Apple’s “Welcome Home” event is on October 13, only a few days away, and new details about its long-rumored smart home hub have come out. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the device will be called HomeView. Apple will show it off at the event, and it should ship around mid-November, several weeks later.
This device has been in the news for a while. Earlier reports described a display of about 6 inches square. You could set it on a countertop or mount it on a wall.
It would recognize different people in your household and control everything from locks and thermostats to smart speakers. The latest report fills in some of the biggest gaps that remained.
Apple HomeView & iPad
Bloomberg says HomeView will run on an A18 chip, the same one found in the iPhone 16. It will come in two versions. The countertop model has a metal speaker base and should be available in space gray, silver, starlight, and pink. The wall-mounted model uses a flatter square base and is expected in space gray and silver.
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The device has a touchscreen, but Apple reportedly does not want you to treat it like an iPad that stays in one place.
Bloomberg says you will control it mostly with Siri, which explains the “View” in the name. Apple also seems to be keeping the software on a tight leash. You reportedly cannot install apps from the App Store on the HomeView. HomeView will run a small set of Apple’s own software instead.
Earlier reports already hinted at what that software does. HomeView could recognize who walks up to it and show personal information from your messages, calendar, contacts, and notes. Past reports also mentioned video calls, music playback, and an intercom-style feature.
Apple HomeView Control
HomeView is just one part of a much larger smart home push. Apple is reportedly working with LG on an Apple Home Collection. It would include a smart doorbell, a deadbolt, a thermostat, a temperature sensor, indoor and outdoor security cameras, and a floodlight camera.
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LG would handle the manufacturing and support. Apple would decide how the products work with its ecosystem.
Apple is also updating its own home devices. Bloomberg says the next HomePod mini will get an S10 chip, and the new Apple TV will move to an A19. Both are expected on October 30, a few weeks before HomeView arrives.
