MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered a reference to another unreleased product, which has the codename B525. Since the current HomePod mini has the codename B520, it’s more than certain that the aforementioned codename will be referring to the upcoming HomePod mini. It’s expected to feature a drastically more modern processor that uses the T8310 cores, which are also used in the S9 and S10 SiP’s (system-in-packages) for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 10, respectively. The upcoming S11 SiP is expected to use the same CPU as those two SiP’s, and it’s expected to make its way in all upcoming Apple Watch models that will be announced next month, including the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3.
The HomePod mini was originally introduced on October 2020, but it hasn’t seen a hardware refresh since. Since then, we saw more color options for that device, most recently, a Midnight color option. Even though it’s kind of a niche product, needless to say that it’s way overdue for an update. The current HomePod mini features the S5 SiP, which was used on the Apple Watch Series 5 and used the same CPU as the previous S4 SiP on the Apple Watch Series 4. So a more modern processor and SiP in the next-generation HomePod mini will be more than a welcome change, providing a significant boost in performance since it features 64-bit architecture that’s based on the A16 chip, an improved 4-core Neural Engine for faster machine learning, and even improved connectivity such as Bluetooth 5.3. It’s unclear which SiP Apple will use for the upcoming HomePod mini, but it’s likely that it will use the S11 SiP since the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 will feature that SiP, and we can assure that Apple will release the next HomePod mini as soon as next month. It’s also rumored that it may feature Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip for better connectivity and efficiency, possibly up to Wi-Fi 6E speeds and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.
The next HomePod mini may make its debut next month with new colors as a possibility, but Apple may choose to spread out its product releases over the course of the next season.
