Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. An upcoming update will bring new features to existing HomePods. Jada Jones is a journalist based outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Apple's new HomePod Mini 2 debuted with several new features. Many advanced features will be available on the 2023 HomePod (2nd Gen).

Look Up Say More Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable @Home Trending Now Mashable Selects Top creators, ranked Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Creator Playbook In My Bag AI at School Safety Net All Series Apple returns to smart home ecosystem with upcoming'Welcome Home' event We preview Apple's October 13 event with a look at the smart home products they're expected to announce. We're just two short days away from Apple's upcoming Welcome Home launch event in New York City, and the rumor mill is working overtime . The latest news about what to expect comes from Bloomberg's own Apple correspondent, Mark Gurman, whose recent newsletter anticipates some exciting new announcements in the smart home space, where Apple has been floundering for more than 10 years since the release of its HomeKit software in 2014. SEE ALSO: The latest MacBook Pro and Ultra rumors: What we know about Apple's OLED touchscreen Macs While major rivals like Google purchased Nest Labs, makers of the most popular smart thermostat, and Amazon purchased Ring, a popular smart home security company famous for its video doorbells, Apple struggled to find a grip on the market, and its rare attempts, like the short-lived HomePod smart speaker released in 2018, were rare financial failures for a company accustomed to always hitting home runs. Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.

Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable @Home Trending Now Mashable Selects Say More Top creators, ranked Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Creator Playbook In My Bag AI at School Safety Net All Series Apple's got a kitchen gadget? From countertop smart displays to refreshed HomePods, Apple is preparing a major home overhaul. Here is what to expect. The surprises we expect and want from Apple's surprise and shine event 6:47 Josh Johnson calls his mom during his'Last Meal' on'Mythical Kitchen' Apple has a'Welcome Home' event on Tuesday, and we're expecting big changes coming to smart home products, including a new countertop Hub, HomePod mini speakers and Apple TV 4K box. Bridget Carey breaks down the rumors and what has her excited.

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Creator Playbook Mashable Selects In My Bag Look Up Say More AI at School Safety Net Versus Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age All Series New Apple smart home devices will reportedly launch on Oct. 13. Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men's grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he's also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl. Apple's new CEO John Ternus debuted a new generation of iPhones in September, and he's reportedly gearing up for the company's next big launch under his leadership.

Trending Now Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Say More Mashable Selects Mashable Voices Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off In My Bag All Series New Apple HomePods with AI are coming. Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and . Apple's smart home lineup has stayed mostly frozen for years, but that appears likely to change.

Well, it's official: Apple is finally nixing support for its old Home architecture, meaning those relying on the previous version of Apple's Home framework have some decisions to make. In a revision to a support article, Apple says that it will end support for the previous version of its Home app starting in fall 2025, right around the time when iOS 19 is expected to drop, MacRumors reports. If you don't update, you face "interruptions with your accessories and automations," Apple warns. In other words, you'll lose control of your Apple HomeKit-connected smart devices. Apple's move to ditch its old Home app has been a long time in coming.

If you've been thinking of buying Apple's HomePod (2nd generation), now's the time to act -- it's on sale right now at Verizon for 175. That's a significant 125 discount (42 percent off) and represents one of the best deals we've seen on the smart speaker to date. In addition, Verizon is currently offering a deal on the HomePod Mini, letting you get a pair for 150, or 25 percent off. The latest Apple HomePod speaker is on sale at one of the best prices we've seen to date. With sound that's clearer and richer than offerings from Amazon and Google, the second-gen HomePod garnered a solid 84 score in our review last year.

The latest Apple HomePod speaker is on sale for 285 at B&H Photo, which is 14 less than buying from Apple directly. This isn't the largest cash discount we've seen, and Apple previously bundled the device with a 50 gift card during Black Friday. But deals of any kind on the home speaker have been uncommon since it arrived in early 2023, so this modest drop still represents the lowest price we've seen in the last few months. The discount applies to both the black and white versions of the speaker. This discount isn't an all-time low, but deals of any kind on Apple's top-end smart speaker have been uncommon.

The Venn diagram of HomePod owners and YouTube Music subscribers probably doesn't have a lot of overlap. However, those who use both Apple's speakers and Google's music streaming service may be pleased to learn that the two now play more nicely together. YouTube Music is now available natively on HomePod, meaning that you can ask Siri to play tracks from the service even if your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch aren't close by. It's now possible to set YouTube Music as the default music service on HomePod. That means you won't have to add "on YouTube Music" when you bark a command at Siri.

Of the two speakers Sonos announced earlier this month, the Era 100 is much easier to sum up: it's a replacement for the Sonos One, which was first introduced in 2017. Unlike the Era 300, there's no need to ponder the value of spatial audio; the Era 100 is a relatively straightforward mono speaker, just like the One and the Play:1 before it. Don't let that simple description deceive you, though – the $250 Era 100 is a complete redesign, inside and out, and the end result is a worthy upgrade and a very versatile speaker. At first glance, the Era 100 looks quite similar to the One, but upon further examination you'll notice a number of small but meaningful changes. That starts with the vertically-oriented Sonos logo that you'll find on most of their other speakers like the Roam and, naturally, the Era 300.