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Apple announced a new smart-home lineup at its Welcome Home event, led by the $299 HomeView display and a collection of cameras, a video doorbell, a smart lock and thermostats. The company also introduced a $149 HomePod Mini 2 and a new Apple TV 4K; availability and some features will arrive later.
Apple announced a new lineup of smart-home devices at its Tuesday Welcome Home event, led by the $299 HomeView, a display designed to manage household devices, make calls and show personalized information. The company also introduced new cameras, a video doorbell, a smart lock, thermostats, a HomePod Mini 2 and an updated Apple TV 4K, expanding its push into a market long led by Amazon and Google.
HomeView has a 7-inch Liquid Retina display and an A18 chip, with touch and voice controls. It can make FaceTime calls, play music and manage compatible smart-home accessories. Apple says it can recognize as many as six people and show each a personalized home screen. Its Home Camera display can show up to nine video feeds at once. The tabletop model comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray; the wall-mounted version comes in silver or space gray.
Preorders for HomeView start Tuesday in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India, and later in the week in Singapore and South Africa. Apple says availability in those markets begins Nov. 13. The two versions cost $299, with wall mounts sold separately for $60 and $80; a third mount, priced at $130, is planned for early 2027. The source report says HomeView will not be available in EU countries because Siri AI is not available there.
Apple’s Home Collection, developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, includes four LG cameras: a $250 video doorbell, a $400 floodlight camera, and $200 indoor and outdoor cameras. A $350 LG smart deadbolt, two $200 thermostats and separate $40 temperature sensors round out the lineup. Apple says the indoor camera tilts down to stop monitoring when residents are home. The company says camera footage is processed locally or through Private Cloud Compute; iCloud Plus subscribers can store up to 10 days of encrypted video history. Product availability starts in December, with some accessories due in early 2027.
The $149 HomePod Mini 2 comes in pink, green, blue, white and midnight, and can sync with other HomePods or Apple TV. Apple says the new Apple TV 4K can pair with up to four HomePods for surround sound. The speaker’s Siri AI access is planned for a future software update. The source report identifies an A19 chip in the new Apple TV 4K but provides no further specifications or pricing. HomePod Mini 2 preorders start Tuesday in the United States and about two dozen other markets, with availability beginning Oct. 30.
Apple Expands Its Home Ecosystem
The announcements put Apple forward as a more direct competitor in connected-home control and security, rather than relying mainly on its phones and other devices to anchor household use. HomeView is designed as a shared hub, while face recognition and personalized screens are meant to tailor it to different household members. The Home Collection also gives customers a set of cameras, entry controls and climate devices connected to Apple’s home platform.
For existing Apple users, the appeal may depend on how easily the new products work with devices they already own. Ben Wood, chief analyst at FDM CCS Insight, told CNET that Apple’s setup process could help it stand out, describing pairing by holding an iPhone near a device as simpler than installing a separate app and scanning QR codes. That is an assessment of the potential user experience, not evidence yet of sales or customer adoption.
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A Broader Push Into Connected Homes
Apple has had a presence in smart-home products, including HomePod speakers and support for compatible accessories, but the event adds a more visible display and a dedicated set of cameras and household controls. The source report describes Amazon and Google as having dominated the field for years. Apple’s announcement follows its September introduction of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max and the folding iPhone Duo, placing the home products within a broader run of new hardware announcements.
Apple executives framed HomeView as a device for the household rather than a screen for one person. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a statement that it was “designed to be shared by everyone in the home yet feel completely personal to each user.” Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of worldwide home product marketing, said the HomePod Mini 2 paired with the new Apple TV 4K offers Apple’s “most immersive home theater setup yet.” These are company descriptions of the products and their intended experience.
“HomeView is designed to be shared by everyone in the home yet feel completely personal to each user.”
— Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing
Features and Rollout Still Pending
Several details remain unavailable in the source report, including the new Apple TV 4K’s price, full specifications and release date. Siri AI access on HomePod Mini 2 is planned for a future software update, but Apple has not given a date. The Home Collection’s overall December rollout also varies by product, and some accessories are not expected until early 2027.
Apple’s statements about local processing, encrypted storage, recognition and automatic camera behavior describe intended product features; independent testing and real-world performance are not covered in the announcement. The source report also does not explain the specific EU availability plans beyond linking HomeView’s absence there to Siri AI availability.
Preorders and Launch Dates Ahead
The next milestones are the HomePod Mini 2’s Oct. 30 availability and HomeView’s scheduled Nov. 13 launch in the named markets. HomeView preorders begin on different days by country, while Home Collection products are scheduled to start arriving in December. Buyers will have to wait for a future software update for Siri AI on the new Mini and for further details on the Apple TV 4K and later Home Collection accessories.
Key Questions
What is Apple HomeView?
HomeView is a $299 smart display with a 7-inch screen and A18 chip. Apple says it can manage compatible smart-home devices, make FaceTime calls, play music and show personalized home screens.
When will HomeView be available?
Apple says HomeView availability begins Nov. 13 in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore and South Africa. Preorder dates differ by market.
What products are in Apple’s Home Collection?
The collection includes LG cameras, a video doorbell and smart deadbolt, plus thermostats from LG and Schneider Electric and separate temperature sensors. Availability starts in December, with some accessories planned for early 2027.
How much does the HomePod Mini 2 cost?
The HomePod Mini 2 is priced at $149. Apple says preorders start Tuesday in the United States and about two dozen other markets, with availability beginning Oct. 30.
Will the new HomePod Mini have Siri AI at launch?
Not according to the source report: Apple said Siri AI access will arrive in a future software update, but did not give a release date.
Source: rss
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