Apple has announced the HomePod mini 2, a $149 smart speaker with an S10 chip, new audio capabilities, animated lighting effects, and planned Siri AI features. The updated speaker will be available October 30 in pink, green, blue, white, and midnight.

The new model keeps the compact HomePod mini design while adding features intended to make it more responsive as both a music speaker and smart-home hub. Apple says its S10 chip enables advanced computational audio that adjusts dynamic range, loudness, and acoustic performance in real time.

Sound Glow adds animated lighting

One of the HomePod mini 2’s main visual changes is Sound Glow. The top of the speaker becomes a reactive visual surface that glows and animates in time with music, responding to bass and treble.

Apple says Sound Glow uses colors generated from a song’s album artwork. That means the effect can vary from track to track rather than relying on a fixed lighting pattern. The feature gives the HomePod mini 2 a more visible role during music playback while still using the speaker’s top surface for interaction.

Four HomePod minis can create surround sound

Owners can pair four HomePod mini 2 speakers with the latest Apple TV 4K to create a four-speaker surround-sound setup. Apple says the speakers and Apple TV can identify their positions in a room and calibrate audio levels to match the space.

The HomePod mini 2 can also serve as a speaker for a Mac, extending its use beyond Apple TV and music playback. Apple has not provided additional details about supported Mac configurations in the announcement.

Siri AI is coming in a future update

AI-powered Siri features will not be available at launch. Apple says they will arrive through a future software update and require the HomePod mini 2 to be paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad.

With the update, Siri will be able to recognize up to six users by voice. It can then connect to each person’s device to provide personalized information, including access to Messages. The requirement for a compatible iPhone or iPad means the speaker’s AI capabilities will depend partly on the devices connected to it.

Smart-home features remain included

Like the previous HomePod mini, the new model can act as a home hub for controlling compatible smart-home devices. It also supports Sound Recognition, allowing it to listen for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send an alert when one is detected.

The HomePod mini 2 costs $149 and launches October 30. Its combination of room-calibrated audio, multi-speaker playback, and future Siri features gives Apple’s smallest smart speaker a broader role in the home, although some of its headline AI functionality will depend on a later software release.