Apple launches its first display for the home: meet HomeView

On October 13, at an event called "Welcome Home," Apple unveiled HomeView, its very first display designed for the home. It came alongside a new HomePod mini, a new Apple TV 4K and a range of connected accessories. One important detail: these products aren't launching everywhere at once, and their availability largely depends on that of Siri AI, the new version of Apple's assistant.

1. HomeView, Apple's first display for the home

HomeView is a tilting 7-inch touchscreen powered by an A18 chip, available in two versions: a countertop model with speakers built into its base, and a wall-mounted model (Engadget). It is designed to control connected devices around the home, make FaceTime calls with its 12MP camera, play music or podcasts, or follow a recipe while cooking. Its standout feature: it can recognize up to six household members and show each of them their own notifications and calendar, synced from their iPhone or iPad. The device works mainly by voice, through Siri AI, and through the Home app, without an App Store (9to5Mac).

Both versions cost $299, with pre-orders open since October 13 and deliveries starting November 13.

2. HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K

Six years after the original, the HomePod mini 2 gets an S10 chip, five colors (pink, green, blue, white and midnight) and a new lighting effect called "Sound Glow." It costs $149, compared with $99 for the model launched in 2020, and goes on sale October 30 in the countries where the HomePod mini is already sold, more than twenty countries and regions (The Mac Observer). In the eurozone, for example, it is listed at €169 in France (Mac4Ever). Siri AI won't be available at launch: Apple says it will come in "a future software update," with no date.

The new Apple TV 4K, the first since 2022, moves to the A19 chip and adds microphones so you can talk to Siri without using the remote, which can now play a sound to help you find it. Paired with four HomePod mini 2 speakers, it forms a surround sound system that calibrates itself automatically. It costs $299, $100 more than the previous model (Engadget), and €349 in France (iPhoneSoft), with availability on November 13.

Apple is also launching the Apple Home Collection, a range of accessories built with LG and Schneider Electric: cameras, a video doorbell, a Matter-compatible smart lock, thermostats and sensors, from $40 to $400. They will arrive from December in the US and Canada, and, for the cameras and doorbell, in the UK (Journal du Geek).

3. Where and when

HomeView launches in English in eight countries: the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore and South Africa (Engadget). Apple says Canadian French support will follow in a later update. Other languages don't have a timeline yet.

The European Union isn't on the list. According to Apple, HomeView won't be sold there for now because Siri AI is not available on iOS in Europe. The company says it is working with the EU on a solution, without giving a date (Journal du Geek, Worldissmall). Part of the tech press links this to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European regulation that places specific obligations on large digital platforms (iPhon.fr), but the specific sticking points have not been made public. The HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K are, however, sold in Europe.

4. What Siri AI changes from one country to another

Siri AI is at the heart of these announcements, but its rollout is gradual. Where it is available, it currently works in English and in beta. On HomeView, it is the main interface, which explains why the device only launches where Siri AI is offered. On the HomePod mini 2, it will arrive through an update, with no date, in every country. In regions where Siri AI isn't available yet, the HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K work with Siri in its current form: voice control, control of compatible accessories through the Home app, and AirPlay streaming. Their capabilities may therefore evolve with future updates, following each country's own timeline.

The takeaway: with HomeView, Apple enters the smart home display market with a device built around recognizing each member of the household and around Siri AI. The HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K are widely available from October and November, while HomeView arrives first in eight English-speaking countries. Its expansion to other languages and regions, including the European Union, will depend on the rollout of Siri AI.

1. HomeView, Apple's first display for the home

2. HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K

3. Where and when

4. What Siri AI changes from one country to another

Sources

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