Apple enters smart home display market with $299 HomeView
Apple unveiled new smart home hardware at its “Welcome Home” event, led by HomeView, its first smart display and a major expansion of the Apple Home platform. The launch matters because Apple is entering a category already served by Amazon and Google, while tying HomeView’s personalised features to having an iPhone.
HomeView costs $299 and has a 7-inch display, a 12-megapixel camera and support for viewing up to nine security cameras; pre-orders are open, with availability from 13 November. Apple also announced a refreshed HomePod Mini 2, priced at $149, with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, Thread and Matter support; the article says Siri AI features will arrive in a later software update.
- Apple introduced its first smart display, HomeView.
- HomeView costs $299 and requires household users to have an iPhone.
- The HomePod Mini 2 costs $149 and adds updated connectivity.
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Smart home displays are devices that sit on a kitchen counter or wall and let you control household appliances, check security cameras, and speak to voice assistants. Amazon and Google have dominated this market for years with products like the Echo Show and Google Nest Hub, which are widely used across homes worldwide.
Apple has developed a Home platform for controlling smart home devices but has not previously made its own display. The company's entry with HomeView signals it wants a more central role in the smart home ecosystem and to offer experiences that integrate with its existing iPhone and device ecosystem.
For Apple users, this could matter because the company is building features that work seamlessly with iPhones and other Apple devices rather than requiring a separate system. For the broader market, Apple's entry intensifies competition in an increasingly important category that bridges personal technology, home automation, and entertainment.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Everything Apple launched at its ‘Welcome Home’ event”.