HomePod mini delivery waits stretch to eight weeks ahead of rumored refresh

HomePod mini availability is becoming increasingly constrained around the world, with delivery estimates for some models now stretching to as long as eight weeks as signs continue to point toward an imminent hardware refresh.

In the UK, Apple’s online store currently lists the yellow HomePod mini with an estimated delivery time of three to four weeks, while the orange model is showing a wait of six to eight weeks. Blue is currently unavailable for delivery.

The orange HomePod mini is also facing six-to-eight-week delivery estimates in Germany, France, Australia and Japan, while both orange and yellow are unavailable for delivery in Canada, according to MacRumors.

Availability is somewhat better in the United States, although yellow and orange are unavailable for delivery to some ZIP codes. Other colors currently have delivery estimates ranging from around one to two weeks depending on location.

Stock shortages do not confirm that a replacement is imminent, and HomePod mini availability has fluctuated before. This time, however, the delays arrive alongside considerably stronger evidence that Apple is preparing a second-generation model.

Images discovered in Apple’s own code last month specifically referenced an unreleased “HomePod mini 2,” revealing that the new speaker is expected to retain the familiar spherical design while arriving in green, pink, blue, white and black.

The next HomePod mini is also expected to receive a newer chip and support Apple’s latest Siri AI capabilities, bringing the six-year-old speaker more closely in line with the company’s wider smart home plans.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple is planning to unveil a new HomePod mini alongside its new HomePad smart home hub and an updated Apple TV 4K on October 13.

With the reported announcement now just days away, the worsening availability of the current HomePod mini adds another sign that Apple may be preparing to replace it.