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The Verge’s hands-on report says Apple’s $149 HomePod Mini 2 responds to requests more quickly than the original, adds new controls and comes in a preferred green finish. The reviewer’s main disappointment is its Mac speaker experience; Apple’s promised Siri AI upgrade is not available yet.
The Verge’s hands-on report finds Apple’s $149 HomePod Mini 2 substantially quicker at everyday requests than the original, while flagging its Mac speaker feature as a letdown. The report is based on a couple of days using two speakers at home; Apple’s advertised Siri AI upgrade is not available yet and is due in a later software update, according to Apple.
The reviewer says the Mini 2, powered by an S10 chip rather than the original’s S5 and supporting Wi-Fi 6E rather than Wi-Fi 4, typically handled basic requests in under three seconds. In the reviewer’s tests, it began playing Taylor Swift within a few seconds, answered a question about the World Series in under two seconds, and controlled lights or shades in under three seconds. The reviewer contrasted that with waits of up to 10 seconds sometimes experienced on the first-generation speaker. These are reported test observations, not a guarantee of response times for every user or network.
The report also praises the speaker’s quieter confirmations for some smart-home actions and a new Home app setting that can lock the top touch controls. According to the report, the lock works with older HomePods as well as the new model. A feature called Sound Glow makes the speaker’s LEDs reflect colors from album art, but the reviewer found the effect subtle and said it works with Apple Music and Podcasts.
Apple did not change the Mini 2’s speaker hardware, according to the report. The reviewer nevertheless described its sound as good for its size, citing bass, clear midrange and vocals, and said two units paired in stereo filled a home office. The report particularly praised the new green color. It also says the Mini 2 can be set as a Mac’s default speaker through a persistent AirPlay connection, but the reviewer’s experience with that feature was disappointing. The supplied report does not give further technical detail about the problem.
Speed and Controls Matter Most
The report’s strongest practical finding is that routine voice and smart-home tasks feel faster on the Mini 2. For people who already use a HomePod to play music or control lights, shades and other connected devices, shorter waits could make the speaker less frustrating in daily use. The added option to lock its touch surface also addresses accidental playback, and applies to older HomePods according to the report.
At $149, however, the device costs $50 more than the original’s $99 launch price, while retaining the same speaker hardware, the report says. That makes the value case depend heavily on improvements to responsiveness and controls rather than a new audio system. The promised Siri AI features cannot yet be judged, and the disappointing Mac connection may matter to buyers hoping to use the speaker as a computer audio device.
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A Six-Year Wait for an Update
The Verge frames the Mini 2 as the first update to Apple’s entry-level HomePod speaker in six years. Before trying it, the reviewer questioned whether a processor change, visual effects and improved AirPlay justified the price increase, particularly without speaker hardware changes. After using two units for a couple of days, the reviewer became more positive about the speed, design and everyday controls.
The report distinguishes the present improvements from a larger software promise: Apple says Siri AI is coming later in an update, but it was not available during testing. For more demanding questions, the reviewer said Siri still offered to show web results on an iPhone. The hands-on findings therefore describe the current assistant, not the eventual AI features.
““regularly responding in under three seconds””
— The Verge reviewer
AI Timing and Mac Performance
Apple has not provided a specific date for the Siri AI update in the supplied report, and the new assistant features were not tested. It is also unclear from the available account what caused the reviewer’s disappointment with the Mac default-speaker connection, how consistently other users might encounter it, or whether a software change could address it. The reported response times come from one reviewer’s home setup; performance may vary with network conditions and individual requests.
The article describes the speaker hardware as unchanged but does not provide detailed measurements comparing sound quality between generations. The reviewer’s favorable impressions of color and audio are personal assessments based on a short trial, not independent product testing.
Awaiting Siri’s Software Update
The next major milestone identified in the report is Apple’s later software update for Siri AI. Apple has not given a date in the supplied material, so buyers cannot yet assess those features or how they may change the Mini 2’s usefulness. The Mac speaker experience and the effect of any future fixes also remain to be seen. For now, the hands-on assessment concerns the available model’s current response speed, controls, appearance and sound.
Key Questions
How much does the HomePod Mini 2 cost?
The Verge report lists a price of $149. It says the original HomePod Mini launched at $99, making the new model $50 more at launch than its predecessor’s launch price.
Is the new Siri AI available on the HomePod Mini 2?
No. The report says Siri AI was not available during the hands-on test. Apple said it would arrive in a later software update but did not provide a date in the supplied material.
What improvements did the reviewer notice?
The reviewer reported quicker responses to routine voice and smart-home requests, quieter confirmations for some actions, and a Home app setting to lock the top touch controls. The report also notes a new LED effect called Sound Glow.
Did Apple improve the speaker hardware?
The report says Apple did not update the speaker hardware. The reviewer still found the sound good for the Mini’s size and said a stereo pair worked well in a home office.
What was the reviewer’s main disappointment?
The reviewer was disappointed with the Mini 2’s feature for serving as a Mac’s default speaker over a persistent AirPlay connection. The supplied report does not explain the specific issue or establish how widely it affects users.
Source: theverge.com
