Apple has finally built the device many expected it to make years ago: a smart display for the home. Called HomeView, it combines a 7-inch screen with a speaker base and puts Apple's rebuilt Siri at the centre of the home. Pre-orders opened on October 13, and the device goes on sale on November 13, 2026 in eight countries, including India.
In the US, HomeView costs $299. Apple has not yet published an Indian rupee price in its announcement, so buyers here will need to check the Apple Store app or apple.com/in for local pricing.
What Apple HomeView is
HomeView is a 7-inch Liquid Retina display mounted on a domed speaker base, joined by a stainless steel hinge so the screen can tilt. The body is aluminium, and it comes in four colours: silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray, each with a colour-matched USB-C cable.
There is also a wall-mounted version at the same $299 price, in space gray or silver. It uses mounts from Schneider Home, starting at $59.95 for a USB-C wall connector, with AC-wired and PoE-wired options costing more. The PoE version arrives in early 2027.
Key specifications
- Display: 7-inch Liquid Retina with True Tone, brightness from 500 nits down to 0.3 nits
- Chip: Apple A18 with Secure Exclaves
- Audio: two full-range drivers in the display, a down-firing woofer and two passive radiators in the base, with Spatial Audio
- Users: recognises up to six household members by face
- Software: HomeView software 27.2, with Siri AI in beta
A screen that changes with distance
One of the smarter ideas in HomeView is that the interface adapts to how far away you are. From across the room it shows simple, glanceable information such as the time or weather. Walk closer and it shows more detail.
Apple calls its screen designs "Faces". Options include a Photos face that turns shared albums into a photo frame, a Flow face that reacts to movement, a Snoopy face with animations for time, weather and sports, a Home face for favourite accessories, and a Home Camera face that can show up to nine live camera feeds.
Siri AI and personal profiles
HomeView is the first Apple home device built around the new Siri AI, which Apple says is more conversational, has broader world knowledge and understands what is on screen. If you own an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone or iPad, Siri can also use personal context from Calendar, Messages and Apple Music.
Because the device recognises up to six people, each family member gets their own Home Screen, apps and widgets. Siri AI on HomeView supports English in all launch countries, including India, which matters because Apple's AI features have often reached Indian users late.
What you can do with it
- Entertainment: Apple Music with animated album art and lyrics, Apple Podcasts, Apple TV and compatible third-party apps, plus multiroom audio with HomePod and AirPlay speakers.
- Calls and messages: FaceTime with Center Stage, voice replies to Messages, and Intercom to one room or the whole house.
- Kitchen help: recipes turned into step-by-step instructions, hands-free timers and ingredient tracking.
- Find My: see shared locations and find AirTags, AirPods and iPhones.
- Smart home control: cameras, lights, locks, thermostats and blinds by touch or voice, with support for Matter accessories.
HomeView can also listen for smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sounds and send an alert to your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. With a supported iCloud+ plan, compatible cameras get end-to-end encrypted recognition of people, pets, packages and vehicles.
Privacy: how Apple is handling an always-on camera
A camera and microphone in the living room raise obvious questions. Apple's answer is Secure Exclaves, which process camera and microphone data separately from the rest of the system. Apple says that data cannot be accessed by HomeView software, apps, the user or Apple itself.
Personal content such as messages and calendar entries appears only when the device recognises the enrolled person's face and their paired iPhone or iPad is nearby and recently unlocked. Siri requests are handled on the device or through Apple's Private Cloud Compute, where Apple says data is not stored.
Availability: India yes, Europe no
HomeView launches on November 13 in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and the US. It will not launch in the European Union for now, because Siri AI is not yet available in iOS there.
Apple is also launching an Apple Home Collection of cameras, thermostats and a smart lock, designed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, starting in December, with more accessories in early 2027.
Should you buy one?
HomeView makes the most sense for households already using iPhones, HomePods and Apple Music. Its strengths are Apple's privacy design, sound quality and tight links with other Apple devices. For Android users, or homes built around Google Home or Alexa, it offers far less.
For Indian buyers, the final rupee price will decide a lot. Smart displays from Amazon and Google sell here for much less, so Apple will be competing on quality and ecosystem rather than cost. Reviews closer to the November 13 launch should show whether the new Siri lives up to its promise.
Source: Apple Newsroom.
