Apple's iPhone launch event ushered in a new smart speaker, the HomePod Mini, with improved smarts and a much lower price

A very impressive smart speaker from Apple and, for once, the price isn’t too high

Excellent sound quality; Reasonable price; Easy to use;

Not for non-iOS users; No Spotify support yet;

In terms of price and performance the HomePod Mini is a direct rival for Amazon’s five-star Echo, but in size it’s more comparable to the smaller Dot. So why is it harder to recommend? From a musical point of view it comfortably outperforms expectations, offering a more balanced sound than something of this size would usually manage, but for now it still makes too many demands about where it gets its tunes from. Smart home skills still lag behind the competition a little too, and while Siri’s conversation skills are good, it can still sound a touch mechanical at times. Apple fans won’t mind those limitations much and there’s still a lot to love here, but for now the HomePod Mini falls just short of greatness. We’d still take one over that Thunderbolt cable though.

Sounds great; Neat proximity features; Siri responds well;

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

Technically the best-sounding smart speaker, the Apple HomePod is a compact marvel that automatically adjusts its sound based on where you put it. Double-up in a stereo pair and, pound-for-pound, you can't get better. Yet, for all the audio brilliance, Siri lags behind its smart assistant competition, and there's too much focus on Apple devices and services to make this a smart speaker for the masses.

Excellent audio quality; Well priced; Comparatively small;

Apple-centric; No audio inputs; Captive power cable;

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.

Incredible sound; Small and inconspicuous; Siri is getting smarter;

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

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 cheerful when it comes to kitchen-based listening.

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;

There’s no shortage of smart speakers to choose from these days, but recent months have placed the focus on affordable, often spherical options. Apple's new HomePod mini, a $99 alternative to the larger, more powerful $299 HomePod, competes primarily against the $99 orb-like Amazon Echo (4th Generation) and the non-spherical $99 Google Nest Audio. If audio is your top priority, Apple's speaker is outperformed by Amazon's, as well as some other, non-smart wireless models in the $100 price range—the HomePod mini delivers solid, clean mono audio, but the Echo is substantially larger and more powerful, offering a stronger sense of bass response. That said, if you're already thoroughly invested in the Apple/iOS/HomeKit realm, the HomePod mini is still a strong smart speaker for the price.HomePod mini Design and Features The orb-shaped, 0.8-pound HomePod mini is available in space gray or white, and measures 3.3 by 3.9 inches (HW), with a flat panel on the top and on bottom preventing i...

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.

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

Great little speaker. Very impressed with the sound it gives out. Easy to set up through the phone

I read many review before purchasing this product. I was a bit apprehensive about sound quality despite all the positive reviews! Let me say from the easiest of set ups to the ease of functionality and the sound is pure audiophile goodness! Recommend this product especially if youre deep into the Apple eco system.

Great sounding device and even better device if you are in apple ecosystem.