Siri AI upgrade is a dead cert for a HomePod mini update

The update to Siri AI will eventually reach the HomePod line. While that is a certainty, it may not be available on the models that are currently in homes.

The HomePod and HomePod mini were left out of the Siri AI party at WWDC, and the updated digital assistant hasn’t yet become available on the smart speaker. However, it is still something widely expected to be on the way.

A leaker known as “pdfu” posted to X about Siri AI on HomePod. The account shares that Linwood, the in-house name for the new Siri AI project, is included as part of audioOS 27 also known as HomePod Software 27, but it’s not being used.

The account shares a look at the new status lights that will closer match how Siri AI appears on other platforms. It looks generally whiter in construction, rather than the colorful swirl of the existing Siri.

It also adds that Siri AI may require new hardware to function properly. The HomePod is apparently “accepted” as a Siri AI-capable device, but activation is currently blocked.

Water is wet

It is a given that Apple will be adding Siri AI support to the HomePod in the future. As such a Siri-centric device, it would be extremely hard to imagine Apple leaving off that update from the smart speaker range.

Some form of spec-bump update to the HomePod mini will happen in the future. So far, that is thought to consist of a chip update to the S9 or S10 SIP instead of the S5 currently in use.

Support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread is also anticipated, as well as a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip.

There is speculation that Apple is preparing a wider update than the HomePod mini, with a new Apple TV and a frequently rumored Home Hub also on the horizon. Apple Stores are also allegedly preparing for the smart home catalog overhaul with changes to a few Avenue segments.