The short version
- Apple HomeView ($299, tabletop or wall-mounted) -- a new stationary smart display built as a home hub: cameras, lights, locks, FaceTime, recipes, and Siri AI in beta. Not sold in the EU.
- HomePod mini 2 ($149) -- the first update to the mini since 2020: new S10 chip, five colors, a light-up top called Sound Glow, Siri AI coming later, not at launch.
- Apple TV 4K ($299, one configuration) -- A19 chip, AV1 decoder, a new USB-C Siri Remote, Siri AI in beta. Up from a $129 starting price at original launch.
- Apple Home Collection -- Apple's first own-branded doorbell, cameras, smart lock, thermostats and sensors, built with LG and Schneider Home. Arrives starting December.
Apple HomeView: the new thing
A 7-inch smart display built to run the house, not just show it to you
HomeView is the real headline here, because Apple has never sold anything quite like it. It's a 7-inch Liquid Retina display (True Tone, 500 nits down to 0.3 nits in the dark) built into an aluminum body with a stainless steel hinge, running on Apple's A18 chip. It comes in a tabletop version with a domed speaker base, and a wall-mounted version that drops to just two color options and a simpler two-driver speaker setup. Apple's Greg Joswiak, senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, framed the pitch directly: “Apple HomeView is designed to be shared by everyone in the home yet feel completely personal to each user.”
That personalization is real and specific: HomeView recognizes up to 6 different people by face and gives each one their own Home Screen. It controls cameras, thermostats, lights, locks and blinds by touch or voice, and can show up to 9 camera feeds at once. It also does FaceTime with Center Stage, works as an intercom, and handles recipes and timers in the kitchen.
Siri AI is on HomeView at launch, but Apple lists it as a beta, running on HomeView software 27.2, in English only, across 8 countries (U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa). It is not available in the European Union -- Apple says that's because Siri AI itself isn't available in iOS there yet.
HomePod mini 2: the quiet one
The first real update to the mini since 2020
At $149, HomePod mini 2 gets a new S10 chip, real-time computational audio, and five colors including two new ones. The top of the speaker now animates with the music -- Apple calls it Sound Glow. Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Home Product Marketing, summed it up as bringing together “Siri AI, gorgeous new colors, and incredible audio,” adding that with Siri AI the speaker “understands you better than ever, drawing on personal context and broad world knowledge” for things like music discovery.
The catch in that quote: Siri AI is not on HomePod mini 2 at launch. 9to5Mac confirmed directly with Apple that it's coming in a later software update, with no date given. What does work on day one: voice recognition for up to 6 people, four-speaker surround sound when paired with the new Apple TV 4K, Sound Recognition that pushes smoke and CO alarm alerts to your iPhone (Apple is explicit that you shouldn't rely on this in an actual emergency), and use as a Mac's default speaker on Macs with Wi-Fi 6E or later.
The new $299 Apple TV 4K
Faster chip, new remote, and a starting price that's gone up a lot
Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, called it “our most immersive home theater experience yet.” The real upgrades: an A19 chip Apple says is up to 50% faster on CPU and up to 2x faster on GPU than the previous model, a new AV1 video decoder, three far-field microphones for hands-free Siri, and built-in Wi-Fi and Thread.
The new Siri Remote charges over USB-C, supports Find My with Precision Finding when paired with a compatible iPhone, and can play a sound to help you locate it -- a feature exclusive to this newest remote, though the remote itself works with Apple TV HD and every generation of Apple TV 4K, and is sold separately. Siri AI comes to this Apple TV 4K and to 2nd-generation-or-later existing models as a beta, through tvOS 27.2.
Here's the number worth sitting with: MacRumors reports the Apple TV 4K's starting price has gone from $129 at its original launch to $299 now, after a stop at $199-$249 following a June 2026 increase. Apple's own release doesn't explain the jump, and doesn't say whether the previous model stays available anywhere -- so we're not guessing at a reason.
