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Apple explains why HomeView couldn’t launch until now
· Confirmed
In Short: Apple unveiled the HomeView, a $299 device designed to serve as a central hub for household activities, at its 'Welcome Home' event on October 13.
Apple announced the HomeView, a $299 device with a 7-inch display, designed to serve as a central hub for household activities, at its 'Welcome Home' event on October 13.
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.
During a demonstration, Apple showed HomeView responding to requests from multiple family members, highlighting its facial recognition technology that can identify up to six household members and display personalized apps, notifications, and other information for each person.
The device 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.
HomeView also integrates with Apple’s newly revamped Siri AI, which was introduced at WWDC in June, offering a more capable and conversational voice assistant.
The HomeView is available in two versions: one with a speaker base and another for wall mounting, with the wall-mounted version featuring a stainless steel hinge that lets users tilt the display as required.
Preorders for the HomeView opened on October 13, with shipping starting on November 13.
According to reports, the HomeView will be available for preorders this week, with deliveries set for October 30.
Apple also announced the HomePod mini 2, Apple TV 4K (4th generation), and Apple Home Collection accessories, forming the centerpiece of Apple’s biggest smart home push to date.
The HomeView interface will intelligently adjust based on how far away the user is, and it can control compatible doorbells, thermostats, and smart locks.
Apple’s hardware starts with a 7-inch Liquid Retina display running 1088-by-1088 pixels at 220 pixels per inch, True Tone, and brightness ranging from 0.3 to 500 nits.
The company’s A19 chip delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to twice the GPU performance of the previous generation.
What this adds
According to reports, the HomeView will be available for preorders this week, with deliveries set for October 30, contradicting earlier reports that it would ship on November 13.
The HomeView interface will intelligently adjust based on how far away the user is, a feature not previously highlighted in earlier reports.
Background
Apple introduced the HomeView, a $299 smart display designed to serve as a central hub for household activities.
What's confirmed
- Apple introduced its Home app in 2016 and launched its HomePod smart speaker in 2018.
- It can also control compatible doorbells, thermostats and smart locks.
- This builds on the Siri AI revamp that Apple announced back at WWDC in June, which saw the company introduce a more capable, conversational voice assistant that matches up-to-date AI smarts with the company’s privacy and security standards.
- The new device will act as a “Siri command center” for an Apple-powered smart home.
- The device forms the centerpiece of Apple’s biggest smart home push to date, sitting alongside the newly announced HomePod mini 2, Apple TV 4K and Apple Home Collection accessories.
- “With a supported iCloud+ subscription, HomeView works with compatible cameras to deliver intelligent, end-to-end encrypted recognition of people, familiar faces, pets, packages, and vehicles, notifying the household the moment someone arrives at the front door. With video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video footage, HomeView helps users quickly understand what happened in a video clip without even watching it,” Apple’s announcement said.
- Power Mount USB‑C Wall Connector, available starting at $59.95 (U.S.), and Power Mount AC Wired, available starting at $79.95 (U.S.), can be ordered starting today from apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app.
- Apple says the HomeView interface will intelligently adjust based on how far away you are.
What's still developing
- Apple announced the latest products Tuesday, Oct. 13.
- 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.
- You can join or start a 30-day free trial to start your shopping today.
- Although only a $9 discount, this is the first deal we've seen on the HomeView, and as of writing only Amazon is offering any sort of discount on the device.
- Those two products are on track to reach customers and Apple stores on October 30, with preorders expected to open this week, Gurman said.
- 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.
- Both start at USD 299 or about KES 38,800 in the US, with availability beginning on 13th November 2026 in the announced launch markets.
- Learn More Finally, after years of rumours, the Apple HomeView has launched.
- I don’t like the $300 price, though, but an expensive Apple product is nothing new, and it’s not the reason I won’t be rushing out to buy one.
- The US technology giant, which is attempting to take on Samsung, Google and Amazon in the increasingly competitive home automation market, is facing questions over why its new entertainment and smart home hub cannot independently run several of Apple’s own premium content services.
- In November 2024, Mark Gurman published an in-depth report on the product we now know as HomeView.
- But that date kept slipping, and now HomeView will finally arrive in homes on November 13, 2026.