Apple HomeView: What the smart home display offers and why you can’t buy it in the EU yet

At its “Welcome Home” event On October 13, 2026, Apple unveiled its first dedicated smart home display, called HomeView, as well as the HomePod mini 2, the next-generation Apple TV 4K, and the Apple Home Collection—a line of accessories developed in partnership with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. What’s interesting is not only the device itself but also the fact that HomeView is not yet available for sale in the European Union. What does it offer, and who is it intended for?

What is HomeView?

HomeView is a desktop or wall-mounted display with a speaker base designed to serve as the central hub of the home. According to available descriptions, it features a 7-inch display, an A18 chip, and voice control with a new version of Siri. It functions as a home hub for Apple Home, as a Matter controller, and as a Thread Border Router—that is, a connection to the Thread network used by many smart home devices. It supports HomeKit Secure Video and also serves as an intercom between devices in the home.

Household Member Profiles

The device can recognize the faces of up to six household members and switch to their personal home screen. One source states that recognition runs locally without sending biometric data to external servers. This information comes from a single secondary source, so take it with a grain of salt.

Limitations

HomeView does not have its own app store, so you cannot download apps to it the way you can on an iPad. A compatible iPhone or iPad is required for setup. The wall mount, cable, and adapter are sold separately, so the wall-mounted version costs more than the listed price of 299.

Apple Home Collection: Collaboration with LG and Schneider Electric

The collection includes indoor and outdoor cameras, thermostats, temperature sensors, a video doorbell, and a door lock. According to the descriptions, all devices support Thread and can be set up via the Domov app without needing an account with the manufacturer. Based on the prices we found, the LG indoor camera costs $199 and the Schneider Electric thermostat also costs $199. The accessories are set to hit the market starting in December, with some models not arriving until early 2027. According to one source, ADT will also offer installation services.

Is this the opening?

Collaborating with two major manufacturers is unusual for Apple, but for users, support for Matter—which allows devices from different manufacturers to work together—is more important. HomeView also controls other devices labeled “Works with Apple Home” and compatible with Matter. The claim that Apple is thereby changing its “closed strategy” is more of an opinion than a fact, and sources do not confirm it.

Price and Availability

• HomeView costs $299 in the U.S. and £299 in the U.K. for both the tabletop and wall-mounted versions. Pre-orders began on October 13, and sales are set to begin on November 13, 2026.
• The HomePod mini 2 is priced at $149, and sales begin on October 30. According to reports, Siri AI will be added later via an update.
• The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K costs $299 and is available starting November 13.

Sales in the EU

HomeView is initially available in eight countries: the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and India. According to Apple, it is not sold in the European Union because Siri AI in iOS is not yet available in the EU. For Slovak readers, this means that an official purchase is not yet possible, and we have no information on when that will change. We also do not know whether the device would support the Slovak language. If imported, there could be limitations regarding support and warranty, which is a general point to note.

It pays off as the “brain of the household”

The answer depends on what you already have. For users of the Apple ecosystem, it offers a single screen for controlling lights, cameras, and other devices without the need to own a separate iPad or Apple TV. However, if you can’t officially purchase the device and Siri AI features aren’t available in the EU, it makes sense to wait for an official announcement for our markets and for independent reviews, which may come after November 13.

What we haven't confirmed

• Date and terms of sale for HomeView in the EU and Slovakia.
• Slovak language support for Siri.
• The actual reliability of face and voice recognition, which can only be assessed after release.

Conclusion

Apple HomeView is a logical step that expands the home offering with a display for the whole family and works with Matter. For Slovakia, however, the main news so far is availability rather than features: until Apple starts selling it in the EU, it’s an interesting preview, not a device that can be purchased on the open market.