Apple Home Collection: Apple's first smart-home hardware
A doorbell, cameras, a lock, thermostats and sensors -- built with LG and Schneider Home
| Device | Price | Sold in |
|---|---|---|
| LG Video Doorbell Wired | $249.95 | US, CA, UK |
| LG Floodlight Cam | $399.95 | US, CA, UK |
| LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In | $299.95 | US, CA, UK |
| LG Indoor Cam Plug-In | $199.95 | US, CA, UK |
| LG Smart Deadbolt Lock | $349.95 | US, CA |
| LG / Schneider Home Smart Thermostat | $199.95 | US, CA |
| Temperature / Room Sensor | $39.95 each | US, CA |
Every device supports Thread. The lock, thermostats and sensors also work with Matter, and the lock supports Aliro and can operate locally without an internet connection, using UWB auto-unlock, a PIN, or a hidden physical key. Apple doesn't state Matter support for the cameras specifically. Setup requires an iPhone (via NFC tap) and one of Apple's home hubs: HomeView, HomePod, HomePod mini, or the new Apple TV 4K. In the U.S., professional installation is available through ADT at Apple Stores starting this fall, for an extra fee -- that's installation, not ongoing monitoring, which Apple doesn't mention.
Camera footage is stored through iCloud+: 50GB covers one camera, 200GB covers up to five, and 2TB is unlimited, with 10 days of event history per camera regardless of tier.
The catch, all in one place
What the headlines leave out
- Not in the EU. HomeView, and Siri AI generally, aren't available there. Apple gave no timeline.
- Siri AI isn't finished rolling out. Beta on HomeView and Apple TV 4K at launch; not available at all on HomePod mini 2 until a later, undated update.
- Some features need a newer iPhone -- personal-context Siri, camera video search, and custom Siri voices all require a recent Apple Intelligence iPhone or iPad. Apple TV and HomeView AI beta hasn't been confirmed for every iPhone.
- iCloud+ costs extra if you want camera video summaries or search beyond the free tier.
- The Apple TV 4K got a lot more expensive -- more than double its original price, with no explanation given.
- Home Collection isn't all available at once. Apple says items start shipping in December, with some pushed to “early 2027” without saying which ones.
Common questions
What did Apple actually announce?
Four things, all on Oct. 13, 2026: Apple HomeView (a new tabletop and wall-mounted smart display, $299), HomePod mini 2 ($149, new colors and chip), a redesigned Apple TV 4K ($299, up from $129 at its original launch), and the Apple Home Collection -- Apple's first line of smart home accessories, made with LG and Schneider Home (doorbell, cameras, a smart lock, thermostats and sensors, $39.95 to $399.95).
Is any of this actually new, or is it just a refresh?
HomeView is genuinely new -- Apple has never sold a product like it. The other three are real updates to existing categories: HomePod mini 2 is the first update to that speaker since 2020, the Apple TV 4K gets a faster chip and new remote, and the Home Collection is Apple's first time selling its own-branded doorbell, cameras, lock and thermostats rather than just supporting other brands' smart-home gear through the Home app.
What is HomeView actually for?
It's a stationary smart display that sits on a counter or mounts on a wall, built to run the house and the TV from one screen: live camera feeds, lights, locks and thermostats on one side, FaceTime, music, recipes, timers and Siri on the other. It's meant to live in a kitchen, living room or hallway, not travel with you.
Is it basically an iPad with a different screen shape?
No, and this is worth being precise about. An iPad is a battery-powered tablet you pick up and carry; HomeView is plugged in, mounted or stood up, with a built-in multi-driver speaker system and a woofer in its base that no iPad has. It recognizes up to 6 different people by face and gives each one their own Home Screen -- an iPad has no equivalent. And it's registered with Apple as a home hub, meaning it can run Matter and Thread smart-home accessories in the background even when no one's looking at the screen. An iPad can display a dashboard; it isn't built to be your house's control center the way HomeView is.
Does it come in colors?
Yes. The tabletop model comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray. The wall-mounted model is more limited -- just space gray and silver.
Can it control my house?
Yes, that's the point of it. Apple says you control cameras, thermostats, lights, locks and blinds by touch or voice, and it can show up to 9 camera feeds at once. It works with Apple's own new Home Collection devices and with existing HomeKit and Matter accessories.
Does it replace my security system?
