Apple’s next-generation HomePod mini will not include Apple’s new N1 networking chip among its many components, according to code analysis shared by MacRumors.
Earlier this year, a macOS kernel debug kit included information about several upcoming devices, including the HomePod mini 2. In the code, the “Sunrise” wireless system is associated with the second-generation HomePod mini. The “Sunrise” wireless system is what Apple calls Bluetooth/Wi-Fi chips sourced from MediaTek. The N1 is referred to as “Centauri” in Apple’s internal systems.
The Sunrise mention indicates the new HomePod mini will not get an upgrade to the N1 networking chip, contradicting earlier reports from well-connected folk such as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who indicated the HomePod mini and the new Apple TV will use the N1.
It appears that Apple will limit the use of the N1 chip to premium devices, using cheaper MediaTek hardware in entry-level devices for now. Apple is expected to use MediaTek chips instead of the N1 in the upcoming HomePod mini 2, the iPhone 17e, the iPad 12, and the A18 Pro-powered MacBook.
The N1, which debuted in this year’s iPhone 17 models, is Apple’s first in-house networking chip. It supports Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 7, and Thread.
