HomePod mini 2: $149, Siri AI Later, and a Fee in the Fine Print

Apple’s HomePod mini 2 goes on sale today, October 30, for $149 in the US. It has the S10 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, a new “Sound Glow” light on top, surround sound with the new Apple TV 4K, and it can work as the default speaker for Macs with Wi-Fi 6E. It has three microphones instead of four, and Apple did not announce new speaker drivers, only “advanced computational audio”.

The headline feature, Siri AI, will come “in a future software update”, in English only and in a limited list of countries. At the bottom of Apple’s press release, the fine print says that “certain server-side features are subject to daily usage limits” and that “expanded access will be available for a fee in the future.” The original HomePod mini launched at $99 in November 2020, and Apple raised its price to $129 in June 2026.

In this article: The fine print nobody talks about · Google said the price. Apple hid it · Pay now, get it later. Sounds familiar? · A six-year-old speaker for 50% more · A voice assistant with one microphone less · Sound Glow: old features in a new 2026 box · Home theater for $895 · “Buy two” and better Wi-Fi · 9to5Mac, are you not ashamed? · One plus: recycled materials · FAQ

The fine print nobody talks about

Let’s start with the thing almost nobody mentions. Siri AI is the biggest PR push for this speaker. Buy it now, Siri AI is coming. And then, in very small letters at the bottom of the press release: some server-side features have a daily limit, and for more, you will pay a fee.

So what does that mean? Siri will work like ChatGPT or Claude: a free version with limits, and if you want more, you pay. The price we don’t see. We only see a tiny line of text that nobody reminds you about.

This fascinates me. Apple and Ternus stuff Siri AI into every corner, every device with a microphone. And this Siri will, with time, ask for money. A dumb Siri, and a subscription on top, for a speaker. Or maybe one Siri subscription for your whole iCloud account. Nobody knows yet. And don’t forget: the personal features work only with a newer iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence, the same devices Apple just made more expensive.

Google said the price. Apple hid it

Look at the Google Home Speaker with Gemini. It costs $99, and Google told us from day one: basic Gemini is included, the advanced features cost $10 to $20 a month. You know what you buy. You have a smart speaker at home, and Gemini really is smart, not like Siri.

Apple leads us by the nose at the presentation. Nobody from the big corporations talks about what happens later with Siri, that it will want our money. With Apple, we will pay for the one that still can’t keep up.

Pay now, get it later. Sounds familiar?

I think Apple is slowly learning from Tesla. With Full Self-Driving, you pay now and get it later. Here you pay for a promise that Siri AI will come. Not in the box, but with an update. Or maybe Apple knows how far behind Siri still is, and it is afraid to put it there.

Meanwhile, instead of $129 you pay $149. Hooray. And compared with the original $99, that is 50% more.

A six-year-old speaker for 50% more

What nobody says honestly: you are buying a speaker with the same design as six years ago. Apple did not show anything new in the speaker itself, only “computational audio” from the new chip. In my opinion, the sound did not change at all.

And Apple says the sound is much better only with words. No numbers, nothing to prove it. You just have to believe them, because Apple says so.

I don’t know what to say anymore. We live in a time when it is enough to put an apple logo on it and say: we give you Siri. But careful, it comes later, not in the box. And for that, pay us 50% more.

A voice assistant with one microphone less

Wow. Apple, really? For a voice assistant, you gave it fewer microphones, not more. Four in the old model, three now. What is the point? What did you decide, that one fewer is enough to hear us?

Sound Glow: old features in a new 2026 box

And the Sound Glow Apple praised so much, the light that pulses with the music? The old HomePod mini can do it too. Just update it. So what are they selling? Old things in a new 2026 box, plus a Siri that is not even inside yet.

Home theater for $895

And here is Apple’s wow effect of the year. You want surround sound with four speakers? Then you also have to buy the new Apple TV 4K for $299. It was $199 after the June price hike and $129 in 2022. Yes, it got a faster A19 chip, microphones and Wi-Fi 7, but mostly the same story: preparation for Siri AI and a higher price. I wrote about it in my Apple TV 4K article. And it ships only on November 13, so today you cannot even build this setup.

So how much do you pay for the best Apple home theater with HomePod mini 2?

Surround setup	Price
4x HomePod mini 2	4 x $149 = $596
Apple TV 4K (4th generation)	$299
Total	$895
For comparison: 4x original HomePod mini at launch	4 x $99 = $396

“Buy two” and better Wi-Fi

The first review I found recommends using it with a Mac and buying two right away, because it sounds so great. That is a big recommendation, don’t you think? I am curious, because today even cheap Chinese speakers are hard to tell from good ones. How did they evaluate the sound? Maybe Siri helped them.

I would like to see someone honestly write that a Bluetooth speaker for $80 is enough for your Mac. And better Wi-Fi? Fine, that is good. But selling Wi-Fi as the big news of a $149 speaker in 2026 is a joke.

9to5Mac, are you not ashamed?

And 9to5Mac. Honestly, I read their HomePod mini 2 article and I feel like I am reading Apple’s press release. No criticism, no fine print, nothing about the price. This job could be done by AI, without a review that is not even a review. Are they afraid Apple will not invite them to the next event? The way I see it, this is pathetic and laughable.

One plus: recycled materials

To be fair, one plus. All the magnets use 100% recycled rare earth elements, and the circuit boards Apple designs use 100% recycled copper, gold plating and tin solder. Good.

Also on Evolt News: Apple says it raised prices “reluctantly” · HomePod surround sound and party mode

Photo: HomePod mini 2 color lineup. Apple.

This article is opinion.

HomePod mini 2: FAQ

How much does HomePod mini 2 cost?

HomePod mini 2 costs $149 in the US. The original HomePod mini launched at $99 in 2020, and Apple raised its price to $129 in June 2026.

Does HomePod mini 2 have Siri AI?

Not at launch. Apple says Siri AI will come in a future software update, in English in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. Personal features need an iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence.

Will Siri AI on HomePod cost money?

Apple says certain server-side features will have daily usage limits, and expanded access will be available for a fee in the future. Apple has not announced the price or whether it applies per device or per account.

What is new in HomePod mini 2?

The S10 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, Sound Glow, surround sound with the new Apple TV 4K, default Mac speaker support for Macs with Wi-Fi 6E, and new green and pink colors. It has three microphones instead of four.

Should I upgrade from the original HomePod mini?

If your original works, there is little reason to rush: Sound Glow comes to it with an update, and Siri AI is not available on the new model yet. The new model makes more sense if you need a new speaker, a wireless Mac speaker, or a four-speaker surround setup with the new Apple TV 4K.

Sources: Apple, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Engadget, gori.me, Daring Fireball, Notebookcheck.

Our Take

HomePod mini 2 costs 50% more than the original, has one microphone less, and its main feature is a promise. The small print already tells us that Siri AI will have limits and a fee for more.

Google told us the price of Gemini on day one. Apple hid it at the bottom of a press release.