Apple HomeView: Price, Siri AI, and What the Fine Print Says

Apple HomeView is Apple's first smart display: a 7-inch screen on a domed speaker, an A18 chip, and Siri AI built in, for $299. Apple announced it on 13 October 2026, opened pre-orders the same day, and ships it on 13 November. It recognizes up to six people by face and gives each one their own Home Screen.

The launch coverage so far comes from short demos at Apple's event. Apple's own footnotes say more than the demos did. Siri AI on HomeView is labeled a beta, and the AI carries daily usage limits. Much of it depends on which iPhone you own.

And HomeView is not sold in the European Union at all.

This guide covers the price, what Siri AI can do on the device, what you need before you buy, and how it compares with the Echo Show and Nest Hub.

The Key Takeaways

• Price: $299 for both the countertop and the wall-mounted model. The wall model also needs a mount (from $59.95) and a power adapter, both sold separately.
• Dates: pre-orders opened on 13 October 2026, and units arrive on 13 November in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore and South Africa.
• AI: Siri AI runs as a beta in HomeView software 27.2, with daily usage limits on server-side features and a paid tier Apple says is coming.
• iPhone required: setup needs an iPhone or iPad on iOS or iPadOS 27.2, and personal context needs one that supports Apple Intelligence.
• No EU sale: Apple says HomeView is not for sale in the European Union because Siri AI is unavailable in iOS there.

What Is Apple HomeView?

Apple HomeView is a shared smart display for the kitchen, nightstand or hallway that plays music, makes FaceTime calls, controls smart home accessories and answers questions through Siri AI. It is Apple's answer to the Amazon Echo Show and the Google Nest Hub.

Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, introduced it on his own account on launch morning:

Introducing Apple HomeView!

It recognizes up to six people, connects seamlessly across your Apple devices, and makes managing your home easy with Siri AI. All in a stunning, elegant design with privacy built right in.

— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 13, 2026

The Hardware

The HomeView screen is a square 1088 by 1088 pixel Liquid Retina panel at 220 pixels per inch, according to Apple's HomeView technical specifications. Brightness runs from 500 nits for a sunny kitchen down to 0.3 nits for a bedside table, and True Tone adjusts the color to the room. The interface also changes with distance: simple information from across the room, more detail as you walk closer.

Inside is the A18 chip, a 12MP Center Stage camera for FaceTime, and four microphones for far-field Siri. The countertop model has two full-range drivers in the display plus a down-firing woofer and two passive radiators in the base. It weighs 952 grams and comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray.

Gizmodo's Ray Wong posted a first look from the event floor:

First look at the Apple HomeView!

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) October 13, 2026

Countertop or Wall-Mounted

The wall-mounted HomeView has the same screen, chip and camera but no speaker base, so it keeps only the two drivers in the display. It weighs 286 grams, comes in space gray and silver, and ships with no mount, no cable and no power adapter. Apple's spec sheet says the wall model needs a compatible mount, a USB-C cable and a power adapter of at least 20W, each sold separately. Budget for all three.

Six People, Six Home Screens

HomeView recognizes up to six people by face, and each person gets their own Home Screen with apps and widgets. Personal content such as Messages and Calendar needs two things. HomeView must recognize your face, and your paired iPhone or iPad must be on the same Wi-Fi and recently unlocked.

Guests without an Apple Account can still control accessories, check the weather, set timers and play music. Apple says the camera and microphone feeds are processed in Secure Exclaves inside the A18, a compartment the operating system and Apple cannot read.

Apple HomeView Price and Release Date

Apple HomeView costs $299 in the US for either model, with pre-orders open since 13 October 2026 and delivery from 13 November. Singapore pre-orders open on 15 October at 9am local time. In South Africa, HomeView is sold through Apple Authorized Resellers. The wall model needs one of three Schneider Home mounts, priced in Apple's HomeView press release:

The countertop HomeView includes a 1.5-meter USB-C cable and a 30W power adapter in the box. The wall model's real starting cost is therefore $299 plus a mount plus an adapter, not $299 on its own.

What Siri AI Can Do on Apple HomeView

Siri AI on Apple HomeView answers general questions for anyone in the room, and does far more for people whose iPhone supports Apple Intelligence. That split decides how much of the AI you actually get. If you are new to the assistant itself, our guide to what Siri AI is and how it differs from old Siri covers the basics.

