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Apple unveils $299 HomeView smart hub, bets on AI to expand smart home business
Oct 14, 2026
đź“Ť Phliadelphia,PA, USA
# Apple Unveils $299 HomeView Smart Display as It Expands Its Smart-Home Strategy
Apple has unveiled a new smart-home display, an upgraded HomePod mini 2 and a refreshed Apple TV 4K as it seeks to strengthen its presence in the increasingly competitive smart-home market. The company is betting that improvements to its Siri virtual assistant will help it compete more effectively with established players such as Amazon and Google.
Announced on Tuesday, October 13, the new HomeView is a $299 device featuring a 7-inch display designed to serve as a central control point for household activities. It brings together smart-home management, entertainment and communication features, allowing users to control connected appliances, make FaceTime calls, listen to music and access information from a single interface.
HomeView can also manage compatible smart doorbells, thermostats and door locks, positioning the device as a convenient way for households to oversee their connected-home systems without switching between multiple applications.
The device can be placed on a tabletop or mounted on a wall, giving consumers flexibility in how they incorporate it into their homes. Apple said its facial recognition technology can identify up to six members of a household and display personalized applications, notifications and other information based on who is using the device.
Preorders for HomeView are scheduled to begin October 13, with shipments expected to start November 13. However, Apple said the product will not be available in the European Union because its Siri AI capabilities are not yet available in the region.
Apple has been developing its smart-home ecosystem for years, introducing the Home app in 2016 and launching its HomePod smart speaker in 2018. Despite those efforts, the company has struggled to match the market reach of Amazon's Echo devices and Google's Nest lineup.
With HomeView, Apple is placing an upgraded Siri at the heart of its smart-home ambitions. The company is building on earlier artificial intelligence improvements developed with assistance from Google, seeking to make voice interactions more useful and responsive. During a product demonstration, Apple showed the device responding to requests from multiple family members.
Alongside HomeView, Apple announced an updated HomePod mini, a new Apple TV 4K and several smart-home accessories developed in partnership with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The expanded lineup is intended to bring more connected-home functions into Apple's existing software and hardware ecosystem.
The accessories include the LG C-Wire Power Adapter, priced at $24.95; the LG Indoor Cam Plug-In at $199.95; the Schneider Home Smart Thermostat at $199.95; the LG Floodlight Cam at $399.95; the LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In at $299.95; and the LG Smart Deadbolt Lock at $349.95.
These products are designed to work with Apple's Home app, enabling users to manage compatible devices through a unified interface rather than relying on separate applications for each accessory. The approach could make Apple's smart-home platform more appealing to consumers looking for a simpler way to manage household technology.
The updated HomePod mini 2, priced at $149, adds capabilities intended to make the smart speaker more useful for everyday family activities. Users will be able to perform tasks such as adding events to a shared family calendar and asking general-knowledge questions through Siri.
Apple also highlighted the product's environmental features. The company said the speaker uses 100% recycled rare-earth elements in all its magnets, along with 100% recycled copper, gold plating and tin solder in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards.
“HomePod mini 2 brings together Siri AI, gorgeous new colours, and incredible audio,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of worldwide home product marketing.
“It fills a room with sound on its own, which gets even bigger in a stereo pair or with multiroom audio, and when paired with the new Apple TV 4K, it delivers our most immersive home theatre setup yet. And with just your voice, HomePod mini makes it easy to securely control your accessories and run automations across the connected home,” Drance added.
Apple's refreshed Apple TV 4K, also priced at $299, supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ to deliver enhanced picture quality on compatible displays. The device is powered by Apple's A19 chip, which the company says provides up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to twice the GPU performance of the previous generation.
The new television streaming device is intended to complement Apple's broader entertainment ecosystem while integrating more closely with its smart-home products. Combined with HomeView and the updated HomePod mini, it gives the company a more comprehensive range of devices for households seeking connected entertainment and home automation.
However, Apple's ability to gain ground in the smart-home market will depend on more than introducing new hardware. The reliability of Siri, the convenience of everyday interactions, the range of compatible accessories and the quality of personalized features will all influence whether consumers consider the products worth their premium prices.
The company's latest launch represents an effort to connect home automation, communication and entertainment more closely under one platform. If its upgraded Siri delivers a consistent and useful experience, Apple could strengthen its position in a market where Amazon and Google have already established substantial customer bases. For now, the success of HomeView and the updated product lineup will depend on whether Apple can turn its ecosystem advantage into a genuinely compelling smart-home experience.
