on the first-gen Mini, regularly responding in under three seconds.”
— Jennifer Tuohy, The Verge reviewer
Siri AI And Mac AirPlay
The report does not specify when the Siri AI update will ship, what its full capabilities will be, or whether it will change the reviewer’s experience with more complex questions. Apple’s stated timing is only “later.” The source excerpt also ends as Tuohy begins discussing the Mini 2’s persistent AirPlay connection for Mac, so it does not provide the details behind the Mac feature disappointment or describe exactly what failed in testing. The hands-on findings cover a few days in one home, not long-term use or a broader comparison across networks and households.
Awaiting The Siri Update
The next stated software milestone is Apple’s planned Siri AI update, but the company has not provided a date in the source report. Until it arrives, buyers can judge the Mini 2 on the features the reviewer tested: faster basic requests, its current audio, color options, Sound Glow, and the Home app control lock. Any assessment of the promised AI functions will depend on a later software release and hands-on testing of those features.
Key Questions
How much does the HomePod Mini 2 cost?
The report lists the new speaker at $149. It says the original HomePod Mini launched at $99.
What is the main improvement over the first-generation Mini?
The reviewer found that the Mini 2 handled music and smart-home requests more quickly, often responding in under three seconds. That is a hands-on observation, not a controlled benchmark.
Is Apple’s upgraded Siri AI available on the Mini 2?
Not in the reviewer’s testing. Apple said the feature would arrive later in a software update, without a release date in the report.
Does the HomePod Mini 2 have upgraded speakers?
The review says Apple did not update the speaker hardware. Tuohy still found the sound good for the device’s size and said a stereo pair filled her office with sound.
Can owners disable the touch controls on older HomePods?
Yes. The new setting in the Home app applies to all HomePods, including older models, according to The Verge report.
Source: theverge.com
