The HomePod mini 2 is here, but while the upgrades are subtle, the price hike isn’t

Apple's HomePod mini 2 freshens the smart speaker with new colors and a few new tricks The top LED glow can now mirror the colors of album artwork The smart speaker will get Siri AI in a future software update Techtober is marching on in a pretty big way, and this week it's Apple leading the pack.

Alongside its first-ever smart display, the HomeView, Apple is also upgrading the speaker that serves as the entry point to its smart-home lineup.

The HomePod mini 2 is a refresh of the smart speaker that’s been a workhorse in Apple's lineup since it launched in 2020.

For this second generation, Apple isn’t changing much: there are new colors, a better processor under the hood, and a new trick with the glowing LED on the top, though Siri AI is coming… but only via a future software update.

It also comes with a notable price hike.

In the US, the first-gen HomePod mini jumped from $99 to $129 in June, and now the HomePod mini 2 costs $149.99 — so that's a 50% upgrade over the price the original cost just five months ago.

It’s up for preorder now, and will begin shipping on October 30.

It's priced at £149 in the UK, and AU$229 in Australia. (Image credit: Apple) Looks-wise, the HomePod mini 2 is still about the size and shape of an tennis ball, but with a flat top and bottom.

Alongside White, Blue, and Midnight, new arrivals Green and Pink aim to offer a fresh pop of color.

Fans of Yellow and Orange , which were options for the first HomePod mini, will likely be missing those — myself included.

Still, I’m a fan of the fresh Pink here.

I saw it demoed in a stereo pair alongside the pink iMac, and there’s definitely some Cupertino synergy here.

Beyond the fresh paint jobs, the HomePod mini 2 will still ship with a color-matched cord and USB-C power plug.

Apple Apple Under the hood, Apple has made the jump from an S5 chip to the S10 chip, which premiered inside the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 , and third-generation SE .