For Everyone in the Room

Apple says Siri AI on HomeView has broad world knowledge, so anyone can ask about virtually any topic and hold a back-and-forth conversation. This part works even for people without an Apple Intelligence iPhone or iPad, and Apple names improved music discovery as part of it. Practical jobs include multiple timers, recipes from Safari in a step-by-step cooking view, Intercom to other rooms, and smart home control by voice: lights, thermostat, locks, blinds and camera feeds.

With an Apple Intelligence iPhone

Paired with an iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence, Siri AI can draw on that person's personal context and take action across apps. Engadget's hands-on describes asking HomeView to "play that song Jeff texted me about", and in its demo Siri answered quickly. Conversations started on HomeView continue in the Siri app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch or Vision Pro. Check whether your phone qualifies in our list of iPhones and iPads that support Apple Intelligence.

Siri's expressive, customizable voices need a newer phone still. Apple lists iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro and 17 Pro models, iPhone Air, or an M4 iPad with at least 12GB of memory, in English only. The voice you set on the phone carries over to HomeView, and our walkthrough on changing Siri's voice shows where that setting lives.

The Beta Label and the Daily Limits

Siri AI on HomeView is a beta. A footnote in Apple's HomeView press release reads: "Siri AI is available in beta in HomeView software version 27.2." The same footnote says Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models "are subject to daily usage limits." It adds that "expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future."

Apple has not published the limit or the price.

Siri requests run on the device or on Private Cloud Compute, which Apple says neither stores the data nor makes it accessible to Apple.

What You Need Before You Buy

HomeView is not a standalone device. Setup and multi-user support need a compatible iPhone or iPad, and Apple's spec sheet sets the floor at iOS 27.2 or iPadOS 27.2. Our iOS 27 guide lists which iPhones run the current release. Here is what each feature depends on, from Apple's footnotes:

There is no App Store on HomeView. Apple's spec sheet lists built-in apps such as Calendar, FaceTime, Find My, Home, Messages, Music, Reminders, Safari and Weather. Compatible third-party audio and video apps come from your iPhone. For smart home control, HomeView works with Matter accessories and anything labeled Works with Apple Home. It also runs the new Apple Home Collection from LG and Schneider Electric, which starts arriving in December.

Why Apple HomeView Is Not Sold in the EU

Apple HomeView is not for sale in any of the 27 EU countries. Apple gives the reason in one sentence. "Apple HomeView is not available for sale in the European Union, as Siri AI is currently unavailable in iOS in the EU." Apple adds that it is "working constructively with the EU in an attempt to find a path forward," with no date.

The block goes back to June 2026. In a June 8 newsroom notice, Apple said the Digital Markets Act stopped it shipping Siri AI on iPhone and iPad in the EU. Apple also said the European Commission rejected all of its proposals, including a Trusted System Agent rolled out over 18 months. That is Apple's account of the talks. Siri AI does reach EU users on macOS 27 and visionOS 27, but HomeView depends on a paired iPhone, so it falls on the blocked side.

Google has gone the other way. It sells the Nest Hub (2nd gen) on its German store for €99.99. Since 17 March 2026, its Google Home release notes have listed Gemini for Home app features in Early Access in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and ten other countries. Those features include Ask Home and Home Brief. If you are in Prague or Berlin, you do not have to wait for Apple and Brussels to agree. Fello AI puts ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini in one app on the Mac, iPhone and iPad you already own. Our roundup of Apple Intelligence alternatives for Mac lists other options.

Apple HomeView vs Echo Show vs Nest Hub

The real difference between Apple HomeView, the Amazon Echo Show and the Google Nest Hub is the AI assistant and what it costs. All three control a smart home, play music and show cameras. Amazon's Alexa+ is free with Prime or $19.99 a month without it, according to Amazon's Alexa+ announcement. Google still labels Gemini for Home as Early Access, and says some of its features require a Google Home Premium subscription.

HomeView wins on privacy design and on its reach into your Apple devices. It loses on three counts: the iPhone requirement, the beta AI, and a price three times the Nest Hub's. For the bigger picture on how Siri now stacks up, see our Siri vs ChatGPT comparison.

Should You Pre-Order Apple HomeView?

Pre-order Apple HomeView if your household already runs on iPhones that support Apple Intelligence, because that is the only setup where the AI does what Apple demonstrated. With older iPhones, you get a well-built speaker and screen with a capable chatbot, not a personal assistant. In the EU, you cannot buy one at all. Everyone else should wait for full reviews in mid-November: Siri AI is a beta, the usage limits are unpublished, and no published review has tested one at home yet.

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