All the news from Apple’s ‘Welcome Home’ event
Apple’s October 13th launch event — given the tagline “Welcome Home” — is all about its efforts for the smart home. The event was headlined by the debut of the HomeView, Apple’s first smart home display. It also launched a collection of smart home devices, including cameras…
Also reported by Engadget
It’s finally here: Apple’s long-rumored smart display, the Apple HomeView, has arrived. I got a first look at the device in New York City this week, and it’s gorgeous. The HomeView puts a small, vibrant screen atop a speaker base for taking video calls, beautifully displaying photos, and providing information at a glance with Apple’s Siri AI voice assistant . The device’s square shape makes it feel less imposing than larger smart displays like Google’s Nest Hub Max or Amazon’s Echo Show 11, and I can see it fitting nicely on my kitchen counter — though it might be a hair too big for my bedside table.
The HomeView is the centerpiece of Apple’s new push into the home. It costs $299 and launches alongside a new collection of cameras, thermostats, and a door lock designed for Apple Home . As a smart home hub, Matter controller, and Thread Border Router, the HomeView can orchestrate these and other Apple Home and Matter smart home devices. It’s available in eight countries at launch: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and India. Pre-orders are open now, with devices shipping November 13th.
