Apple HomePod mini

Adorable, solid value and sounds excellent for the size – but it’s very Apple-centric

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SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers 1x full-range driver, 2x passive radiators

Connectivity Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5, AirPlay 2

Voice assistant Siri

Dimensions 98x84mm

Weight 345g

£99 apple.com

Apple’s tiny new Siri speaker brings the same focus on music quality that the full-size HomePod has but in a package the size of a bread roll. And not to spoil what’s coming, but the HomePodmini also punches well above its size class for sound – it’s the best sounding smaller speaker by a mile.

The HomePod mini is effectively the same size as the Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen), and is similarly round, though the HomePod has a slice off the top for its little ‘screen’ and controls. It’s easily held in one hand, and so finding a spot for it is no problem at all.

The really nice touch is that the screen has multicolored lights underneath that swirl when Siri is listening. When the speaker is simply playing something, the screen glows faintly white. It looks great – it’s both whimsical and tasteful at the same time – and makes the whole thing feel like a magical cauldron for a Barbie to cast spells with.

The HomePod mini’s audio quality is incredible for its size, and really good for its price. Compared to the two rivals in the same size bracket – the Echo Dot (4th gen) and Nest Mini – the sound is next-level stuff. It’s fuller, deeper and more detailed.