Apple unveils HomePod Mini 2 with AI Siri and glowing display
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Apple has launched the HomePod Mini 2, a smart-home device upgraded with AI-powered Siri and a glowing display.
The HomePod Mini 2 retains the spherical design of the first generation, but features improvements to its internal hardware. According to a Gizmochina report on Tuesday (13 October), the device will support AI-powered Siri through a future software update.
With artificial intelligence, users will be able to have more natural conversations and make complex requests.
The HomePod Mini 2 will also be able to access personal information from compatible iPhones and iPads that support Apple Intelligence. For example, users can ask Siri to find a recipe shared by email or play a song received in a text message.
Those without an iPhone or iPad compatible with Apple Intelligence will still benefit from improved conversational abilities, but will not have access to personal-context features.
Inside, the speaker uses an S10 chip. Apple says the processor manages real-time audio adjustments to volume and dynamic range.
The speaker can still be used on its own or paired for stereo, but Apple has added a new home-theatre configuration.
If HomePod 2 owners also have the new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, they can connect four HomePod speakers. The system automatically calibrates the audio according to each speaker’s position in the room.
Users can now also set the HomePod Mini 2 as the default audio output for a Mac.
On the outside, the touch surface on top has been redesigned with a feature Apple calls Sound Glow.
Instead of displaying only the standard Siri animation, the top panel now changes colour to match the album artwork for the music being played and pulses in time with the audio.
For smart-home use, the device continues to function as a home hub. It includes sound recognition to detect smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and send alerts to the user’s phone.
It also supports facial recognition for Apple’s newly announced Home Collection video doorbell, allowing the speaker to announce who is outside.
The HomePod Mini 2 comes in pink, green, blue, white and midnight, and costs US$149 (around Rp2.6 million).