ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Apple unveiled 7 smart home devices today at its “Welcome Home” event.
- We saw a new HomeView smart panel, HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV.
- There are also new Home Collection devices in collaboration with LG and Schneider Electric.
Apple held a “Welcome Home” event on October 13, where it unveiled seven new smart home products. The small event wasn’t livestreamed, but Apple quietly dove headfirst into the smart home market with its first smart panel: the Apple HomeView.
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A HomeView smart home hub at last
For years, we’ve been waiting for a new Apple smart home product that serves as a smart panel, consolidating a full view of your devices in a stationary form factor. Apple has finally turned this dream into a reality. With the Apple HomeView, Apple made a committed entry into the smart home market to more aggressively compete with brands like Amazon and Google.
The HomeView serves as a control center for the Apple smart home and supports third-party brands via Matter and direct Apple Home integrations.
As for the device itself, the HomeView features the A18 chip, likely with 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, a setup similar to that of the iPhone 16. Apple is giving the HomeView Siri AI, marking the first time that a generative AI-powered Siri enters the smart home category.
This kind of generative AI places the HomeView in the same league as Amazon’s competing smart home panels, which now feature Alexa+, a generative AI virtual assistant that can respond to natural-language queries and take actions on behalf of the user.
Also: 5 ways HomeView could make me switch from Echo
Beyond serving only as a smart home display, however, Apple is positioning the HomeView as a panel that ties your entire Apple ecosystem together. It’ll be the last loop to close in the Apple ecosystem, alongside the Home Collection and Siri AI in the HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K.
Physically, the HomeView has a square display and a rounded speaker on the back to which it is attached. There is also a wall-mounted version available.
The Apple HomeView is available for pre-order starting October 15 for $299 and will officially go on sale on November 13.
The new Apple Home Collection
In addition to the smart panel, Apple announced a line of accessories in collaboration with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, including indoor and outdoor cameras, temperature sensors and thermostats, a video doorbell, and a door lock — directly challenging Amazon’s Ring line of products that have dominated this market.
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The new devices will work with Apple Home and Matter, supporting end-to-end data encryption that Apple says even LG and Schneider can’t access.
ApplePhysically, the devices appear to have Apple’s signature minimalist aesthetic, with a clean design that looks at home in Apple’s ecosystem. Apple says the devices are controlled from the Home app in the iPhone, can be accessed with Siri, and can work either as standalone devices or together as an integrated home system.
Refreshed HomePod mini 2
A HomePod mini 2 is now available with Siri AI support for the first time, giving it a more powerful and capable virtual assistant. The new speaker is powered by the Apple S10 processor, which intelligently analyzes music in real time to optimize acoustics.
When paired with an Apple TV 4K (4th generation), users can add up to four HomePod mini 2 speakers to create a more immersive surround sound system for their TVs.
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Apple is also breathing new life into the glowing light atop the HomePod with Sound Glow. This feature uses the colors from the album artwork currently playing and generates a color-matched light experience that pulses in sync with the music.
The HomePod mini 2 is available for $149, with the Siri AI update coming over the air in the coming months.
The new Apple TV 4K
Powered by the A19 chip, the new Apple TV 4K delivers 50% more processing power than the previous generation. It also features twice-as-fast graphics performance for faster navigation and smoother animations and transitions.
Apple is finally giving its streaming device the feature I’ve wanted the most: hands-free Siri to search and control your TV experience. The tabletop box for the Apple TV 4K features three far-field microphones to let you control your streaming device and search for new options.
The new-generation Apple TV 4K also features Siri AI, a generative AI-powered Siri that supports natural conversations and enables more intelligent, thorough searches.
Also: I tried a $200 smartwatch with voice recording – how it beat the Apple Watch
The Siri remote also supports Precision Finding and lets you play a sound, much like you can with an AirTag. This is one of the most convenient features to get with such a thin remote, encased in a slick material that’s perfect for slipping through couch cushions.
I was able to remove the AirTag from my Siri Remote cover once Apple added Bluetooth search capabilities, but Precision Finding makes it easy to determine exactly where the remote is located, not just a general area.
The Apple TV 4K (4th generation) is available for purchase today at $299.
