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Hold onto your old HomePod – an upgrade is on the way
An upcoming update will bring new features to existing HomePods. Here's what to know.
Apple announced the new HomePod Mini 2 last week, with several standout capabilities: It enables a four-speaker home theater configuration when paired with the fourth-gen Apple TV 4K, allows up to two speakers to be the default audio output for compatible Macs, has a dynamic RGB light display, and can lock the speaker’s touch control panel.
Also: Can you use an old iPad as a HomeView? Yes – but you’ll miss 4 key features
While the HomePod Mini 2 has plenty of upgrade-worthy features, you may not need to get rid of your HomePod (2nd Gen) or HomePod Mini (1st Gen) just yet. Some new features are coming to older models. Here’s what to know.
As reported by MacRumors, HomePod 27.2 software is available to developers and public beta testers, and may launch next week. According to the same reporting, the following speakers are eligible for these features:
The first-gen HomePod is excluded from Sound Glow due to incompatibility with its LED light display, and excluded from advanced audio features with Mac and Apple TV 4K due to its older networking and audio processing capabilities. The first-gen HomePod Mini’s older processing capabilities also exclude it from persistent audio streams from Apple TV 4K and Mac. However, you can still stream music from your Mac to your first-gen HomePod Mini via AirPlay.
The new HomePod Mini 2 will be the only HomePod to receive Siri AI, thanks to its upgraded S10 processor, the same one found in the Apple Watch Series 10, 11, SE 3, and Ultra 3. However, with Siri AI likely in your Mac, MacBook, iPad, and iPhone, it may be overkill to also have it four times over in your living room via HomePod.
Instead, Apple realized it’s just as valuable, if not more so, to compete for its consumers’ loyalty in the home audio space. So it’s letting you arrange existing HomePods in a four-speaker configuration with Apple TV 4K, or in a single or dual configuration when paired with a Mac.
Also: 4 upgrades HomePod Mini 2 has over its 6-year-old predecessor
While some consumers may be interested in a $1,100 to $1,300 flagship soundbar, others may be better off investing in two HomePod Mini 2s to accompany their existing HomePods (2nd Gen). It’s certainly a cheaper option. Plus, if you’re already an Apple power user, two more HomePod Mini 2s will fit neatly into your Home app; there’s no need to download another app to control a third-party surround system.