Apple launches HomeView in smart-home challenge to Amazon
The company has unveiled a screen-based home hub alongside a new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K.
Update
Apple’s UK shop listed the HomePod mini at £129, giving the new smart-home line a published starting price. (Apple UK)
Apple has launched HomeView, its first dedicated screen-based smart-home hub, as it seeks to compete more directly with Amazon and Google in connected homes. The company also announced a second-generation HomePod mini and a refreshed Apple TV 4K.
HomeView is designed to act as a central control point for smart-home equipment. Apple says users will be able to manage compatible accessories, security devices, music and other household functions using the screen, the Home app and Siri AI. The product is intended to work with third-party equipment rather than operate as a general-purpose tablet with access to the App Store.
Tom’s Guide reported that HomeView will cost $299 in the United States, with pre-orders beginning on Tuesday and shipping scheduled for 13 November. Apple’s UK store had not published a UK price for the hub at the time of publication, so British buyers should not assume that the US figure converts directly into a sterling price.
The new HomePod mini 2 is available to pre-order in the UK for £149 and is due in shops on 30 October. Apple lists five colours: white, pink, blue, green and midnight. The speaker uses the company’s S10 chip and can be paired with other HomePod devices for multi-room audio or with the new Apple TV 4K for a four-speaker surround-sound setup.
Siri AI is not available on the speaker immediately. Apple says it will arrive through a future software update, with English support planned for the UK and several other countries. Some features require an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, and Apple says usage limits may apply to functions that depend on cloud-based models.
Apple is also presenting the launch as an ecosystem rather than a single device. The company says HomeView will work with smart-home accessories, while Tom’s Guide reported that manufacturers including LG are involved in products such as doorbells, cameras, locks and thermostats. Those accessories are expected to arrive later, meaning the full proposition is not available on launch day.
The strategy puts Apple into a market where Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub already combine screens, voice assistants and home controls. Apple’s advantage is the large installed base of iPhones and other devices, but its approach may also encourage customers to buy into a more tightly controlled and expensive ecosystem.
Privacy is central to Apple’s pitch. The company says Siri requests can be processed on the device or through Private Cloud Compute, and that information processed through the latter is not stored or made accessible to Apple. Those are company claims rather than an independent assessment, and the practical balance between privacy, convenience and platform lock-in will depend on how the products work after release.
The launch therefore matters less as a single gadget announcement than as a change in Apple’s position. The company is moving from supporting smart homes through existing speakers and televisions to trying to become the main interface through which households control them.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The product announcements and UK HomePod mini 2 details are strongly supported by Apple and independent coverage. The incoming £129 price signal was outdated, so the article uses the confirmed £149 UK price and avoids presenting an unverified UK price for HomeView.
- confirmed Apple launched HomeView and announced a new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K on 13 October. — Tom’s Guide reports the three product announcements on the launch day. source
- confirmed HomeView is designed as a smart-home control hub rather than a general-purpose App Store tablet. — Tom’s Guide describes the device as a home hub without App Store access. source
- confirmed Tom’s Guide reported a US price of $299 and shipping on 13 November. — The publication’s live coverage gives those figures. source
- confirmed HomePod mini 2 costs £149 in the UK and is available from 30 October. — Apple’s UK store lists the price and availability date. source
- confirmed HomePod mini 2 comes in white, pink, blue, green and midnight. — The Apple UK store lists those five colours. source
- confirmed Siri AI will arrive through a future software update and is planned for English in the UK. — Apple’s announcement says the feature is future software and includes the UK among supported English markets. source
- confirmed Apple is working with manufacturers including LG on smart-home accessories. — Tom’s Guide reports the collaboration and the product categories. source
- confirmed The £129 price in the incoming headline was not the current UK price for HomePod mini 2. — Apple’s UK store lists HomePod mini 2 at £149. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: Apple’s new smart-home products start at £129.Now: Apple’s new HomePod mini 2 starts at £149 in the UK; Apple had not published a UK price for HomeView in the reviewed store material. (The incoming £129 figure was contradicted by Apple’s current UK store listing.)
Editor's note
The launch, HomePod mini 2 UK price, colours and release date are confirmed by Apple. HomeView’s US price and shipping date come from independent event coverage; Apple had not published a UK price in the reviewed store material. The £129 figure in the incoming headline was not current for HomePod mini 2.Sources
- Apple announces the next generation of HomePod mini — Apple press release via MarketScreener
- Pre-order HomePod mini 2 — Apple UK
- Apple HomeView event live updates — Tom’s Guide
- Apple presents HomeView smart display — El País
More on this in other media
- BBC News — „apple homeview”
- The Guardian — „apple homeview”
- Sky News — „apple homeview”