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The original HomePod is just as good as it was before. It's just not getting smarter.
Photo: shyam mishra/Pexels

We have confirmation that Apple’s original HomePod mini will miss out on a Siri AI upgrade, even as the company prepares to bring the technology to older Apple TV 4K models. The same apparently goes for the larger HomePod 2.

To be clear, Apple never said the previous versions of its smart speakers would get the new AI-enabled version of Siri. And the devices still include classic Siri and work as AirPlay speakers, just like they did before.

HomePod mini 2 gets much smarter with Siri AI

When Apple unveiled HomePod mini 2 during Tuesday’s “Welcome Home” product launch event, the company put much of the focus on its support for Siri AI. This allows users of the smart speaker to make more natural requests, ask follow-up questions and handle more complex tasks through conversation.

And when it emerged that Siri AI would be available on every Apple TV 4K model going back to 2021, there was hope that earlier HomePod models would also get support.

Nope.

No Siri AI for you, original HomePod mini!

Since Tuesday’s launch event, Apple confirmed to multiple news sources, including Cnet, that HomePod mini will not get Siri AI.

Apparently, the Apple S5 processor from 2019 in the older smart speaker just isn’t up to the task. The just-announced model makes the jump to an S10.

Still, there was room for hope because the HomePod mini 2 clearly outsources some of the artificial intelligence work it’s asked to do.

As evidence, Apple’s announcement of the speaker says, “Siri AI requires the owner of the home in the Home app to have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad running the latest software version and have Siri AI turned on and set to a supported language.”

But backward compatibility didn’t happen. Apple says Siri AI is only for the Home mini 2.

Still a useful smart speaker

Despite missing out on Siri AI, the HomePod 2 and original HomePod mini remain useful smart speakers. They can play Apple Music, answer simple questions with classic Siri, control smart-home accessories and serve as an AirPlay speaker for other Apple devices.

And HomePod 2 also supports four-speaker surround sound when paired with the refreshed Apple TV 4K, letting users build a more immersive home theater system without replacing their existing speakers.

• See also: Apple TV 4K gets Siri AI and a remote you can actually find

So while the HomePod mini 2 offers newer hardware and a path to Apple’s next-generation assistant, the earlier models still have plenty of life left for everyday listening and smart-home control.