What you need to know
- Apple is expected to debut a HomePod mini at its October iPhone 12 event.
- A new report says it will cost $99 and feature an S5 chip.
- The report says the speaker is a mere 3.3-inches and will be released in November
A new report from Apple leaker Kang claims Apple's HomePod mini, which is expected to debut at the October iPhone 12 event, will cost just $99 and be 3.3-inches in size.
Kang, one of the most accurate Apple leakers around, states:
HomePod Mini, priced at $99, 3.3-inch speaker, S5 processor. Most places are scheduled for November 6/7, and will be released on 16/17. Please wait for the domestic release.
Apple is widely expected to debut a new HomePod mini alongside iPhone 12 at the October 13 event next week. We haven't really heard much about the device except that it will be a smaller HomePod, as the name suggests.
Kang now says this speaker will cost just $99, and that it's absolutely tiny. According to Kang, it'll be a 3.3-inch speaker, smaller than the iPod mini of old. It's unclear if Kang is referring to the overall form-factor of the device (the actual size), or specifically the size of a speaker inside a larger housing. The original HomePod, for example, houses several different speakers inside one main unit.
The other bigs news is that it will be powered by Apple's S5 chip, previously the brains of Apple Watch Series 5.
With regards to a release date, Kang says that HomePod mini will be available to pre-order on November 6, with a release on November 16. Kang notes there is no date for a domestic release, however, given the info was posted to Weibo in China, this likely refers to the Chinese market.
The HomePod mini may be the only other product announced alongside iPhone 12, following reports that Apple's AirTags have been delayed until 2021, and that Apple's AirPods Studio may not debut until November.
Apple's iPhone 12 event will of course be fighting for attention with Amazon's two-day Prime Day event, which also kicks off on October 13.
