What Apple unveiled

Apple presented HomeView on Tuesday, 13 October, at an event in New York, according to Bloomberg Business. The device pairs a 7-inch display with a rounded base that holds the speakers, and it is the first smart display the company has made. Siri AI, Apple's conversational assistant, sits at the centre of the product, which the company presents as a control hub for the whole household. HomeView can recognise up to six people and adapt its functions to whoever stands in front of it. When a registered user approaches, the screen shows that person's content, messages, calendar and reminders, a process Apple describes as respectful of privacy. A version without the base, designed for wall mounting, completes the range.

Hardware and audio

According to Europa Press, the screen sets its own brightness between 0.3 and 5,090 nits, and the information on it adjusts to the user's distance from the device. The base carries two full-range speakers, a down-firing woofer and two passive radiators, with computational audio that keeps adjusting volume and bass response. 9to5Mac reports that the model with the domed base has a much more powerful speaker system than the wall-mounted version, which uses two custom drivers. Apple's description of the domed model names the A18 chip as the processor behind that audio optimisation. From the screen, users can control smart home devices, play media and make FaceTime calls.

Price, colours and availability

Stirile ProTV reports that HomeView will cost 299 US dollars, or the equivalent in pounds, and that it goes on sale from 13 November. Europa Press lists silver, starlight blue, pale pink and space grey as the colours of the model with the base. ANSA reports that preorders are open in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Europe and Siri AI

HomeView will not be sold in the European Union for now, because the new Siri is not available there, and ANSA ties this to ongoing talks between Apple and the European Commission. Apple has said it is working constructively with the EU to find a way for these products to reach the European market, in line with current legislation, according to 7sur7. Italy will receive Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2, but without Siri AI, because of European restrictions. The new Apple TV 4K can take voice commands without the remote, even while a film or music is playing. Paired with four HomePod mini 2 or second-generation HomePods, it supports a surround setup that Apple calls its most immersive yet.

Home Collection and rivals

Apple Home Collection, developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, adds indoor and outdoor cameras, thermostats, temperature sensors, a video doorbell and a lock. Europa Press reports that most of these products are due from December, with some accessories arriving in early 2027, in limited markets such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, depending on the product. Stirile ProTV says HomeView competes with Google's Nest Hub and several Amazon Echo devices with screens. Apple points to its privacy and security commitment and to integration with its own products, such as showing messages from a connected iPhone. 7sur7 notes that Amazon and Google had already revamped their home AI more than a year before this launch.