We have just witnessed the revival of the Apple HomePod earlier this week. Apple surprised us with a rare January event, revealing many new products.
And ever since, fans have been waiting for a new Apple HomePod Mini. After all, the mini lineup has not seen any upgrade since it was introduced in 2020.
Furthermore, the HomePod Mini of 2020 did pretty well in sales. It quickly became popular among users who were looking for small smart speakers.
We didn’t want to be the first to break it to you, but Apple has no plans to bring a new HomePod Mini soon.
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman shared valuable insight regarding the new smart speaker in his recent Power On newsletter. And in that, Gurman says that he believes Apple is not “actively working” on a new Apple HomePod Mini.
The reporter also pointed out that Apple “doesn’t include any major new functions that aren’t already in the $99 mini, so there isn’t an obvious reason to update the model.” Through this statement, Gurman referred to the second generation of HomePod.
Gurman states that Apple is more likely to work on the current Apple HomePod Mini with software updates.
And these software updates can address the shortcomings of the current Mini HomePod. That includes the app and Siri integration.
After all, those are the “real improvements probably need to be made” for the Mini speaker. On that note, there has already been a recent software update on the Apple HomePod Mini.
It enabled the smart speaker to activate the humidity and temperature sensors that have been lying dormant in the device since 2020.
As Gurman points out, the reintroduced Apple HomePod adds previously exclusive HomePod Mini features. That includes the Thread connectivity and ultra-wideband support.
If the brand does bring out a new Apple HomePod Mini, it would need to think of new features. Otherwise, the existing users will not find any valid reason to upgrade.
And that would eventually mean poor sales performance, which Apple does not want. That means that a new Apple HomePod Mini could be years away.
But before that, Apple does have plans to release other smart products. In fact, some of them are on the horizon. As Gurman reported in August, Apple is working on a smart display.
There is also news about a new device that will combine the functionality of Apple TV, HomePod, and camera. All of that into a single offering could be groundbreaking. And if you are wondering, these new devices are expected to come out by early 2024.
Slava is a man of mystery and no-one seems to know exactly where he is at any point in time. When he isn't enjoying writing about all things audio and technical he can be found researching his next project of interest. The man never rests.
