Gutted that it delivers a month from now. But looking forward to it! ♥️

“The mighty yet compact speakers pack a serious punch. Two custom full-range drivers in the display keep everything sounding crisp and clean while delivering room-filling Spatial Audio. Computational audio adjusts consistency and balance in real time to deliver incredible sound every time, from anywhere. And a down-firing woofer and two force-cancelling passive radiators are built into the base — for deep, rich bass.” How is this not an OG HomePod with a screen?

Hi All, basically the title, but I’m curious if anyone knows if the new HomePod can be used to control/launch Spotify music? It’s literally the only thing that’s kept me using Alexa devices. Appreciate any insights, with thanks!

Just pre ordered new Apple TV. I want the surround sound for the living room but my question is should I buy 4 2nd gen now or wait for the 3rd Gen?

I'm planning to buy the newly announced Apple TV 4K (2026) and gradually build a HomePod-based home theater setup in my living room.

I currently own two original HomePod minis, which I'm pretty happy with, but I'd love to take things to the next level, especially for movies, Dolby Atmos, and music.

My long-term goal is to have a 4-HomePod surround setup, ideally with two full-size HomePods in the front and two HomePod mini 2s in the rear.

However, I don't want to buy everything at once. I'd rather build the system gradually, starting with two full-size HomePods as a stereo pair and eventually adding two mini 2s for surround sound.

Here's my dilemma:

The HomePod 2 is almost four years old now, and Apple just announced the HomePod mini 2 without refreshing the full-size model.

I'm considering buying two HomePod 2s, but I'm worried Apple might release a third-generation model in the near future, potentially with better audio hardware and native Siri AI support.

I also noticed that Apple recently updated the HomePod 2 product page with new Siri visuals, which makes me wonder whether the current model might receive Siri AI after all.

A few questions:

1. Would you still recommend buying two HomePod 2s in late 2026, or would you wait for the third generation?
2. How significant is the audio improvement when upgrading from two original HomePod minis to two full-size HomePod 2s, particularly for movies and Dolby Atmos?
3. Do you think Apple will continue supporting and improving the HomePod 2 for several more years?
4. With the new four-speaker surround feature, would two HomePod 2s in the front and two mini 2s in the rear be a good long-term setup?
5. Since I already own two original HomePod minis, would you recommend sticking with them for now and waiting to see what Apple does next?

Siri AI would be a nice bonus, but honestly, sound quality and the home theater experience matter much more to me.

I'm pretty invested in the Apple ecosystem and would prefer a HomePod setup over a traditional soundbar, especially because of the seamless integration with Apple TV, AirPlay, and Apple Home.

What would you do in my situation? Buy two HomePod 2s now, or wait?

Thanks!

Is there any information on fullsize HomePod gen 3 release?
In the Siri AI era, they will have to upgrade the processor and RAM for AI support.

More than all the launches i’ve been waiting for the AI supported full sized homepods.

I am very disappointed that the HomePod mini 2 can’t pair with the first generation since only one of them light up when I ask something to Siri. They could be set up so that the newest always answers the questions and use the old one as a dumb speaker. This way, we could continue to use perfectly functional speakers while getting Siri AI everywhere in the house. Now I feel that we need to change all my devices and doesn’t seem very ecological and economical. Or if at least I could reuse my old HomePod mini for the new surround sound feature with the new Apple TV 4K. I know this place isn’t a place for this kind of comments but i feel left out on this one by a company I deeply care about. I just hope Apple could change its mind and find a way to keep those devices alive for a bit more.

With Siri Ai, idk if I should really invest in another pair of second gen which is pretty expensive here (500usd each) and gen 3 will get released on February with better sound and all the Ai features. I don’t really care about the Ai but better sound for sure! And they will definitely update the HomePod to 3rd gen soon enough as the second gen is going to be the only device that has the dumb siri.

Moreover, I already have 2 first-gen and 2 second gen HomePod, like them for what they are. I rarely use the first gens, i wished Apple could make them work as surrounds but now I gotta sell them to get the new devices.

So, they released the long awaited but I am still not feeling so convinced. I have two HP2s, an ATV 4K (1st Gen) and they all work fine with my Sony A95K. I was considering to add two more HP2s for the so called Dolby Atmos surround, but then now they want me to change ATV, buy another paid of HP2s (I would prefer HP2s and not minis for maxxing out the experience they offer) and that will be another 800 GBP (that’s when I get them from overseas, it will be 1000 GBP if I buy in the UK).
Even then, I will not get height channels, not even the effect because there are no upfiring speakers, there is no centre channel. I am thinking of two options for long term and best experience - 1) Proper AV receiver from Sony or Denon and some nice 5.1.4 speakers - everything wired (if I can work it out in my small house). Or 2) Sony Theatre Quad with Sony Subwoofer - purely because I have a Sony TV and a Playstation. These two options will cost me 2500 to 3500 GBP but I believe they are worth it.
On the Apple HomeKit side, I use one of my HomePods as Thread Router which I can put in my Kitchen and the other can go to my Bathroom. 😎

What do you guys think?

While it do like the design and the idea of the product, but I feel like an existing iPad can do all of that with Siri enabled?

Reposting here for a broader reach.
Thank you for any hints on solving this.

I am not sure if it is just me, I have 2 OGs, and 8 minis. I share everyone's pain with the touch issues and all the fun randomness that comes with being HomePod owners. That said, has anyone experienced their HomePods actually getting better?

For example, I have been battling touch issues for years, have all the necessary settings and occasionally apply the wet cloth technique. After about 1 year of no touch issues, one of my minis starting acting up fiercely with the touch issue random playing middle of the night, volume jumping to 100% over and over. I administered all the fixes and nothing worked until it did. My other HomePods were dropping out of stereo pairs, forgetting who I am, not being able to play my station or other stations by name, no longer recognising scenes and all that to be expected HomePod behaviour we have grown to love and complain about. Then about 3 or so days ago, everything started working perfectly. No lag, no delay, automation and scenes kick in when asked. Lights don't take 20 seconds to turn on after "Working on it" "Still working on it" "Something went wrong" when it doesn't and the lights do finally turn on.

I am not complaining, it is actually a bit refreshing. Perhaps Apple sorted something out on their end to get things ready for the new release?

Will enjoy it until it all goes back to normal but curious, anyone else experiencing this oddly functioning HomePod HomeKit system?

Let me add, nothing has been changed on my network side. Everything is identical so pretty sure it was nothing that I did.

Anyone?

Looks like Apple got a little ahead of themselves.

In the comparison section below the Apple Store purchase page, the alt text for the HomePod 2 image reads: “HomePod, white color, full-size cylindrical design, seamless acoustic mesh exterior, multi-colored Siri AI glow on top.”

Apple already updated the HomePod 2 product page this morning with Siri AI styling and glow that matches Siri AI on the HomePod mini 2.