At $99, the HomePod Mini is Apple's most affordable smart speaker. It's worth a look if you're an active Siri user, or if you're already invested in Apple's ecosystem.

The HomePod mini is exactly what Apple needs to be a relevant player in the smart speaker world

Small, convenient, and so easy (for Apple users). Siri can hear and understand you, even while you’re sitting outside your house. Surprising, fun features keep popping up (for Apple users). Pretty loud, with heavy bass.

If you’re in the Apple ecosystem or have an iPhone, we think the HomePod Mini is a no-brainer at $99. We’ve seen a trend this year, but Apple is focusing on value, and the HomePod Mini is a pure example of that. It sounds really good, Siri is much improved, it’s relatively compact in size with a nice design and it can be the starting point for creating a smart home.

All told, I’ve quite enjoyed my time with the little smart speaker. As I noted at the top, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been if Apple had launched the Mini alongside the initial HomePod. I suspect the company would still be a ways from market share domination, but the product really could have eaten into Amazon and Google’s lead. Instead, Apple waited — likely in hopes of getting the package right. That’s certainly understandable. Apple’s never been one to rush into a product, and the HomePod Mini sounds all the better for it.

The HomePod mini is a lot easier to recommend than the original was back in 2018. It’s significantly cheaper than the first HomePod, which automatically means more people will consider it. And it’s also a lot more capable than the original was in 2018, with more of the features you’d expect from a smart speaker. And, like the Nest Audio, it sounds very good for the price, making it a solid value for $100. In typical Apple fashion, the company is avoiding the true bottom of the market, and not competing with $50 speakers like the Nest Mini and Echo Dot. But having a strong option for $100 could help it take more of the smart speaker market in a way the original HomePod simply couldn’t because of its price.

The HomePod Mini sounds great, but you'll need to use all Apple products to get the best from it - and it comes at a premium price.

The Apple HomePod mini is a small smart speaker with surprisingly big sound. It is only for those already deeply involved in the Apple universe as it requires an iPhone to use and seamlessly integrates with the iPhone. You can hook up multiple HomePod minis for multiroom audio and use it to control your smart home. For only $99, it's worth checking out.

For anyone looking to enter the Apple smart ecosystem, or who has an Apple Music subscription, the HomePod mini is the speaker to go for. It's far cheaper than some might expect, packing mighty sounds and an elegant design for under $100 / £100 / AU$150. However, Siri and the smart home experience still need some work, even years after launch.

The HomePod mini is the smart speaker Apple fans have been waiting for.

Apple’s budget-friendly smart speaker may be small in size, but it’s big on features and audio quality.

A series of post-launch updates has turned the smaller HomePod into a much more capable smart speaker. Even with its lofty price tag, the HomePod mini is a worth investment, particularly for Apple users.

The HomePod mini is the small speaker of choice for music lovers, but only if you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, and don't need it to be TOO smart.

The HomePod mini is a smaller, cheaper Apple smart speaker that sounds great, particularly for its size. It is an attractive but unassuming little device that blends into the background well. Siri is more capable than ever and is closing the gap to the superior Alexa and Google Assistant on most fronts. The proximity features with an iPhone 11 or newer are a little touch of magic, too. But unlike most other smart speakers, the HomePod mini is not cross-platform, needs an Apple Music subscription to get the best out of it and requires you and your family members to be fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem – Android users need not apply. The HomePod mini is the best new smart speaker for those who live and breathe Apple but for everyone else there are better options.

Though Apple’s HomePod Mini has been around since late last year, software updates are making it a better device now than when it first hit retail shelves. The HomePod Mini is a capable compact smart speaker with built-in Siri personal assistant, and acts as a smart home hub for other HomeKit devices. As a standalone speaker it's half the size of the original HomePod, which is now being phased out, so it's not as audibly impressive on its own. But it's a third of the cost and for its very compact 85mm x 100mm size, it packs a decent audio punch. You can easily pair two Minis together for room-filling stereo audio, or a soundbar alternative when paired with an Apple TV. Plus, the latest updates mean you can now use them as a room-to-room intercom system.

Apple has shown that it’s willing to improve things and listen to feedback when it comes to smart speakers, so I’ll be interested to see how it continues to develop. Hopefully, now that the HomePod mini is here, it starts to move a little faster.

The Apple HomePod mini is good for voice assistant support. It has built-in support for Siri, which you can activate with your voice. It can easily understand you from far away, though it may not perform as well if you're in a noisy setting. While it doesn't come with a physical mic mute button, you can mute Siri using your voice and press and hold its control panel for a few seconds to unmute it.

The HomePod mini is a fantastic pick-up for any smart home enthusiast who is also an Apple user. Though it's not the absolute best compact speaker on the market, its capabilities and audio quality help it stand out from other smart speakers, and features like Intercome and Beam are pretty unique to the HomePod experience.

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

A speaker this size just shouldn’t sound as good as the Apple HomePod Mini does. With poise and balance, this speaker can handle everything you throw at it, delivering impressive room-filling volume, too. It’s a decent smart speaker, too, controlling anything in your Home app with ease, while the new Thread hub lets you attach some smart peripherals directly. This speaker is still a little Apple-centric, and it would be nice to have Spotify better integrated. That said, for the price, this smart speaker is brilliantly priced and sounds better than any of its similarly-priced competition.