Rumors point to an updated version of the HomePod mini and a new Apple TV 4K coming this year. What’s holding them up? The same thing that’s been giving Apple problems for years: AI.
Here’s what to expect from these two smart home accessories, and why Apple’s struggles with artificial intelligence have kept them off the market.
AI may be delaying new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K hardware
While fresh iPhone and MacBook models launch annually, there are longer gaps between other Apple products. These fall into categories where the underlying technology does not evolve quickly, so Apple couldn’t really improve on something released a couple of years earlier.
There’s no better example than the HomePod mini. This smart speaker launched in 2020, and still works well enough. But it’s apparently not up to the AI-enhanced version of Siri coming this fall with iOS 27 and macOS 27. So the HomePod mini 2 sits in development limbo.
The same reportedly holds true for the Apple TV 4K, which first hit store shelves in 2022. It apparently needs better hardware to handle the smarter Siri. You can expect a 2026 revamp.
HomePod mini 2 and a smarter Siri
Apple’s Siri voice assistant got left behind in the AI revolution. Compared to Google Gemini or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, it’s as dumb as a bag of hammers. But leaks coming from Cupertino point to Siri receiving a considerable upgrade this fall.
Thanks to an AI injection, expect Siri to be far more conversational. It should be capable of handling follow-up questions, understanding personal context, and carrying out more complex, multistep tasks.
That should prove ideal for the HomePod mini 2. Smart speakers are designed for voice control, and enabling an AI chatbot on Apple’s device would make it vastly more useful.
Instead of requiring preprogrammed commands like “Turn off the kitchen lights,” users might be able to speak more naturally with requests like “Set the house for bedtime,” with Siri understanding that it should dim lights, lock doors, adjust thermostats and arm security systems. Rumors also suggest Apple wants Siri to better recognize different users, understand daily routines, and become more proactive.
And, of course, a chatbot can be a font of knowledge on everything from weather forecasts to TV trivia.
Upgrading Apple TV 4K 2026 with AI
Apple’s new AI features will reportedly extend beyond Siri, and they surely will benefit the Apple TV 4K models expected later in 2026.
The streaming device could get much better at recommending content, for example. Instead of just opening the Netflix app, a user could ask for “funny sci-fi movies I haven’t watched already.”
And an Apple TV 4K that’s fully integrated with AI should be able to handle “jump back to the scene where they first meet the Sith lord.”
More hardware improvements
Faster processors inside the HomePod mini 2 and the upgraded Apple TV 4K should enable new AI features in both devices. Apple might upgrade the HomePod mini 2 to an S9 chip — a significant step up from the current S5. At the same time, the 2026 version of the Apple TV 4K 2026 could jump from the A15 to the A17 Pro processor.
Of course, the smart speaker should deliver upgraded audio quality — Apple today can deliver better sound than it could in 2020. And Apple’s new N1 wireless chip likely will enable Wi-Fi 7 and Thread. Plus, the second-generation Apple Ultra Wideband chip should enhance proximity features like Handoff.
The faster processor in Apple’s video streamer should make it better at playing Apple Arcade games, thanks to hardware-accelerated ray tracing for console-quality graphics. We likely will see wireless networking upgrades for it as well.
Hopefully, the 2026 Apple TV 4K will support Dolby Vision 2. This promises to automatically optimize the TV’s picture quality based on what’s being watched and the viewer’s environment.
When to expect the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 launch date
It should be obvious that the signature features of the 2026 Apple TV 4K and the HomePod mini 2 will be AI-related. Which means the devices cannot launch before September, when Apple starts rolling out its artificial intelligence features in iOS 27, macOS 27, etc.
Perhaps the devices will receive a mention at WWDC26 in June. But it’s more likely Apple won’t say a thing until its big event in September, when it unveils the iPhone 18 Pro models and the first folding iPhone.
As for pricing, Apple probably wants to keep the costs the same. If it can do that, the 2026 Apple TV 4K will have a starting price of $129, and the HomePod mini 2 will come in at $99.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
3 responses to “Why we’re still waiting for next-gen HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K”
No I’m NOT. My present HomePod mini and Apple TV work perfectly fine, and I see no reason to replace them just because there is a new version.
I returned my Apple TV 4K that I purchased a month ago because right after I bought it I realized it was the same model as in 2022! (I can wait until September for a new one better than I can wait for the next four years after September hating on my old TV4K!)
Hey, cool story bro. I like to comment on YouTube tutorial videos. Like a video showing you how to change the oil of a Honda lawnmower, I commented that I don’t need to know this because I don’t have a Honda lawnmower. Or my comment on a tutorial for changing the water filter on a Samsung refrigerator wherein a tell everyone that I don’t use the ice maker so I don’t have to change the water filter. Good times. We all have to have a hobby.