Apple unveils HomePod mini 2 and a new Apple TV 4K built around Siri AI

Alongside HomeView and the Apple Home Collection, Apple on 13 October refreshed the two devices that already anchor many Apple homes: the HomePod mini 2 smart speaker and the Apple TV 4K (4th generation). Both are built around Siri AI, Apple's rebuilt, more conversational assistant, and both act as home hubs for Matter/HomeKit accessories.

HomePod mini 2: colours, Sound Glow and a future Siri AI update

The new speaker comes in pink, green, blue, white and midnight and runs on Apple's S10 chip with computational audio for 360-degree sound. A new Sound Glow feature turns the top into a light show that pulses with bass and treble and picks colours from the album art.

Apple says HomePod mini 2 can recognise up to six voices in a household. It can also work as a speaker for a Mac with Wi-Fi 6E or later, and it listens for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and sends an alert to your iPhone. Siri AI is not there on day one: it arrives in a future software update, in English only, in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.

Apple TV 4K: A19, hands-free Siri and AV1

The new Apple TV 4K moves to the A19 chip. Apple claims up to 50% faster CPU and up to 2x faster GPU performance than the previous model, plus a dedicated AV1 decoder for more efficient streaming. Three far-field microphones let you talk to Siri without the remote, and the Siri Remote gains Find My support with a sound you can play to find it.

Siri AI shows up as a full-screen search for shows and films. It can answer follow-up questions while you watch, and with an Apple Intelligence iPhone it can use personal context (for example, "play the show a friend recommended"). As a hub, the box has Wi-Fi and Thread built in, shows doorbell alerts on the TV and adds AI-written descriptions of HomeKit Secure Video events (an eligible iCloud+ plan is required).

Four-speaker surround

For the first time, four HomePod mini 2 (or HomePod 2nd gen) speakers in matching front and rear pairs can work with the new Apple TV 4K as a surround system that calibrates itself to the room.

Price and availability

• HomePod mini 2: $149, pre-orders open now, in stores from 30 October.
• Apple TV 4K (4th gen): $299, pre-orders open now, available from 13 November.

Apple's footnotes say Siri AI will not be available in the EU at first on iOS and iPadOS, so features will depend on where you live. If you are still choosing a hub, our Matter and Thread explainer covers what to check first.