Apple HomePod Mini (2020)

Computational audio optimizes the experience ; Clean sounding highs and mids ; Compact size makes it discrete ; It's the most affordable HomeKit home hub

Siri lacks the advanced intelligence of her peers ; Short power cord

“The HomePod mini is exactly what Apple needs to be a relevant player in the smart speaker world”

Solid audio performance with rich bass and bright highs ; Multiple speakers can be grouped and used as stereo pairs ; Easy Siri voice control ; Good Apple Home app integration for smart home controls

Not the absolute best audio quality for the price ; No aux input

The Apple HomePod mini speaker offers Siri voice assistance and smart home control in an attractive little orb design for just $99, but the Amazon Echo delivers substantially more audio power for the same price.

Compact design ; Accessibly priced compared to big HomePod ; Good sound for its size ; Siri is fast

Still hugely dependent on Apple devices and services ; Doesn’t sound as good as similarly priced competitors ; Volume controls on top are fiddly ; Siri is still behind Google Assistant and Alexa in features and capabilities

Apple’s HomePod mini is a $99 smart speaker that can fit almost anywhere in your home. It sounds surprisingly good for its size, but it can't quite keep up with similarly priced speakers from Amazon or Google.

Impressive audio quality for its size ; Easy setup ; Works as a Thread border router ; New “Intercom” feature lets you broadcast messages to family members

No physical mic mute control ; Intercom doesn’t support two-way calls ; Supports only one third-party music services (for now) ; We’ve heard better-sounding smart speakers in the Mini’s price range

If Apple’s new, smaller HomePod cost the same as a $50 Amazon Echo Dot or a Google Nest Mini, I’d be calling it the new champ (albeit with caveats) in the entry-level smart speaker market. But at $99, the HomePod Mini falls short to the similar-priced...

Sound quality

The Apple HomePod Mini is a very good entry-level speaker, and anyone who uses an iPhone or iPad will have no issues setting up and controlling it. Third-party streaming applications aren’t totally streamlined with it, but this isn’t surprising given...

Design and looks ; Sound

Ecosystem ; Little pricey

Great audio for size ; Competitive price ; Attractive design

Few streaming music services ; Limited child controls ; No physical microphone button

— did. The HomePod mini also integrates well with your iPhone and other products in the Apple ecosystem. However, while I like HomeKit as a smart home platform, I’m still less impressed with Siri overall as a voice assistant. And I really wish the...