Apple will introduce the HomePod mini 2 next year | photo: Apple
It’s been more than four years since Apple introduced the HomePod mini smart speaker. Since then, however, the Californian brand has not taken much care of this product line, and apart from new colors in 2021, we have not seen anything. But now information is surfacing about a possible HomePod mini 2.
HomePod mini 2 – What do we know so far?
New agency news Bloomberg they reveal interesting information. Apple’s smart speaker will offer several improvements next year, but unfortunately it looks like Apple Intelligence won’t be among them. The American giant reportedly wants to keep the artificial intelligence functions only for the upcoming HomePad, which should be a smart home management product.
One of the reasons may be the need to use the powerful Apple A17 Pro or A18 processor. Only these chips support Apple Intelligence, and their deployment in the HomePod mini 2 could drastically increase the price of the device. Therefore, a weaker processor is expected to be deployed, for example from the Apple Watch. The same strategy is chosen for the current generation, which runs the S5 chip from the Apple Watch Series 5.
Apple Intelligence will probably not be deployed | photo: Apple
The new “Proxima” chip
The source further states that Apple intends to use an entirely new network chip internally called “Proxima” in the HomePod mini 2 smart speaker. The new chip supports, for example, a modern Wi-Fi 6E connection.
Furthermore, the chip handles functions that allow the speaker to act as a wireless access point, which could be used for a smart home. Unfortunately, it is not yet clear whether Apple will unlock this option for the HomePod mini 2.
When will the HomePod mini 2 be released?
According to the latest leaks, Apple intends to introduce the HomePod mini 2 as early as next year. However, a closer date was not published. However, it is possible that the Cupertino-based manufacturer will choose a similar strategy to the first generation, which was presented on November 16, 2020. The upcoming generation may therefore still be quite far away, and may not wait until the end of 2025 for its premiere.
Source: mobilizujeme.cz
