Apple launched HomeView on Tuesday, its first smart-home display: a 7-inch screen built for calls, entertainment and connected-device controls. Both tabletop and wall-mounted models cost $299. U.S. preorders opened Tuesday, with availability beginning Nov. 13, Apple said.
The announcement follows our Oct. 11 preview of Apple’s home-device event. Apple also announced a new HomePod mini, linking the display launch to a speaker line the company already sells.
What does Apple HomeView include?
The device combines a 7-inch Liquid Retina display with a speaker base, a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera and four beamforming microphones. Apple says HomeView supports FaceTime, music, messages, voice control and smart-home management.
Apple says HomeView can recognize up to six people and personalize the experience for each. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, described the aim as making the shared device feel personal to each household member, Euronews reported.
Siri AI is built in, but some personalization depends on other Apple hardware. Apple says access to personal context requires pairing HomeView with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad.
Privacy is part of Apple’s product pitch. The company says requests can be processed on the device or through Private Cloud Compute, and that data handled through the cloud service is not stored or accessible to Apple. Those are Apple’s descriptions of its protections.
The wall-mounted model may also require a separate purchase. Apple lists compatible wall-mount power accessories starting at $59.95, in addition to the $299 price of either HomeView model.
How does HomeView fit with HomePod?
HomeView adds a screen and camera to a home-device lineup that includes audio-only HomePod speakers. Apple says the display can work with HomePod and HomePod mini for multiroom audio, so the products can be used together.
Apple priced the second-generation HomePod mini at $149 and said it will be available beginning Oct. 30. The company says Siri AI will reach that speaker in a future software update. Its store lists the existing HomePod mini at $99, putting HomeView above both mini speakers in price while adding video calls and a visual interface for home controls.
The products serve different functions: HomePod mini is a speaker, while HomeView combines audio with a display for calls, entertainment and device management. That distinction is central to Apple’s expanded lineup: the new screen brings more of the company’s home services and controls into one device.
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What does HomeView signal about Apple’s connected-home plans?
The display is part of a wider market that already includes screen-equipped Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo devices, Euronews reported. Apple’s positioning emphasizes privacy and the links among its own devices and services.
That strategy offers a shared household screen with individual personalization, but it also ties some personal-context features to an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad. The $299 price and separately priced mounting accessories are concrete costs for households considering the setup.
Apple says HomeView is currently unavailable in the European Union because Siri AI is currently unavailable in iOS there. In the United States, availability begins Nov. 13.
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