#Apple HomePod mini preorders are live — here’s where to get one

• Apple — $99.99
• Best Buy — $99.99

Apple has had a busy few months. The tech giant has held multiple press conferences to announce a handful of new tech, including the 5G-capable iPhone 12 line-up, a new iPad, and of course, the Apple HomePod mini. 

The latter is available to pre-order starting today (Nov. 6) at Apple direct and Best Buy for $99.99, and is a welcome evolution of Apple’s popular, minimalistic smart speaker.

The $99.99 asking price of the HomePod mini is just what the speaker needed to finally be competitive with the Amazon Echo and Google Nest smart devices (the original HomePod was a whopping $350). While half the size of the original, the HomePod mini still brings powerful, clear audio to the table and all the quality-of-life features you’d expect a Siri-enabled smart speaker to provide. 

Image: Apple

Apple promises that the mini has a bigger focus on privacy than competing smart speakers, claiming that no information will ever be sent to Apple until a “Hey, Siri,” command is located locally on the device — no requests will be associated with the user’s Apple ID, either. The HomePod mini also features simple pairing, connecting to your smartphone seamlessly in seconds. Place two minis in one room, and they’ll automatically become a pair — keep them separate, and you’ll connect automatically to whatever one you’re closest to. 

If you’re in need of a smart speaker or just hoping to make the switch from Amazon or Google, you can secure an Apple HomePod mini preorder right now — get one at Apple or Best Buy for $99.99.

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