Siri is slowly making its way to hardware other than Apple’s own stable, now able to work on some smart thermostats. Apple is expected to make it more ubiquitous is years to come, but it also wants to expand its own product lines that use the digital assistant. Apple has announced new colour options for its HomePod Mini – you can now get it in yellow, orange and blue alongside the original white and black models.
Read: Apple’s new, cheap Music subscription lets you listen only through Siri
As smart speakers enter more homes, customers want more options. Apple is simply reacting to consumer demands, with its competition offering a wide variety of colours. Google’s Nest Mini smart speakers have blue and orange options, and there’s also a blue Amazon’s Echo Dot, plus some fun animal-themed colours offered on the Echo Dot Kids edition.
The three new colours available with the HomePod Mini will be present throughout the whole design of the smart speaker. This includes the same colour on the tinted touch surface, the fabric mesh, volume icons, and the non-removable power cable. In terms of cost, they will luckily be the same price as the originals – costing $99 – and will be available from the end of November.
The new HomePod Mini will work with the new Apple Music Voice plan, which Apple also announced at the same time. This is a cheaper tier of Apple’s music streaming service that you access only via the Siri voice assistant, although there will be a limited app option.
In Apple’s statement, they say: “HomePod mini sounds incredible, and with access to more than 90 million songs in the global Apple Music catalogue and deep integration with your Apple devices, it’s the must-have smart speaker for iPhone users,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With new vibrant colours, HomePod mini fits in even more places and delivers amazing sound, the power of Siri, and simple and secure smart home controls, all while protecting your privacy.”
