The Apple HomePod mini is a smaller, more lightweight version of the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) and discontinued Apple HomePod (1st generation). It's a smart home speaker with a 360-degree design to fill the space around you with your favorite tunes. Thanks to built-in Siri, you can control its output with only your voice, meaning you can enjoy hands-free listening around your home.
Our Verdict
The Apple HomePod mini is acceptable for music. It reproduces voices and lead instruments with accuracy, so it's suitable for most genres. There's a little extra punch in the high-bass to make up for its lack of low-end thump. EDM fans will wish this speaker had a little more rumble, but you'll still be able to make out basslines and kick drums. Unfortunately, this small speaker doesn't get loud enough to fill larger and more open spaces with sound. You'll also need a second speaker to get stereo playback.
- Not a lot of compression at max volume.
- Doesn't get very loud.
The Apple HomePod mini isn't really designed for watching movies, but it's fine if you just want to watch videos from a paired smartphone. Its AirPlay latency is low enough that you don't notice lip-synching issues. However, this speaker can't reproduce a deep cinematic bass, and it doesn't get loud enough for larger spaces.
- Low latency on Apple AirPlay.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- No Bluetooth pairing.
The Apple HomePod mini is not bad for podcasts. Thanks to the accurate reproduction of voices in the mid-range, it's easy to follow along with your favorite shows. You can even use its built-in voice assistant features to control it hands-free. On its own, this speaker only plays mono audio, but you can pair it with another to get stereo playback. It's loud enough for an average-sized living room; however, if you have a larger space in mind, it's not quite as suitable.
- Not a lot of compression at max volume.
- Doesn't get very loud.
The Apple HomePod mini is excellent for voice assistant support. It has built-in support for Siri, which you can activate with your voice. It easily understands you from far away, though it doesn't perform as well if you're in a noisy setting. While it doesn't come with a physical mic mute button, you can mute Siri using your voice and press and hold its control panel for a few seconds to unmute it.
- Built-in Siri.
- Excellent far-field performance.
- Doesn't get very loud.
The Apple HomePod mini isn't designed for outdoor use due to its wired design.
Changelog
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Updated Nov 11, 2024:
We updated the text throughout this review to align with our current style guide. In the App box, we also mentioned firmware updates Apple has released since we first reviewed this product.
- Updated Nov 24, 2023: Minor text edits for clarity. No changes in test results.
- Updated Aug 22, 2023: Added market comparison with the Amazon Echo Pop in the Soundstage box.
- Updated Dec 15, 2022: Updated the review for clarity and consistency.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This speaker comes in 'Space Gray' (now known as 'Midnight'), 'White,' 'Blue,' 'Orange,' and 'Yellow.' We expect them to perform similarly. We tested the 'Space Gray' variant, and here is the label for the model we tested.
If you come across another version, let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Apple HomePod mini is a smaller version of the discontinued Apple HomePod (1st generation) with a lighter, more spherical design. It also has built-in support for Siri, and its microphone can understand you clearly even if you aren't close to the speaker. However, it struggles to reproduce low-bass and doesn't get very loud. The Apple HomePod (2nd generation) is larger, so it gets louder and produces more rumble and punch. Unlike the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4, there's no physical mic mute button on the HomePod mini, but you can mute Siri with your voice when you want more privacy.
See also our recommendations for the best smart speakers, the best home speakers, and the best speakers for iPhone.
The Apple HomePod (2nd generation) is better than the Apple HomePod mini. The 2nd generation HomePod speaker is larger, so it can reproduce a lot more rumble in the low-bass, and it gets louder. Plus, it has a built-in room correction microphone to automatically optimize its audio based on your room's unique acoustics, which the mini lacks.
The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 is a better speaker for voice assistant support than the Apple HomePod mini overall. The Amazon has a better ambient noise performance, so it can understand you better in noisy settings. However, the Apple is better for music and videos, as it has a more neutral sound profile out of the box and a better soundstage.
The Apple HomePod mini is a better choice for music and videos than the Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen). Its default sound profile is better balanced with a more extended low-bass and a better soundstage performance. The Apple comes with Siri built-in, while the Google features Google Assistant.
The Google Nest Audio and the Apple HomePod mini are very similar speakers overall. Your preference will come down to your preferred ecosystem. The Google comes with Google Assistant built-in, while the Apple comes with Siri support. In terms of sound, the Apple has a wider and more spacious-sounding soundstage.
Test Results
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