Apple announced HomeView, its first smart display, on October 13, per Apple. It has a 7-inch square screen and an A18 chip. There is a tabletop model with a speaker base and a wall-mounted model. Both cost $299 and arrive November 13. The wall version needs a Schneider Home mount, starting at $59.95.
The headline feature, Siri AI, ships in beta in HomeView software version 27.2. Apple's footnotes say server-side features carry daily usage limits and that a fee for expanded access is planned. Apple has not said what the limits are or what the fee will be, per iClarified. Requests about your own data need a paired iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence. Siri AI is English only at launch.
There are gaps. HomeView will not be sold in the European Union, because "Siri AI is currently unavailable in iOS in the EU." The $149 HomePod mini 2 goes on sale October 30 without Siri AI. Apple says it will arrive in a "future software update" and gives no date, per MacRumors. The new Apple TV 4K, with an A19 chip, arrives November 13 with Siri AI.
The screen recognizes up to six household members by face and shows each a personal home screen. Apple says camera and microphone data stay in a sealed part of the chip that even Apple cannot read. Part of the model behind Siri AI is Google's. Apple said in June that its top cloud tier runs on Gemini, which we covered from WWDC. Each cloud request costs Apple compute, while a HomeView pays $299 once.
Bottom Line
Apple is selling a $299 device whose main feature is metered, and the price of heavier use is still unannounced. If you are buying HomeView for an office or a rental unit, budget for the mount and for a possible Siri fee later. If you sell into Europe, expect Apple's home lineup there to lag until the EU dispute is settled.