Apple has made one of its broadest hardware moves into the smart-home market with the introduction of HomeView, a new display-based household hub. According to Apple’s October 13, 2026 announcement, the device combines a 7-inch Liquid Retina display, Siri AI, FaceTime calling and smart-home controls in a single product. Both the tabletop and wall-mounted versions start at $299 in the United States. Pre-orders opened on the day of the announcement, with availability scheduled for November 13.
What HomeView offers
HomeView is designed as a shared screen for the household while still providing personalized experiences for as many as six people through facial recognition. Apple says the device can switch to a user’s individual Home Screen, apps and widgets when that person is recognized. Personal information from apps such as Messages and Calendar appears only when the enrolled user is recognized, a paired iPhone or iPad is nearby, and that device has been unlocked recently.
The new Siri AI, powered by Apple Intelligence, sits at the center of the experience. It can answer broad knowledge questions on HomeView, while pairing the display with a compatible iPhone or iPad allows it to use personal context from Messages, Calendar and other apps. Conversations started on HomeView can also continue in the Siri app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch or Vision Pro through private iCloud synchronization.
Smart-home and security functions
HomeView can control lights, thermostats, door locks and blinds through touch or voice commands. Its Home Camera view can show as many as nine live camera feeds at once. With a supported iCloud+ subscription, compatible HomeKit Secure Video cameras can recognize people, familiar faces, pets, packages and vehicles. Apple also says the device can detect the sound of smoke or carbon-monoxide alarms and send alerts to a user’s other Apple devices.
Apple says microphone and camera data are processed in isolated environments called Secure Exclaves within the A18 chip. Siri requests can be handled on the device or through Private Cloud Compute. These are Apple’s own privacy and security claims, and independent technical testing will provide a clearer assessment after the product reaches consumers.
Price, launch date and regional limits
The tabletop HomeView will be offered in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray, while the wall-mounted version will come in silver and space gray. Apple lists the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India among the first markets, with both models starting at $299 and becoming available on November 13. Reuters reported that HomeView will not initially be sold in the European Union. Apple attributes that limitation to Siri AI remaining unavailable in the EU.
Reuters noted that Apple is entering a mature and highly competitive category dominated by products such as Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub. HomeView’s $299 price is higher than widely sold models from both rivals. Apple is attempting to differentiate the device through its iPhone-linked personal context, multi-user recognition, ecosystem integration and privacy-focused architecture.
A broader Apple home strategy
HomeView was announced alongside updated HomePod Mini and Apple TV 4K hardware. Apple also introduced the Home Collection, a range of cameras, a video doorbell, a lock and thermostats developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The lineup signals a shift from offering mainly a software platform toward building a broader smart-home ecosystem that combines a display, audio products and connected accessories.
The device’s prospects will depend on how reliably Siri AI performs in everyday use, how smoothly HomeView works with third-party Matter and Apple Home accessories, and whether consumers accept the $299 price. Even with those open questions, the announcement represents Apple’s most direct attempt yet to compete for a central position in connected homes.
