Apple unveiled the HomeView smart display, HomePod mini 2, and a new Apple TV 4K to lead home technology. These devices use Siri AI for natural conversations. Prices in India range from Rs 18,900 to Rs 39,900. Pre-orders for these gadgets started on October 13, with sales beginning November 13.
After conquering the personal computer and smartphone era, Apple now wants to be the centre of your home. The company has accordingly taken three big steps yesterday. It has unveiled HomeView, a smart display for the whole family, along with the HomePod mini 2 and a new Apple TV 4K. Together, they cover the kitchen counter, the bedroom shelf and the living room.
The thread that connects all three is Siri AI, a redesigned version of Apple’s assistant that promises more natural conversations and a better grasp of what you ask. When paired with an iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence, it can also use personal context from apps like Messages and Calendar. Prices in India range from Rs 18,900 to Rs 39,900. Here’s a closer look at each device.
Apple HomeView
HomeView is the most ambitious of the three. Think of it as a smart home control panel, entertainment system and video-calling device in one. It has a 7-inch Liquid Retina display and costs Rs 39,900 in India.
Its clever trick is that it knows who is standing in front of it. HomeView can recognise up to six people through facial recognition and show each one a personalised Home Screen with their own apps and widgets. Your messages, reminders and calendar entries appear only when you are nearby with your paired iPhone or iPad recently unlocked, so a guest can’t peek at them.
Beyond that, you can make FaceTime calls, play Apple Music and podcasts, and follow recipes with step-by-step voice instructions. It also controls compatible lights, thermostats, locks and blinds, and can show live feeds from up to nine cameras at once. With compatible cameras and an iCloud+ subscription, it can alert you about familiar faces, pets, packages and vehicles. For sound, there are two full-range drivers, a down-firing woofer and passive radiators.
HomeView comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space grey. A wall-mounted version is also available for hallways and entryways, with mounting options sold separately. Pre-orders opened on October 13 and sales begin on November 13.
HomePod Mini 2
The HomePod mini 2 is small, but it has big plans. It runs on Apple’s S10 chip and promises 360-degree audio. You can use one speaker, pair two for stereo or link several for multiroom sound. Add the new Apple TV 4K, and you can build a four-speaker surround setup.
There’s also a fun new touch called Sound Glow. The top of the speaker lights up and pulses in time with your music, reacting to bass and treble. You can even pick soundscapes like rain to set the mood with ambient light.
The speaker can recognise up to six people in a household by voice and tailor music and responses to each. It controls lights, blinds, thermostats and door locks, and works as a home hub for remote control through the Home app. It can also listen for smoke or carbon monoxide alarms and send alerts to your Apple devices.
One thing to note is that Siri AI will not be there on day one. It will arrive through a future software update in English, including in India.
The HomePod mini 2 costs Rs 18,900. It comes in pink, green, blue, white and midnight. Pre-orders are live, and sales begin on October 30.
Apple TV 4K
The new Apple TV 4K is built for speed. Its A19 chip delivers up to 50 per cent faster CPU performance and up to twice the GPU performance of the previous generation, according to Apple. A dedicated AV1 decoder helps with more efficient streaming.
Three far-field microphones let you control playback and search for shows by voice, without picking up the remote. Siri AI brings a full-screen interface for finding content and can answer follow-up questions mid-show. You can ask about awards, filming locations or whether a title suits a certain age group.
The updated Siri Remote now supports Find My with Precision Finding, and can play a sound to help you track it down when it slips between the sofa cushions. The Apple TV also doubles as a smart home hub. It can show notifications from compatible doorbells, run automations and, with Apple Intelligence, summarise camera activity in the Home app.
The new Apple TV 4K is priced at Rs 39,900, which is similar to the HomeView's price in India. Pre-orders opened on October 13, with sales starting on November 13. Siri AI will come in beta to the second-generation Apple TV 4K and later in English, including in India. The new Siri Remote is also sold separately and works with Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K.