The key facts
- HomeView — a 7-inch Retina display on an oval base with speakers, recognizes up to six residents, priced at $299 (€267), pre-orders started Tuesday.
- The Apple TV 4K received the A19 chip and Siri AI with control without a remote; the HomePod mini 2 launched in new colors with Siri AI.
- Apple Home Collection was developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric: a smart lock, thermostats and tilting cameras.
HomeView: Apple's first display hub
Apple introduced the HomeView device, which the company and media call a home hub. It resembles an iPad: a 7-inch Retina display on an oval base with speakers. The hub is meant to stay always on and serve as the primary way to interact with Siri. The device recognizes up to six residents and is suitable for listening to music, making calls and browsing web pages. The price is $299 (267 euros), and pre-orders started on Tuesday. The device is sold as a tabletop module in four colors (silver, starlight, rose pink and space grey) or in a wall-mounted version. Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak said in a blog post: 'Apple HomeView is designed so that everyone in the home can use it, while remaining as personal as possible for each user.'
Competitors and positioning
HomeView is Apple's first smart home device with a screen. It competes with Google's Nest Hub and Amazon Echo models with built-in displays. Apple emphasizes that its products stand out through their focus on privacy and security.
Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 updates
On Tuesday the company also introduced an updated Apple TV 4K set-top box with a new A19 chip and support for Siri AI, which can be used without a remote. The new remote can play a sound so it is easier to find. The compact HomePod mini 2 speaker launched in new colors — green, blue, pink, white and midnight — and also received Siri AI. According to Apple, it is 'a far more powerful and more naturally speaking assistant that understands personal context, draws on extensive knowledge about the world for tasks such as deeper music search, and can work with an even greater number of apps.'
Apple Home Collection with LG and Schneider Electric
Apple also announced a line of smart home accessories, Apple Home Collection, created in cooperation with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. It includes a smart door lock that recognizes the approach of a user with an iPhone or Apple Watch and automatically opens or locks the door. In addition, the line includes smart thermostats and indoor cameras with a tilting body that allow checking whether a package was left at the door.
