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”

Sophisticated, engaging sound ; Substantial smart skills ; Impressive music discovery

Limited third-party service support ; Lacks a full control app

It’s much smaller and more affordable than expected, but the most surprising thing about the HomePod Mini is its superb sound

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.

Cute design ; Sound quality for the money ; Easy to setup and get started

Siri still sounds clunky ; No Spotify support ; No support for BBC radio in the UK

A move in the right direction, the smaller HomePod sounds great for a speaker of this scale. It will appeal to many Apple users, but against Amazon's Echo series it feels like it still fails to understand that people are more than happy with cheap and...

Incredible sound ; Small and inconspicuous ; Siri is getting smarter

Not as smart as other speakers ; Only compatible with Apple devices ; No Bluetooth connectivity

The HomePod Mini excels in the audio department despite its small stature, but it falls over in terms of connectivity - not just the smart devices it can control, but the smartphones and services it's compatible with.

Excellent sound quality ; Reasonable price ; Easy to use

Not for non-iOS users ; No Spotify support yet

The HomePod mini isn’t quite a slam dunk of a smart speaker. The current lack of Spotify and BBC sounds support via Siri is a fairly major limitation and, clearly, if you’re not an iPhone owner – or use an iPad a lot – you’re better off looking...

Sounds great ; Neat proximity features ; Siri responds well

Basically requires Apple Music ; Won’t work with Android ; Smart home skills slightly limited

This shrunken smart speaker is a sonic success – but old issues still remain for now

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...