HomePod mini 2 launches Friday, October 30 — and Siri AI is exclusive to it. The original HomePod mini, released in 2020 with the S5 chip, will not support Siri AI. Not with iOS 27.2. Not later this year. Not ever. Apple has confirmed the feature is hardware-locked: only the HomePod mini 2, powered by the newer S10 processor, meets the on-device processing requirements for Apple Intelligence–powered Siri. That includes richer contextual understanding, natural-language follow-ups, and personal-context requests, all of which demand more local compute than the S5 can deliver. CNET initially reported otherwise, stating that ‘the current S5-powered HomePod Mini will also get Siri AI compatibility later this year, along with updates to iOS 27.2.’ But within hours, after reaching out to Apple for comment, CNET corrected its article. Its updated version reads: ‘However, users of older HomePod Minis won’t be getting the more advanced Siri AI features. The HomePod Mini 2, with its faster S10 processor, is made to process Siri AI requests, and the same abilities won’t be available on older HomePods.’ MacRumors independently verified the correction, noting Apple’s official website and press materials make no mention of Siri AI support for the first-generation device. Unlike its explicit fine-print commitment for second-gen Apple TV 4K and newer models. Apple says setting up Siri AI on the HomePod mini 2 requires a paired iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence enabled. Once activated, however, users without such devices can still access Siri AI’s broad world knowledge, improved music discovery, and more conversational responses, just not personal-context features like ‘Read my latest messages’ or ‘Summarize my calendar today.’ The HomePod mini 2 starts at $129 in the US and Rs 12,990 in India. Pre-orders are live. Apple has not announced any firmware updates beyond standard security and stability patches for the original HomePod mini. Six years old, the S5 chip simply lacks the neural engine throughput needed for real-time AI inference. A limitation already evident in Apple Watch models, where only Series 9 and newer support Siri AI. So if you’re holding onto your 2020 unit hoping for an AI upgrade, it’s time to decide whether $129 buys what you need.