Surprise new Apple HomePod mini arrives, and you can order it today

A new Apple HomePod mini has been announced. But before you get too excited, it's essentially just a new colour.

In a perhaps surprising mid-July announcement, Apple has replaced the Space Grey option of the HomePod mini with a Midnight variant.

Honestly, both are basically black, although the Midnight option offers a slightly bluer tone compared to the greyer Space Grey. Midnight is also a much better name.

More importantly however, and probably the reason for the colour replacement on the smart speaker, is the HomePod mini now offers neutral colour options that match the larger HomePod (2nd generation), which comes in Midnight and White.

The HomePod mini is also available in Orange, Blue and Yellow, but the colour replacement means if you have a larger HomePod in Midnight and wanted to add a mini to your home, guests will no longer be able to say they aren't the same black anymore.

Is the Midnight HomePod mini different to the other colours?

No internal changes have been made, so the HomePod mini in Midnight offers the same features and specifications as the Space Grey option it succeeds, which launched back in 2020. That means the HomePod mini continues to deliver big sound from its small size, along with a backlit touch surface at the top which illuminates all kinds of delightful colours when interacted with.

It can be used with Apple TV 4K as a TV speaker, and you can stereo pair two HomePod minis if you have a couple. You can also group the HomePod mini with other HomePod speakers too.

There's a temperature sensor on board so you can check the temperature and humidity in the room the HomePod mini is in, and Siri is of course present so you can control any compatible smart home devices or request information. 

Siri will play music from your favourite streaming services, too - although it plays nicest with Apple Music, and will recognise up to six voices in your family to deliver personal requests. 

The HomePod mini in Midnight is available to buy now for £99 / $99 / A$149, alongside White, Yellow, Orange and Blue.