The HomeView display represents the cornerstone of Apple’s new push to compete with Amazon and Google inside living rooms by integrating artificial intelligence with smart home control.
Launch of the HomeView smart display in two models priced at $299
Design inspired by Apple Watch, A18 processor, and family personalization
Smart home management and integration with the Apple Home Collection lineup
Operating requirements, availability regions, and the device’s absence from the European Union
Frequently asked questions
Launch of the HomeView smart display in two models priced at $299
Apple unveiled “HomeView” on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, a $299 smart home display equipped with a 7-inch square screen. This product is the first device of its kind released in the company’s history, powered by “Siri AI,” the voice assistant that Apple rebuilt entirely. The company opened pre-orders on October 13, with official retail sales scheduled to begin on November 13, 2026.
The device is available in two different models at the same $299 price point: the first is a desktop unit mounted on a domed speaker base, and the second is a version designed for direct wall mounting. Apple has long lagged behind competitors Amazon and Alphabet-owned Google in the smart home device market.
Bloomberg described “HomeView” as a cornerstone in Apple’s efforts to compete with the giants of this sector, while Business Insider noted that it is the second major entirely new device launched under the leadership of new CEO John Ternus, who took over the role from Tim Cook last September.
Design inspired by Apple Watch, A18 processor, and family personalization
Wired magazine compared “HomeView” to a giant Apple Watch designed for the home, as users swipe between customizable faces including clocks, photo albums, weather conditions, and Peanuts animations, while swiping up opens the main screen containing apps and widgets. The device runs on its own dedicated operating system rather than iOS and does not feature an open app store; instead, Apple offers a curated selection of apps while allowing developers to port existing CarPlay apps.
The device is powered by Apple’s “A18” processor and features an aluminum enclosure in four colors: silver, starlight, pink, and space gray, with the screen capable of adjusting its brightness from 500 nits down to 0.3 nits for comfortable bedside use at night.
The front-facing camera recognizes up to six family members and automatically switches to each person’s specific home screen, while private content such as messages only appears when that person’s iPhone is nearby and recently unlocked. The device features no physical buttons, relying primarily on voice commands. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said: “Apple HomeView was designed to be shared by everyone in the home, yet feel completely personalized to every user.”
Smart home management and integration with the Apple Home Collection lineup
The “HomeView” device can control lighting, thermostats, and smart locks, stream up to nine security camera video feeds simultaneously, and turn online recipes into step-by-step instructions accompanied by kitchen timers.
The device is compatible with accessories supporting the global “Matter” standard, as well as the “Apple Home Collection,” a new line of cameras, thermostats, and locks designed in collaboration with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, which will begin sales next December.
This integration gives users a unified central control panel, eliminating the need to use multiple apps to manage their various smart home devices.
Operating requirements, availability regions, and the device’s absence from the European Union
Wired reported that taking full advantage of the device’s features requires owning an iPhone 15 Pro or a newer model. Wall-mounting hardware is also sold separately at an additional cost ranging from $59.95 to $129.95 depending on the mount type.
At launch, “HomeView” will be sold in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, and South Africa, while it will not be released for sale in European Union countries due to the unavailability of the “Siri AI” assistant there so far, with Apple noting that “Siri AI” on the device is still in beta.
Wired wrote in its review that the device’s success “ultimately depends on whether Siri can deliver on its promises, given that its performance in the past has not always been stellar.”
Frequently asked questions
Question: How much does the HomeView smart display cost and when will it be available in stores?
Answer: The HomeView display is available for $299 for both the desktop model and the wall-mounted model, with pre-orders having begun on October 13 and retail launch set for November 13, 2026.
Question: How does HomeView maintain the privacy of messages between family members?
Answer: Through the front-facing camera, the device recognizes up to six household members and does not display personal content such as messages unless the person’s iPhone is nearby and recently unlocked.
Question: Why will the HomeView device not be launched in European Union markets?
Answer: Apple explained that the device will not be sold in the European Union at launch due to the current unavailability of its new Siri AI voice assistant in those markets.
Question: What are the technical requirements to fully utilize the HomeView display?
Answer: Full use of the device requires owning an iPhone 15 Pro or a newer model, and wall-mounting brackets are sold separately at prices ranging from $59.95 to $129.95.
