The Apple HomeView is Apple’s first real smart display, and it costs $299. It has a 7-inch screen, Siri AI built in, and ships on Nov. 13, with pre-orders already open in the US and several other countries.
If you’ve wanted an Apple answer to the Nest Hub, this is it. Here’s what you get, what needs an iPhone, and who should hold off.
Quick facts before the details:
- Price: $299, for both the countertop and wall-mounted versions.
- Pre-orders: open since Oct. 13 in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the UK. Singapore opens Oct. 15.
- Ship date: Nov. 13.
- Not sold in the EU at launch.
Those details come from Apple’s Oct. 13 launch, as covered by iThinkDifferent and TechRepublic.
What the Apple HomeView actually gives you
HomeView runs an A18 chip and a 7-inch Liquid Retina display. Brightness drops as low as 0.3 nits, so it won’t glow like a torch on your bedside table at night.
A 12MP Center Stage camera handles FaceTime and keeps you in frame as you move around the kitchen. The display can also show up to nine camera feeds at once on its Home Camera screen.
It listens for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms too, which is a handy safety extra for a device that sits in a busy room. The wall-mounted model comes in space gray and silver, and the tabletop one adds starlight and rose pink.
One display, six faces: how personal profiles work
HomeView recognizes up to six people by face. Each person gets their own Home Screen, so your calendar doesn’t show up on your partner’s side.
That matters most in a shared kitchen, where one screen usually ends up showing everyone’s stuff. It’s also the feature that most clearly separates this from a plain speaker with a screen.
Siri AI on HomeView: what needs your iPhone
Siri AI is built into HomeView. On its own, it can answer general questions and handle music requests.
The personal stuff, like pulling details from your Calendar and Messages, needs a nearby iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence turned on. So the display is smart, but your phone does the heavy lifting for anything private.
If you’re still sorting out access, our guide to the Siri AI waitlist explains who can get in and why you might not see it yet.
HomeView vs HomePod mini 2 vs Apple TV 4K
Apple launched three home products on Oct. 13, and they overlap more than you’d expect. This table shows the price and Siri AI situation side by side.
| Device | Price | Ships | Siri AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple HomeView | $299 | Nov. 13 | Built in |
| HomePod mini 2 | $149 | Oct. 30 | Later software update, no date |
| Apple TV 4K (4th gen) | $299 | Nov. 13 | Beta, on 2nd-gen Apple TV 4K or later |
The big surprise is the HomePod mini 2. At $149 with an S10 chip and a Sound Glow lighting display, it’s the cheap option, but Siri AI isn’t there at launch. Apple hasn’t given a date for the software update.
The new Apple TV 4K uses an A19 chip, which Apple says is up to 50% faster on the CPU and up to twice as fast on the GPU. It also adds three far-field microphones for hands-free Siri.
Pair it with HomePod mini 2 speakers and you can set up four-speaker surround sound. That could be a better use of $299 if your main goal is movies, not a kitchen display.
Who should wait on the Apple HomeView
If you live in the EU, you’re out for now. Apple isn’t selling HomeView there at launch, and Siri AI isn’t available in iOS in the region yet.
If you don’t own a recent iPhone or iPad, you’ll miss the personal features, and that’s a big part of the pitch. You’d be paying $299 for a screen that mostly answers general questions.
Mounts matter too. Compatible Schneider Home mounts start at $59.95, so a wall setup can cost more than the sticker price suggests. For other Apple Intelligence rollouts, see our look at the Apple Intelligence China launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Apple HomeView cost?
It costs $299 for both the countertop and wall-mounted versions. Compatible wall mounts from Schneider Home start at $59.95 extra.
When can I buy the Apple HomeView?
Pre-orders opened Oct. 13 in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the UK. Orders ship on Nov. 13, and Singapore pre-orders open Oct. 15.
Does the Apple HomeView work without an iPhone?
Partly. It can answer general questions and play music on its own, but personal context from Calendar and Messages needs a nearby Apple Intelligence iPhone or iPad.
Is the Apple HomeView sold in the EU?
No. Apple isn’t selling it in the European Union at launch, and no EU date has been given in the coverage we found.
Does the HomePod mini 2 have Siri AI?
Not at launch. It arrives in a later software update, and Apple hasn’t said when.
My take: the Apple HomeView is a good first try, but the iPhone dependence makes it a better buy for people already deep in Apple’s world. If that’s you and you want a shared kitchen screen, pre-order. If you only want music and timers, the $149 HomePod mini 2 does that for half the price, and everyone else can wait for the first real reviews on Nov. 13.
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