Apple is making its biggest push yet into the connected home. The company on Tuesday unveiled HomeView, a $299 smart display with a 7-inch screen, in tabletop and wall-mounted versions, alongside a new Apple TV 4K and the HomePod mini 2.
HomeView recognizes up to six household members by face and switches to each person's messages, calendar and apps. It is designed to control doorbells, thermostats, cameras and smart locks, categories long dominated by Amazon's Ring and Echo products. Apple also showed cameras, a video doorbell and a smart lock made by LG Electronics.
Pre-orders opened Tuesday in markets including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with shipping beginning November 13. The device is not being sold in the European Union, where Apple's newest Siri features are not yet available on iOS; Apple says it is working with EU officials on a path forward.
Analysts say the test is whether a more capable assistant can move Apple beyond its small share of the smart-speaker market. Industry data cited in coverage of the launch puts Amazon devices in about two-thirds of U.S. smart-speaker homes, with Apple in the mid-single digits.