Apple has unveiled a new smart-home display, an upgraded HomePod mini 2 and a refreshed Apple TV 4K as it seeks to strengthen its presence in the increasingly competitive smart-home market. The company is betting that improvements to its Siri virtual assistant will help it compete more effectively with established players such as Amazon and Google.
Announced on Tuesday, October 13, the new HomeView is a $299 device featuring a 7-inch display designed to serve as a central control point for household activities. It brings together smart-home management, entertainment and communication features, allowing users to control connected appliances, make FaceTime calls, listen to music and access information from a single interface.
HomeView can also manage compatible smart doorbells, thermostats and door locks, positioning the device as a convenient way for households to oversee their connected-home systems without switching between multiple applications.
The device can be placed on a tabletop or mounted on a wall, giving consumers flexibility in how they incorporate it into their homes. Apple said its facial recognition technology can identify up to six members of a household and display personalized applications, notifications and other information based on who is using the device.
Preorders for HomeView are scheduled to begin October 13, with shipments expected to start November 13. However, Apple said the product will not be available in the European Union because its Siri AI capabilities are not yet available in the region.
Apple has been developing its smart-home ecosystem for years, introducing the Home app in 2016 and launching its HomePod smart speaker in 2018. Despite those efforts, the company has struggled to match the market reach of Amazon's Echo devices and Google's Nest lineup.
With HomeView, Apple is placing an upgraded Siri at the heart of its smart-home ambitions. The company is building on earlier artificial intelligence improvements developed with assistance from Google, seeking to make voice interactions more useful and responsive. During a product demonstration, Apple showed the device responding to requests from multiple family members.
Alongside HomeView, Apple announced an updated HomePod mini, a new Apple TV 4K and several smart-home accessories developed in partnership with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The expanded lineup is intended to bring more connected-home functions into Apple's existing software and hardware ecosystem.
The accessories include the LG C-Wire Power Adapter, priced at $24.95; the LG Indoor Cam Plug-In at $199.95; the Schneider Home Smart Thermostat at $199.95; the LG Floodlight Cam at $399.95; the LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In at $299.95; and the LG Smart Deadbolt Lock at $349.95.
These products are designed to work with Apple's Home app, enabling users to manage compatible devices through a unified interface rather than relying on separate applications for each accessory. The approach could make Apple's smart-home platform more appealing to consumers looking for a simpler way to manage household technology.
The updated HomePod mini 2, priced at $149, adds capabilities intended to make the smart speaker more useful for everyday family activities. Users will be able to perform tasks such as adding events to a shared family calendar and asking general-knowledge questions through Siri.
Apple also highlighted the product's environmental features. The company said the speaker uses 100% recycled rare-earth elements in all its magnets, along with 100% recycled copper, gold plating and tin solder in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards.
“HomePod mini 2 brings together Siri AI, gorgeous new colours, and incredible audio,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of worldwide home product marketing.
“It fills a room with sound on its own, which gets even bigger in a stereo pair or with multiroom audio, and when paired with the new Apple TV 4K, it delivers our most immersive home theatre setup yet. And with just your voice, HomePod mini makes it easy to securely control your accessories and run automations across the connected home,” Drance added.
Apple's refreshed Apple TV 4K, also priced at $299, supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ to deliver enhanced picture quality on compatible displays. The device is powered by Apple's A19 chip, which the company says provides up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to twice the GPU performance of the previous generation.
The new television streaming device is intended to complement Apple's broader entertainment ecosystem while integrating more closely with its smart-home products. Combined with HomeView and the updated HomePod mini, it gives the company a more comprehensive range of devices for households seeking connected entertainment and home automation.
However, Apple's ability to gain ground in the smart-home market will depend on more than introducing new hardware. The reliability of Siri, the convenience of everyday interactions, the range of compatible accessories and the quality of personalized features will all influence whether consumers consider the products worth their premium prices.
The company's latest launch represents an effort to connect home automation, communication and entertainment more closely under one platform. If its upgraded Siri delivers a consistent and useful experience, Apple could strengthen its position in a market where Amazon and Google have already established substantial customer bases. For now, the success of HomeView and the updated product lineup will depend on whether Apple can turn its ecosystem advantage into a genuinely compelling smart-home experience.
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