Apple Unveils $149 HomePod mini 2

Apple announced the HomePod mini 2 on October 13 at $149 in the U.S., opening preorders the same day with sales set for October 30. India pricing is Rs 18,900 and Malaysia is RM649. The update keeps the compact design, adds an S10 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, and five colors: pink, green, blue, white, and midnight. Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Home Product Marketing, said HomePod mini 2 brings together Siri AI, gorgeous new colors, and incredible audio. Siri AI is not shipping at launch. Apple says more natural, conversational Siri with broader knowledge and personalized help is planned for a future software update. Those features require an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad and will initially be available in English in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa. Four-speaker surround sound needs matching pairs with Apple TV 4K (4th generation). A wire summary lists the far-field microphone count dropping from four to three; Macworld reports the four-microphone design unchanged. Apple has not set a date for the Siri update.