HomePod mini 2 goes on sale today, and a hands-on video has given the first close look at one of its more distinctive design touches: a two-tone fabric finish on some of the colors.
According to MacRumors, which pointed to a video from the YouTube channel Craig's Tech Talk, the effect comes from two layers of acoustic fabric in different shades. On the pink model, the outer layer is a light pink while the layer beneath is closer to coral. The blue version pairs a blue outer mesh with green fabric underneath, and the green version reverses that arrangement, with green on the outside and blue below. MacRumors says the effect is more subtle on the white and midnight options.
The original HomePod mini also used a mesh fabric, but it was a single colour with no second layer showing through. The video is a third-party hands-on rather than an official Apple description, so how pronounced the two-tone look is in everyday lighting will vary from the footage.
What Apple announced
Apple introduced HomePod mini 2 in an October 13 press release, with availability beginning Friday, October 30, in pink, green, blue, white and midnight. The speaker is powered by the Apple S10 chip and, according to Apple, uses computational audio to tune dynamic range, loudness and acoustic performance in real time.
Apple says Siri AI is coming to the speaker in a future software update, adding personal context understanding when it is paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, along with broader world knowledge and more conversational exchanges. The speaker can recognize up to six people in a household by voice.
On the audio side, Apple says HomePod mini 2 can work with the new Apple TV 4K (4th generation) to form a four-speaker surround setup for the first time, with the system calibrating each speaker's position and timing automatically. It can also act as the default speaker for a Mac, and Apple notes the colour options are meant to complement the Mac for a matching desktop setup.
Cupertino News has previously reported the $149 price and the Sound Glow top surface. Buyers who want to see the finishes in person will be able to once the speaker reaches stores and customers' homes today, as the two-tone effect is best judged on the real product.
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