Apple has finally entered the smart display market. On October 13, the company unveiled HomeView, a 7-inch touchscreen hub with a speaker base, built around a rebuilt version of Siri. It costs $299 in the United States, pre-orders are open, and the first units reach customers on November 13.
The launch is also one of the first big product moments under John Ternus, who took over as Apple’s chief executive from Tim Cook on September 1.
What Apple Is Selling
HomeView pairs a square 7-inch Liquid Retina display with a domed speaker base, joined by a stainless steel hinge that allows the screen to tilt. The display reaches 500 nits of brightness and can dim all the way down to 0.3 nits, which makes it usable on a nightstand without lighting up the room.
Apple is selling two versions at the same price: a tabletop model and a wall-mounted model. The wall version attaches using three mounts from Schneider Home, with self-install and professional install options. Both come in silver and space gray.
On the audio side, the display houses two full-range drivers, while the base adds a down-firing woofer and two passive radiators. Inside, Apple’s N1 wireless chip brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and a new ultra-wideband chip is meant to make handing audio over from an iPhone smoother.
Siri AI and Face Recognition
The main attraction is Siri AI, the overhauled assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. Apple is pitching it as a more conversational helper than the old Siri, and reports say it is built on Google Gemini technology. HomeView can also recognize up to six people in a household and switch its interface to match whoever is standing in front of it, showing that person’s calendar, messages, photos and widgets.
The interface changes depending on how far away you are, and there are several customizable faces, including a photo frame mode, an interactive Flow display and a Home Modular face for quick access to connected accessories.
A Home Hub, Not Just a Speaker
Apple wants HomeView to act as a family command center. It controls lights, locks, thermostats and cameras, handles FaceTime calls, plays music and video, and works as a digital picture frame when idle. It syncs with Messages, Calendar, Reminders and Find My, and it can pull up recipes in the kitchen.
Alongside the display, Apple announced a new Apple Home Collection made with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. It includes indoor and outdoor cameras, a video doorbell, a door lock and smart thermostats. HomeView also works with Matter devices and products that carry the Works with Apple Home label. A new Apple TV 4K was announced at the same event and ships on the same day.
How It Compares on Price
Amazon has sold the Echo Show since 2017, and Google has offered smart displays since 2018. Both brands sell models for well under $200, so at $299 HomeView sits firmly at the premium end of the category. Apple has long trailed Amazon and Google in the smart home, and its HomePod speakers never closed that gap.
Analysts see the device as a way to tighten the connection between Apple customers and the Apple ecosystem, especially as AI companies such as OpenAI look at hardware of their own.
Should You Pre-Order?
If your household already runs on iPhones, iPads and Apple TV, HomeView looks like the most natural way to bring those devices together in one place. If you mostly want timers, music and a few smart plugs, cheaper displays from Amazon and Google will do the job.
The real test will come after November 13, when reviewers can check how well Siri AI handles everyday requests in a busy kitchen or living room. Until then, HomeView is a promising but unproven bet.
