Apple's HomePod has stood alone as Cupertino's only smart speaker for more than two years. So it is no surprise that as the popularity of smart speakers grows, Apple is introducing a smaller, less expensive version in the form of the HomePod mini.

Revealed as part of the iPhone 12 launch, the HomePod mini is, of course, a smaller, less expensive version of its larger sibling. Read on for a comparison of the HomePod mini and the original HomePod.

The HomePod mini is also a mini in price, at least compared to the HomePod. At $99, it is one-third the price of the $299 HomePod. This price puts the HomePod mini on par with Google's new Nest Audio and the Amazon Echo, which has a spherical (but slightly larger) design like the HomePod mini.

What is interesting here is that the less expensive HomePod is another entry in the growing lineup of affordable yet high-performance Apple devices. After all, this year saw the introduction of the iPhone SE 2020, with its small design but powerful A13 Bionic, and the Apple Watch SE, a smartwatch that may not match the feature set of the Apple Watch 6, but is still very capable. Combined, these give you a complete set of Apple smart devices for less than the iPhone 12 Pro.

At 3.3 inches tall, the HomePod mini is less than half the size of the 6.8-inch tall HomePod. It is also much smaller overall, so it will likely be a device that can be placed neatly on a small desk without the need for a large shelf like the HomePod.

Also, while the original HomePod looked like a cross between a Sonos One speaker and an old Mac Pro luxury trash can, the HomePod mini is designed to look more like a smart home product from Google or Amazon.

Looking like a fabric-covered Magic 8 ball, and in some ways like an upside-down Echo speaker, the HomePod mini has a fairly clean aesthetic.

The small touchscreen at the top of the HomePod mini and its fabric-covered design and color (white or space gray) echo some of the design of the original HomePod. In other respects, however, the two speakers look quite different.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so which speaker tickles your interior design gland will be a matter of personal preference.

With only one full-range driver, two passive radiators, and two tweeters, the HomePod mini has a custom-amplified high-excursion woofer and seven tweeters compared to the original HomePod, It has less physical audio technology.

Audio beamforming technology allows the original HomePod to set its sound output to match the room in which it is installed, a rather nice feature that ensures the best sound regardless of where it is placed.

Given its size, the HomePod mini does not have such beamforming technology. However, it does have Apple's S5 chip, which uses Computational Audio to improve the balance of sound output at different volumes. And its design means it offers 360-degree sound. [Given its size, the HomePod mini sounds great, better than the larger Amazon Echo and worlds better than the Amazon Echo Dot, but not as good as the full-sized HomePod or Sonos One.

The original HomePod has a six-microphone array to pick up commands barked at Siri; the HomePod mini has four microphones, but Siri's response made no difference.

Both speakers support streaming services such as Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, and Prime Music; it is unfortunate that Spotify is still out of the mix. Software-wise, however, the HomePod and its mini-brothers are on par.

HomePod is set to support Dolby Atmos for use with Apple TV 4K, providing new home cinema capabilities for this bug-like speaker. Both speakers can also be used as audio outputs for the Apple TV 4K, a great way for Apple to integrate everything into its ecosystem.

One feature that makes the HomePod mini better than its older sibling is the ability to hand over music playing on an iPhone to the HomePod without having to rely on Bluetooth pairing. This feature also works in the opposite direction. This means that when you are out and about, you can pass your iPhone alongside the HomePod mini and your audio playback will be picked up by your Apple phone. This feature would be attractive to iPhone users.

Finally, HomePod mini also supports Thread, a relatively new smart home networking protocol that allows for the connection of low-power devices such as smart locks and smart lights. Currently, there are relatively few Thread-enabled smart home devices, but that number should grow in the future.

Naturally, the HomePod mini cannot offer the sound quality of the larger HomePod. However, it is very good for its size, and the $99 HomePod mini feels like a device that iPhone users will love because it does not require the same level of investment as the larger HomePod.

Audiophiles may still prefer the original HomePod. But even so, the HomePod mini could become a second-room Apple smart speaker. Also, with the handoff feature, the HomePod mini could fit seamlessly into an Apple-centric smart home setup.

However, given its neat design, price, and what seems to be fairly solid audio technology, the HomePod mini is expected to be much more of a hit than older Apple smart speakers.