Apple’s HomePod mini is really old, Report Says

Hartley Charlton reports for MacRumors on this Easter Sunday Apple’s HomePod mini is now a mind-blowing 2000 days old, describing it as an “unusually long lifespan” for an Apple product. The diminutive speaker was first introduced back in October 2020.

“Unlike the original ‌HomePod‌, which emphasized premium audio at a higher price point, the ‌HomePod mini‌ was designed as a mass-market smart speaker that could be deployed throughout the home at comparatively low cost. Apple described it as delivering ‘amazing sound’ alongside Siri functionality and smart home control, with a compact spherical design that enabled 360-degree audio,” Charlton wrote. “The ‌HomePod mini‌ is powered by the Apple S5 chip, the same processor used in the Apple Watch Series 5, and features a single full-range driver, dual passive radiators, and a four-microphone array. It supports 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Ultra Wideband for proximity-based features, and Thread networking, allowing it to function as a smart home hub.”

I have two HomePods in everyday use right now—an OG full-sized model in my office and a Mini in my bedroom—and they both work with aplomb. I’m especially pleased my full-sized HomePod still works (and sounds) great; I’d like to pick up another blue Mini sooner than later to place in the kitchen for timers and whatnot. Unlike my iPhone or even an iPad or Apple Watch, HomePods, of either size or vintage, are one of those things where—like my HP printer—I really don’t care that much about upgrading to what would ostensibly be a “better” model. The two I’ve been using work well and do what I want them to do. What could be made better with, say, a newer processor—faster Siri responsiveness? HomePods are fundamentally passive, their raison d’être to pump out sound. I don’t use my HomePods and find either to be lacking or declining in audio fidelity. Should Apple refresh them? Yes! Would I be interested in trying? Also yes! To those points, Charlton notes in his story a new Mini is purportedly “on hold” at Apple Park until the revamped Siri is ready for release; the speaker is said to include niceties such as a second-generation ultra-wideband chip, as well as Apple’s housemade N1 Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip also found in my iPhone Air. All things considered, though, I’m of the opinion my HomePods are fine despite clearly not being Apple’s highest priority product line after more than five years since, in this case, the Mini originally debuted.

Say this for HomePods: They’re the most accessible smart speakers on the market.