Apple’s smart speaker ambitions have felt strangely quiet over the past few years, but with whispers of a new HomePod Mini 2 and Home Hub incoming, that’s soon set to change.
Reports suggest that Apple is preparing its first HomePod Mini refresh in almost six years, alongside an entirely new smart home device widely referred to as the Home Hub. Together, they’re expected to usher in a more capable version of Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence, while giving Apple a much stronger answer to products such as the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub.
Nothing has been officially announced yet, mind, but a growing number of reports from some of the internet’s leading Apple sleuths – i.e. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and other reliable sources – are beginning to paint a clearer picture. Here’s everything we know so far.
HomePod Mini 2: price and release date
The original HomePod Mini launched back in October 2020, making it one of the older products still sitting in Apple’s current hardware line-up. While Apple refreshed the available colours in 2021, the speaker itself hasn’t received any meaningful hardware upgrades since launch.
For most of the past year, rumours have pointed towards a successor arriving alongside Apple’s rebuilt Siri experience. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has repeatedly reported that the hardware itself has been ready for months, with Apple instead waiting until its rebuilt, more personalised version of Siri is ready before bringing the speaker to market. Others have echoed those claims, suggesting that both the next HomePod Mini and Apple TV have effectively been finished for some time, but were delayed by software rather than hardware.
Assuming Apple’s current roadmap remains on track, then, the HomePod Mini 2 now looks most likely to arrive during Apple’s autumn 2026 launch window, potentially alongside iOS 27 and the company’s revamped Siri. Whether that means it’ll share the limelight with the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro series, remains a mystery.
Pricing is also up in the air, but Apple has historically kept the HomePod Mini at the affordable end of its audio range. Given the recent price hikes across the board due to AI hardware demand, though, we expect to see a higher launch price than the HomePod Mini’s original $99 / £99 RRP. But hopefully not too high.
HomePod Mini 2: design
If you’re hoping for a dramatic redesign, you may be disappointed. Nearly every major report suggests that Apple intends to keep the HomePod Mini’s spherical design. Instead, the company appears to be focusing on internal improvements rather than changing what already works.
One cosmetic tweak that has surfaced in multiple reports is the possibility of an all-new red finish joining the existing colour options, although Apple hasn’t confirmed which colours will ultimately make the final cut. Given that the iPhone 18 Pro is rumoured to land in a new reddish Dark Cherry finish though, the rumoured HomePod Mini 2 red finish makes sense.
HomePod Mini 2: performance, sound and Siri
The biggest changes are expected to take place under the hood. The existing HomePod Mini still relies on Apple’s ageing S5 chip, originally introduced in the Apple Watch Series 5(!). Rumours suggest that the new speaker could jump to the much newer S9 chip or later, providing a sizeable increase in processing power.
That extra performance isn’t just about making Siri respond a little faster, either. It’s expected to provide the computing power needed for Apple’s rebuilt Siri experience, which promises more natural conversations, better contextual understanding and tighter integration with Apple Intelligence.
Reports have also suggested Apple could upgrade wireless connectivity with its latest in-house networking hardware, potentially adding newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards alongside an updated Ultra Wideband chip for a more reliable handoff between Apple devices.
Audio improvements are also expected, although reports haven’t pointed towards any radical redesign of the speaker itself. Instead, Apple is thought to be refining sound quality through updated hardware and more powerful computational audio processing rather than dramatically changing the acoustic design.
Apple Home Hub: what is it?
While the HomePod Mini is expected to be a straightforward refresh, the rumoured Home Hub represents something completely new.
Rather than acting primarily as a smart speaker, the Home Hub is expected to combine a touchscreen, FaceTime camera, HomeKit controls, and Apple Intelligence into a dedicated smart display designed to sit at the centre of your connected home.
Think of it as Apple’s answer to devices like Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub, giving users a central place to manage lights, security cameras, thermostats, music, calendars, reminders and video calls without reaching for an iPhone or iPad.
Apple hasn’t officially confirmed the product or its name, and some reports refer to it as the HomePad instead. Until Apple reveals the device, Home Hub remains the most commonly used unofficial name.
Apple Home Hub: design and features
Although details remain limited, a fairly consistent picture has started to emerge. Most reports suggest that he Home Hub will feature a touchscreen measuring around seven inches, paired with a built-in camera for FaceTime calls and smart home monitoring. Rather than running a full version of iPadOS, it’s expected to use software derived from tvOS or Apple’s rumoured homeOS platform, with an interface designed around widgets, Home controls and Siri.
Internally, reports suggest the device could use an A18 processor capable of running Apple Intelligence features locally, making it significantly more powerful than a traditional HomePod. The display is also expected to support Matter-compatible smart home devices, allowing it to control a growing range of connected products regardless of manufacturer.
Some reports also suggest that Apple is experimenting with magnetic docking systems, allowing the display to be attached to tabletop stands or wall mounts, while prototype collector Kosutami has claimed the interface could borrow elements from watchOS and support MagSafe accessories. Those claims haven’t been independently confirmed, however, so they should still be treated as speculative.
Apple Home Hub: price and release date
The Home Hub has suffered repeated delays over the past two years, with most reports blaming Apple’s postponed Siri overhaul rather than hardware problems.
Current rumours now point towards a launch sometime during late 2026 at the earliest, although Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has also suggested that Apple’s more ambitious robotic smart display could arrive much later, potentially slipping into 2027 or even 2028.
Pricing remains one of the biggest unknowns. Apple hasn’t leaked any official figures, and while analysts have speculated that the Home Hub could cost significantly more than a HomePod Mini because of its display and more powerful hardware, there isn’t enough reliable information yet to make an accurate prediction.
Should you buy a current HomePod Mini?
If you’re thinking about buying a HomePod Mini today, waiting a little longer could make sense. The current model remains an excellent compact smart speaker, but it’s now approaching six years on this Earth – a veritable aeon in tech world. With reports consistently pointing towards a much faster processor, smarter Siri and improved wireless hardware, the next-gen model could prove to be a far more future-proof purchase if Apple’s rumoured autumn launch window proves accurate.
The Home Hub is a slightly different proposition. Because Apple hasn’t officially announced the product, it’s impossible to know exactly how it will compare with existing smart displays. Even so, if the rumours are accurate, it could finally give Apple users a dedicated smart home control centre that feels fully integrated with the rest of the Apple ecosystem.
For now, the biggest question isn’t whether these products are coming, but whether Apple’s rebuilt Siri can finally deliver the experience needed to make them worthwhile. If it can, 2026 could mark Apple’s biggest smart home push since the original HomePod first arrived. Watch this space…
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