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HomePod Mini 2 first look: Three things I love and one disappointment
The Verge • • general
Key Points:
- The HomePod Mini 2, priced at $149, offers significant speed improvements over the first generation, with faster Siri responses and quicker smart home command execution thanks to a newer S10 chip and Wi-Fi 6E support.
- Siri on the Mini 2 is less chatty and more efficient, performing tasks like playing music or controlling smart devices within a few seconds, though the promised Siri AI upgrade is not yet available.
- The new green color option is highly praised for its sophisticated look, and while the Mini 2’s sound system remains unchanged, it delivers good audio quality for its size, especially when used as a stereo pair.
- A new feature allows users to disable the touch controls on the HomePod Mini to prevent accidental activations, enhancing usability for all HomePod models.
- The anticipated feature to set the Mini 2 as the default Mac speaker via a persistent AirPlay connection is currently not functioning properly, with the reviewer unable to enable it despite meeting all hardware and software requirements.