Not in the way a monitored security system does, and Apple hasn't claimed that it does. HomeView and the Home Collection cameras let you view live and recorded footage yourself (10 days of event history with iCloud+), and the new Home Collection lock and sensors work with Matter. But there's no stated professional monitoring service built in -- Apple's professional install option, through ADT at Apple Stores, covers the installation, not 24/7 monitoring. Apple hasn't said otherwise, so treat this as DIY home viewing, not a monitored alarm system.
Is it worth it?
That depends on what you already own. If you don't have a smart display, a smart speaker and a camera viewer, $299 for one device that does a credible job of all three is a real value case, and HomeView is one of the only screens on the market built specifically as an Apple home hub with face-recognized personal profiles. If you already own an iPad you prop up in the kitchen and a HomePod, the upgrade case is weaker -- you're mainly paying for the face recognition, the built-in speaker system, and Siri AI running locally as a hub. It's not a must-buy, but it's a coherent, honestly-priced answer to a real gap in Apple's lineup.
Why isn't HomeView available in Europe?
Apple says it's because Siri AI isn't available in iOS in the EU. The company says it's “working constructively with the EU,” but gave no date for when that changes, according to MacRumors.
Do I need a new iPhone for any of this?
Only for specific features. Apple says personal-context Siri (reading your Messages and Calendar to help around the house), video summaries and natural-language search of your camera footage, and custom Siri voices all need a recent Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone or iPad. Basic Siri AI, general questions, and music discovery work without one.
Why did the Apple TV 4K get so much more expensive?
It did jump a lot -- MacRumors notes the starting price went from $129 at its original launch to $299 now, after a stop at $199-$249 in between. Apple hasn't explained the increase in its own release, and we won't guess at a reason it hasn't given. What you do get for $299 this time: an A19 chip, a new AV1 video decoder, three far-field microphones for hands-free Siri, Wi-Fi 7, and a new USB-C Siri Remote with Find My and Precision Finding.
Can I still buy the old, cheaper Apple TV?
Apple hasn't said whether the previous model stays on sale anywhere.
Is Siri AI actually ready on all of this?
No, and this is one of the real catches. HomeView ships with Siri AI as a beta from day one. HomePod mini 2 does not -- 9to5Mac confirmed Apple is holding that feature for “a future software update,” with no date given. The new Apple TV 4K (and 2nd-generation-or-later existing Apple TV 4Ks) get Siri AI as a beta too, through tvOS 27.2.
How much does the Home Collection cost in total?
It adds up fast if you want the full set. A simple starter kit -- the $249.95 video doorbell, the $349.95 smart lock, and a $199.95 thermostat -- comes to $799.85 before any cameras, sensors or mounting hardware. The lineup runs from $39.95 sensors up to a $399.95 floodlight camera.
Do I need an iCloud+ subscription?
Not to use HomeView or the Home Collection devices day to day, but you do for some camera features. Apple's camera storage tiers: 50GB covers one camera, 200GB covers up to five, and 2TB is unlimited. Every camera keeps 10 days of event history.
This is Apple finally building the product category it's spent a decade supporting through other brands -- a real screen and a real hub for the home, plus its own cameras and lock to put in front of it. HomeView is the genuinely new idea, and its pitch (one shared screen, personal to each face it recognizes) is specific enough to be real rather than marketing filler. The weaker parts are the rollout: Siri AI isn't actually finished on two of the four products, the EU is locked out entirely, and the Apple TV 4K's price more than doubled with no stated reason. None of that makes this a bad announcement -- it makes it an announcement worth reading past the headline price, which is what this piece is for.
Reporting note. This report was independently researched and written by DopamineKart's editorial desk from Apple's own newsroom announcements (apple.com/newsroom/2026/10/) for HomeView, HomePod mini 2, Apple TV 4K and the Apple Home Collection, cross-checked against MacRumors and 9to5Mac reporting where specifically cited above. No company named above reviewed, sponsored, or paid for this coverage. Pricing and dates reflect what was announced as of publication (Oct. 13-14, 2026) and are subject to change by Apple. All product photography is Apple's own official press imagery, used here for editorial identification only -- DopamineKart has no affiliation with Apple.
Related: our Apple HomeView FAQ, and everything Apple announced in September.
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