Apple refreshes its Homepod mini with a new chip and $149 price tag

Apple’s new HomeView device was the center of the show at its smart home event on Tuesday, but the company also refreshed its HomePod Mini smart speaker with a new chip and Siri AI integration, the latter of which will be available through a future update.

The $149 update is $50 more expensive than the original version launched over six years ago in 2020 . The new HomePod mini has an S10 chip that helps improve optimize dynamic range, loudness, and acoustic performance.

With the new HomePod mini, users can control their smart home devices through voice commands. Plus, the speaker can listen for sounds like a smoke alarm and send a notification to users’ phones — a feature that Alexa devices have offered for years.