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Apple Unveils HomeView Smart Home Hub

10:25 AM ETConfirmed

Technology Desk

In Short: At its 'Welcome Home' event on Tuesday, Apple unveiled the HomeView, a new smart home hub designed to serve as the central command center for an Apple-powered smart home.

At its 'Welcome Home' event on Tuesday, Apple unveiled the HomeView, a new smart home hub designed to serve as the central command center for an Apple-powered smart home. The device, priced at $299, features a 7-inch touchscreen and a speaker at the bottom, and is designed to sit on a tabletop or be mounted on a wall.

According to the announcement, the HomeView smart display costs ₹39,900 in India. Deliveries are scheduled to begin on November 13, with pre-orders now open.

The HomeView combines smart-home management, entertainment, and communication features, allowing users to control connected devices, make FaceTime calls, play music, and access other information. It also features facial recognition for up to six users and Siri AI.

Apple also introduced an updated Apple TV 4K, also priced at $299, and a HomePod mini 2, priced at $149. The new Apple TV 4K is designed to make watching television and accessing entertainment easier, with deliveries scheduled to start on November 13.

The HomePod mini 2, expected to reach customers from October 30, features 100% recycled rare-earth elements in all magnets, along with 100% recycled copper, gold plating, and tin solder in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards.

Apple’s A19 chip, which powers the HomeView, delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to twice the GPU performance of the previous generation.

Apple HomeView is designed to be shared by everyone in the home yet feel completely personal to each user, according to Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak. The brand also announced the Apple Home Collection, a new lineup of smart home cameras, thermostats, and a lock designed in collaboration with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric.

Apple said it put considerable thought into the FaceTime experience so it would work well on a device that stays in one place. The technology has been developed with privacy in mind, combining on-device processing with additional security protections for personal information.

The US International Trade Commission (USITC) launched an investigation based on a complaint filed on behalf of Vicor Corporation, which alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain vertical power delivery systems.

Apple’s new smart home strategy aims to fill a longstanding gap in its product ecosystem and strengthen its smart home presence beyond smartphones, computers, and wearable devices.

Background

What's confirmed

• The HomePod mini 2 is expected to reach customers from October 30.
• The broader push also includes partnerships for accessories sold under an “Apple Home Collection” banner.
• Alongside HomeView, Apple announced an updated Apple TV 4K, also priced at $299, and a HomePod mini 2, priced at $149.
• Alongside the HomeView display, Apple is anticipated to reveal an updated HomePod mini powered by the S10 silicon chip, as well as a next-generation Apple TV set-top box equipped with the A19 processor.
• Apple introduced its Home app in 2016 and launched its HomePod smart speaker in 2018.

What's still developing

• Imagine walking into your home and having your calendar, messages and favourite music appear on a screen automatically.
• Today (October 13), Apple is hosting its “Welcome Home” event – an in-person media experience in New York City, rather than the usual Apple Park-based event with a livestream to follow along.
• The new 2026 edition is the fourth generation of Apple’s set-top streaming box, designed as a faster and more capable system to the smart TV functionality found built-in to modern TVs.
• The brand, known for its high-profile launches and minimalistic products, turned things around with a relatively minimalistic launch and a high-profile new product, the HomeView.
• The hub is expected to run Apple applications without a dedicated App Store for downloading third-party software. 9to5Mac also reported that users might be able to display widgets from a nearby iPhone, although that capability has not been confirmed.
• Apple is introducing AI-powered video descriptions and natural-language searches for recorded camera footage.
• We get to grips with the latest smartphones, tablets, PCs, accessories, and connected devices on the market!
• Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple’s Smart Home event on Tuesday will reveal the smart home hub will be called HomeView, powered by an A18 chip, and there will be two versions.
• READ: Apple’s first foldable iPhone may cost more because of a $250 Samsung display ( September 12, 2026) HomeView is designed to sit on a tabletop or be mounted on a wall.
• "Apple Home Collection makes it easy to choose smart home accessories with confidence," said Matthew Costello, Apple’s VP of Hardware Engineering.

Sources

• Americanbazaaronlinelink
• Bandwidthbloglink
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• The Indian Expresslink
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• Newslink
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• WarpBeat — background on Apple Unveils HomeView Smart Home Hub link
• AppleInsider — video link