October 10, 2026 — Apple has officially confirmed its “Welcome Home” event for October 13, and the HomePod mini 2 is expected to be one of the main announcements [citation:3][citation:14]. The original HomePod mini debuted on the exact same date in 2020, making this a six-year wait for a successor.

But a six-year gap raises a fair question: what actually changed? If you already own a HomePod mini, is the new one worth upgrading? And if you don’t own one yet, should you wait or just buy the current model?

Design and Colors: New Shades, Same Shell

The HomePod mini 2 will keep the exact same physical design as the original: spherical fabric-wrapped body, backlit touch panel on top, and the same overall dimensions [citation:1][citation:2]. According to code leaks discovered by MacRumors, the new model will be available in five colors [citation:2].

What this means for you: If you were hoping for a visual refresh, this isn’t it. The color update is about differentiation, not reinvention. The yellow and orange options are gone, replaced by more muted green, pink, and black tones. If you already own a HomePod mini, your existing accessories (stands, mounts) will almost certainly be compatible with the new model [citation:16].

The Chip Upgrade: From S5 to S9/S10

This is the most meaningful change in the HomePod mini 2, and it deserves careful attention.

The current HomePod mini runs on the S5 chip, which originally appeared in the Apple Watch Series 5 in 2019. That chip is now roughly seven years old. It handles Siri processing and real-time audio computation, but it was never designed for the kind of AI workloads Apple is now pushing [citation:1][citation:4].

The HomePod mini 2 is expected to use an S9 or S10 chip, based on the A13 Bionic architecture. This brings significantly better CPU/GPU performance and a more capable Neural Engine [citation:7][citation:13].

Wi-Fi 6E and the N1 Chip Question

For a smart home hub, network connectivity matters more than audio specs. The HomePod mini 2 is expected to upgrade from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 6E, which adds the 6GHz band for faster speeds and less interference [citation:1][citation:7].

However, there is conflicting information about the wireless chip itself.

What this means for you: The Wi-Fi 6E upgrade is likely regardless of which chip is used. The N1 question matters more for Apple’s long-term strategy than for your daily experience. If the HomePod mini 2 uses MediaTek, it will still support Wi-Fi 6E — you just won’t get Apple’s proprietary networking optimizations. Treat the N1 claim as unconfirmed.

The second-generation UWB chip is more straightforward. The current HomePod mini uses the first-generation U1 chip. The upgrade to the newer UWB chip (first seen in iPhone 15) means faster, more precise Handoff — when you bring your iPhone near the HomePod to transfer audio, the connection should be more reliable and have less delay [citation:1][citation:7].

Audio: Manage Your Expectations

This is where buyers are most likely to be disappointed.

The HomePod mini’s physical limitations are real. The speaker unit is small, and no chip upgrade can change the laws of physics. Reports indicate the speaker unit structure remains unchanged, with improvements coming from computational audio optimization rather than new hardware [citation:1][citation:4].

What It Will Cost

The current HomePod mini is priced at $129 in the US (after a price increase earlier in 2026) and RMB 749 in China [citation:4][citation:9].

Multiple sources indicate the HomePod mini 2 will likely maintain similar pricing, with some possibility of a small increase due to chip and component costs [citation:4][citation:10]. If Apple holds the line at RMB 749, the value proposition is straightforward: significantly better internals at the same price.

Should You Wait or Buy Now?

Here is a practical breakdown for different buyer profiles.

Key Takeaways