Apple opens HomeView preorders and expands smart home lineup with Siri AI

The HomeView is a seven-inch squircle display that The Verge described as looking like a giant Apple Watch mounted to a speaker base. It can control smart home devices, display recipes, show music playback controls, make FaceTime calls and run widgets. Customers can preorder it in multiple colors with a speaker base or in a wall-mounted version that omits the base; both cost the same. 9to5Mac reported a hidden difference between the two models: the standard HomeView has a custom down-firing woofer and two force-cancelling passive radiators, while the wall-mounted version has two custom full-range drivers and computational audio tuned for on-wall placement. The standard model is powered by the A18 chip and supports Spatial Audio, according to Apple's descriptions cited by 9to5Mac. The HomeView supports Thread and Matter and, when connected to an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, natural-language voice interactions through Siri AI.

The new Apple TV 4K is designed around Siri AI in the living room. Engadget reported that it includes far-field microphones for hands-free control, and Siri AI can use context from places such as Messages, allowing a user to ask it to play a show a friend texted about. In a hands-on, Engadget said Siri's responses appear as text in a corner of the TV screen rather than speaking over content. The remote looks unchanged but can play a sound when asked to help find it. Apple also said Siri AI will be available as beta software on older Apple TV 4K models going back to the second-generation model released in 2021, as part of tvOS 27.2 this fall. Engadget noted that older boxes lack integrated microphones and that questions remain about which Siri AI and smart home features they will support.

The HomePod mini 2 is the first update to Apple's small smart speaker since 2020 and costs $149, a $50 increase over the original's launch price, Engadget reported. It uses Apple's S10 chip and adds Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 6, according to ZDNET. ZDNET reported that Siri AI is available on the HomePod mini 2 in two ways: without a connected Apple device and when connected to an Apple Intelligence-compatible device, with the latter allowing access to Messages, Calendar, Reminders and other apps for contextual information. Engadget, however, reported that the assistant will not be available on the speaker at launch and that Apple says the feature is coming at a later date. The two publications differ on the launch timing. The speaker adds Sound Glow, a back-lit touch panel that syncs with music and reacts to bass and treble using colors from album artwork. It can be paired with the new Apple TV 4K in a surround sound system using up to four HomePods, and a pair can serve as desktop speakers for a Mac over AirPlay.

Apple also announced the Apple Home Collection, a lineup of smart home products that Android Authority said is aimed at Google's Nest ecosystem. The first wave includes indoor and outdoor cameras, thermostats, temperature sensors, a video doorbell and a door lock. Android Authority reported that all products will become available in December, with select accessories releasing in early 2027, and that each item is managed through the Apple Home app without a separate app or account. The report noted Apple has historically struggled to compete with Google and Amazon in smart homes and that the launch follows rumors of a partnership with LG Electronics.

Separately, 9to5Mac reported that Apple released second release candidates for macOS Sequoia 15.8.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.7.2, one week after the first release candidates. The release notes mention important security fixes without details, and the builds are 24H225 for Sequoia and 25G325 for Tahoe. Apple has also been testing macOS 27.2 ahead of its official release in the coming weeks, 9to5Mac said.

Editor's Summary

Apple opened preorders for the $299 HomeView smart display and announced a new Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini 2 and Apple Home Collection as part of a renewed smart home push. The products expand Siri AI across Apple's home devices, while older Apple TV 4K support and HomePod mini 2 launch features remain limited or unclear. The first devices arrive in November and December, with some Home Collection accessories due in early 2027.