Apple Takes On Echo Show and Nest Hub With $299 HomeView, Its First Smart Display Under CEO John Ternus

Apple has unveiled HomeView, a $299 smart home hub with a 7-inch touchscreen, built-in speaker and the company's upgraded Siri AI, in its biggest push into the smart home yet. The device was announced on Tuesday, October 13, at Apple's "Welcome Home" event in New York, and it marks the first non-iPhone launch under CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook at the start of September, according to CNBC.

HomeView is designed to sit on a kitchen counter, nightstand or side table, or to hang on a wall. Pre-orders opened immediately, with availability in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India, and shipping begins on Friday, November 13. Apple says it will not be sold in the European Union.

Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak said the device is meant to be shared by everyone in the home yet feel completely personal to each user.

The tabletop model has an aluminum body, with the display attached to a domed speaker base by a stainless steel tilting hinge. The 7-inch Liquid Retina display supports True Tone and can dim to 0.3 nits or brighten to 500 nits. A speaker system with two full-range drivers delivers Spatial Audio, and the base adds a down-firing woofer and two passive radiators. It comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray, while the wall-mounted version is available only in silver and space gray.

The headline feature is Siri AI, part of Apple Intelligence. HomeView recognises up to six people by face and gives each their own Home Screen, apps and widgets, while shared photo albums and music remain available to everyone, including guests. Used with a compatible iPhone or iPad, Siri AI can draw on personal context such as Messages and Calendar. It can also turn web recipes into step-by-step instructions with hands-free timers.

HomeView acts as a control center for Apple Home accessories and supports Matter and Thread. Apple is also launching an "Apple Home Collection" of devices developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, including a smart doorbell, deadbolt lock, indoor and outdoor cameras and a thermostat. A Home Camera face can show up to nine live camera feeds at once, and with Apple Intelligence the hub can generate descriptions of video from supported cameras. ADT will offer in-home installation.

Both models cost $299, with no discount for the version without a speaker base. Wall mounting costs extra: Schneider Home mounts are priced at $59.95 for USB-C, $79.95 for in-wall AC power and $129.95 for Power over Ethernet, which is not yet available. MacRumors noted that the wall model therefore ends up costing more while offering less speaker hardware.

Apple introduced the $149 HomePod mini 2, which ships on October 30, and a new Apple TV 4K with an A19 chip, priced from $299 for the 128GB model. Apple said HomePod mini 2 will not support Siri AI right away.

HomeView launches without an App Store. Third-party apps run through a paired iPhone or iPad, and some AI features require one. The device enters a market where Amazon's Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub are established, and TechCrunch noted that Apple's earlier HomePod struggled to match rivals' popularity.