{"id":190361,"date":"2025-08-14T07:59:03","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T11:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/?p=190361"},"modified":"2025-08-14T07:59:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T11:59:03","slug":"next-generation-homepod-mini-is-getting-a-big-upgrade-heres-whats-changing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/next-generation-homepod-mini-is-getting-a-big-upgrade-heres-whats-changing\/","title":{"rendered":"Next-generation \u200cHomePod mini\u200c is getting a big upgrade\u2014here’s what’s changing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Apple’s next-generation HomePod mini is set for a major performance boost, with hardware upgrades to make it smarter, faster and more connected.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

MacRumors<\/em><\/a> reports that a slicker, smarter HomePod mini could be on the way as Apple\u2019s got something brewing for its smart speaker. Apple accidentally included hardware identifiers in its code, and MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris<\/a> discovered that an upgraded HomePod mini will run an unreleased Apple Watch processor.<\/p>\n

Aside from other rumored updates, the smart speaker could support Wi-Fi 6E via an in-house designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo chip, dubbed \u201cProxima,\u201d<\/a> along with possible new color finishes. Expect the updated HomePod mini sometime between September and December\u2014just in time for holiday home upgrades.<\/p>\n

HomePod mini 2 may be around the corner<\/h2>\n

Codenamed B525, the next HomePod mini appears to be powered by an unreleased Apple S-series chip, similar to the processor running inside the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Series 9 (and possibly also the upcoming Apple Watch Series 11).<\/p>\n

Concretely, strings discovered in Apple\u2019s code seem to point to a 64-bit, dual-core processor built on the roots of the Apple A16 chip running in the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus and the eleventh-generation iPad. The chip may have a 4-core Neural Engine under the hood for AI tasks.<\/p>\n

If true, that would be a big leap from the 64-bit dual-core Apple S5 chip in the current HomePod mini that first appeared in the Apple Watch Series 5 (2019). Other improvements for the HomePod mini 2 could include enhanced sound and Apple\u2019s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for more accurate device micro-positioning used for Handoff when you wave your iPhone nearby<\/a>.<\/p>\n

HomePod mini 2 vs. HomePod mini comparison<\/h2>\n

The current HomePod mini was released in November 2020 in white, space gray, blue, orange and yellow. In July 2024, Apple also introduced a midnight color option, which replaced the space gray version<\/a>. The HomePod mini supports Wi-Fi 4 (also known as 802.11n) with dual-band support (2.4GHz and 5GHz), plus Bluetooth 5.0 (for features like Handoff but no Bluetooth audio functionality, unfortunately).<\/p>\n

The current model also supports Thread networking for better smart home. It can work as as a Thread border router, allowing it to connect directly to Thread-enabled smart home devices and extend the network within your home.<\/p>\n

If the next version does end up supporting Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 via an in-house wireless chip, expect the benefits outlined in the table below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nHomePod mini<\/th>\nHomePod mini 2<\/th>\nReal-world benefit<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Wi-Fi<\/strong><\/td>\nWi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)<\/td>\nWi-Fi 6E (including 6 GHz)<\/td>\nFaster speeds, less interference, more stable streaming<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bluetooth<\/strong><\/td>\nBluetooth 5.0<\/td>\nBluetooth 5.3<\/td>\nLonger range, improved stability, lower latency<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio<\/strong><\/td>\nOccasional lag in multi-room setups<\/td>\nUltra-low-latency sync<\/td>\nPerfectly timed multi-room playback without echo or delay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Smart home<\/strong><\/td>\nCommands can have small delays<\/td>\nSnappier responses<\/td>\nFaster, smoother HomeKit control and automations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Future-proofing<\/strong><\/td>\nLimited headroom<\/td>\nReady for newer codecs\/features<\/td>\nSupport for things like LC3 and higher-quality streaming<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Smoother streaming:<\/strong> Wi-Fi 6E’s 6 GHz band could bring faster streaming of music and podcasts with fewer dropouts due to less congestion from your neighbors’ networks. Of course, you would need a Wi-Fi 6E-enabled router as well.<\/p>\n

Better multi-room audio:<\/strong> Wi-Fi 6E enables lower latency, which may enable AirPlay to keep multiple HomePod mini 2 devices in sync around the house without noticeable lag when playing multi-room audio.<\/p>\n

Better smart home:<\/strong> Faster wireless networking means quicker communication with HomeKit devices, like cameras and sensors which would respond quicker to voice commands and trigger automations faster.<\/p>\n

Longer Bluetooth range:<\/strong> Bluetooth 5.3 boosts reliability and range for direct device pairing, which might make handing off music and podcasts from your iPhone or Apple Watch feel more instant.<\/p>\n

Future-proofing for new features:<\/strong> Both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 would future-proof the next HomePod mini for future Apple ecosystem features, such as lossless AirPlay, better audio handshakes or higher-quality Bluetooth audio (LC3 codec).<\/p>\n

Source link: https:\/\/www.idownloadblog.com\/2025\/08\/14\/apple-homepod-mini-2-changes-new-features\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Apple’s next-generation HomePod mini is set for a major performance boost, with hardware upgrades to make it smarter, faster and more connected. MacRumors reports that a slicker, smarter HomePod mini could be on the way as Apple\u2019s got something brewing for its smart speaker. Apple accidentally included hardware identifiers in its code, and MacRumors contributor…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":32045,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,12,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-190361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allnews","category-appleindustrynews","category-breakingnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190361"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":190362,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190361\/revisions\/190362"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midatlanticconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}