Gurman: Apple is not developing a new HomePod Mini

CTOnews.com January 22, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said that Apple is not developing a new HomePod mini.

In the latest issue of the Power On newsletter, Gurman said he doesn't think Apple is "actively" developing follow-up products to the HomePod mini.

Apple released a new HomePod a few days ago, and users are curious about the update of the mini model. But at this point, I don't believe Apple is actively developing such a product. The latest HomePod doesn't add new features that are not found in the $99 mini model, so there's no obvious reason to update it. Of course, it would be better if there were more colors, cheaper prices, and better sound and microphones, but real improvements may need to be made at the back end-integrating with Siri and apps.

HomePod mini was unveiled at Apple's iPhone 12 event in October 2020. Less than half a year later, Apple halted production of the original HomePod, making the HomePod mini the only smart speaker on sale until Apple reintroduced a new full-size HomePod this week.

The newly launched HomePod offers a number of features previously dedicated to HomePod mini, including Apple Watch S series chips, U1 U1 ultra-wideband chips, Thread support, temperature and humidity sensors, and a larger backlit touch screen.

CTOnews.com learned that Gurman revealed in August 2022 that Apple was considering a new version of the HomePod mini in the future, but he did not provide a specific time frame or details about potential new features, saying only that the update was minor, but now it appears that these plans have been shelved.