Apple HomeView Buying Guide: Is the $299 Home Hub Worth It?
HomeView is Apple's first smart display: a 7-inch screen that recognizes who is standing in front of it, runs the Home app, makes FaceTime calls and shows your cameras. There are two $299 versions, and one of them costs more than $299 by the time it is on the wall. Here is who it is for, and when a $149 HomePod mini 2 or the new Apple TV 4K is the better buy.
October 18 status: Apple announced HomeView on October 13. Both models are available to preorder at $299 and ship November 13. HomePod mini 2 ($149) ships October 30 and the new Apple TV 4K ($299) ships November 13. We have not tested any of them, so features and specifications below are Apple's.
Price
$299
Tabletop or wall mounted, US.
Display
7″
Square 1088 by 1088 Liquid Retina.
Profiles
6
Household members it recognizes by face.
Ships
Nov 13
Preorders opened October 13.
What HomeView Actually Does
Think of HomeView as a shared screen for the house rather than a small iPad. It sits on a speaker base (or flat on a wall), and its 12MP front camera recognizes up to six household members. Each person gets their own Home Screen of apps and widgets, and their messages, calendar, reminders and Find My appear only when HomeView recognizes them and their iPhone is nearby and recently unlocked. Shared photo albums and music are available to everyone, guests included.
The everyday jobs are familiar ones done from a counter instead of a pocket: controlling lights, locks, thermostats and blinds by touch or voice; watching up to nine camera feeds; FaceTime with Center Stage framing; intercom to other Apple devices in the house; and a kitchen mode that turns a web recipe into steps with hands-free timers. Apple Music, Podcasts and the Apple TV app run on it too.
The test before preordering is simple. Name the two things your household does on a phone today that would be easier on a shared screen. A family that checks one calendar, glances at a doorbell camera and cooks from recipes has a clear answer. A one-person apartment with two smart bulbs probably does not.
| HomeView | HomeView (Wall Mounted) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | $299 plus a mount |
| Speakers | Two full-range drivers, woofer, two passive radiators | Two full-range drivers |
| Power | 30W adapter and cable in the box | Mount and power sold separately |
| Colors | Silver, starlight, rose pink, space gray | Silver, space gray |
| Weight | 2.1 lb | 0.63 lb |
| Installation | None, plug it in | Self-install USB-C mount, or an electrician for AC |
Apple specifications and US prices, checked on Apple's store on October 18, 2026.
The Wall Model Is Not Really $299
Both models have the same screen, camera and A18 chip, and both cost $299. The difference is what comes in the box. The tabletop HomeView includes a 30W adapter and cable, and its speaker base has a woofer and passive radiators. The wall version ships with neither a mount nor power, and it has two drivers without the woofer, so expect thinner sound than the tabletop model.
Apple requires a Schneider Home mount for the wall model. The cheapest, a USB-C wall connector, is $59.95 and also needs a USB-C power adapter of at least 20W. The AC-wired mount is $79.95, and Apple recommends a licensed electrician to install it. A Power over Ethernet mount at $129.95 arrives in early 2027. Choose the wall model for an entryway or hallway where counter space is the problem, and budget for the mount and installation from the start.
What Each HomeView Costs Before Installation
US prices; bars are proportional
Mount prices are Apple's 'from' prices for Schneider Home mounts. The USB-C mount needs a 20W or larger USB-C adapter, sold separately. Installation costs vary and are not included.
HomeView, HomePod mini 2 or the New Apple TV 4K?
Apple launched three home devices on October 13, and they overlap more than the prices suggest. All three can act as the home hub that lets you control accessories away from home and that Apple's new cameras, thermostats and lock require. You only need one hub. If a HomePod or Apple TV already does that job, HomeView is optional rather than the price of entry to Apple's new accessories.
So start from what you want in the room. A screen you can glance at, a speaker you talk to, or a better TV are three different purchases.
| Device | Price and date | Buy it for | It will not |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomeView | $299, Nov 13 | A shared screen: cameras, calendar, FaceTime, recipes | Fill a living room with sound like a HomePod |
| HomePod mini 2 | $149, Oct 30 | Voice control, music, alarm detection, the cheapest new hub | Show anything; Siri AI arrives in a later update |
| Apple TV 4K (4th gen) | $299, Nov 13 | Your TV, plus surround sound with four HomePods | Help in a room without a TV |
| HomePod (2nd gen) | $349, available | The best Apple speaker for a main room | Get a new model; it was not updated |
Apple US prices and dates as of October 18, 2026.
HomePod mini 2 is the better buy if you mainly talk to your home. At $149 it gets the S10 chip, a top that glows with your music, alarm detection for smoke and carbon monoxide, and Siri AI later through a software update. It is also $20 more than the original mini's last Apple price, which makes a discounted first-generation mini worth a look for a spare room. Compare offers on the HomePod mini 2 price page or the cheapest HomePod tracker.
The new Apple TV 4K costs $299 for a single 128GB model with an A19 chip, Wi-Fi 7, Ethernet and microphones for hands-free Siri. That is a steep rise from the previous generation's $199 and $249 Apple prices. Buy it if you want surround sound from four HomePods or the new Siri; if your current Apple TV works, Apple says Siri AI also comes to the second-generation Apple TV 4K and later. Our Apple TV vs Roku vs Fire Stick guide covers the cheaper alternatives.
HomeView is the one to choose when the screen itself is the point. We have not heard its speaker yet; if sound matters most, the full-size HomePod remains the better speaker.
Requirements and Limits to Check First
- • An Apple household. Setup and personal profiles need an iPhone with iOS 27.2 or an iPad with iPadOS 27.2. Each person's private content needs their own paired iPhone or iPad nearby.
- • Siri AI is a beta. It works in English in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore and South Africa. Apple says some server features have daily limits and that expanded access will cost a fee in the future.
- • No EU sales. Apple is not selling HomeView in the European Union because Siri AI is not available in iOS there.
- • Camera smarts cost extra. Recognizing people, packages and vehicles, and video descriptions, need a supported iCloud+ plan and compatible cameras.
- • The full system arrives in stages. Apple's new cameras, thermostats and lock start shipping in December, with some accessories in early 2027. HomeView works with existing Matter and Apple Home accessories meanwhile.
Who Should Buy HomeView?
Buy it for a busy shared space
Families with Apple Home accessories, a doorbell camera and a shared calendar get the most from a screen in the kitchen or hallway. The tabletop model is the simpler purchase.
Wait for reviews if you are curious rather than certain
It is a first-generation product with a beta assistant and accessories that arrive later. Independent reviews will follow the November 13 release, well before the holidays.
Skip it if you want a speaker or live outside Apple's ecosystem
HomePod mini 2 does voice and music for half the price, and the full HomePod sounds better. Android households and EU buyers cannot use it as designed.
Our Take
HomeView is the most interesting of Apple's October home products because it is new, not because it is the best value. For a household already invested in Apple Home, the tabletop model at $299 is a reasonable preorder. Treat the wall model as a $360 to $430 purchase plus installation, and buy the speaker or Apple TV instead if a screen was never the point.
Track preorder prices on the HomeView price page and the wall-mounted model. We add a retailer's offer only when its own page shows a price and an order button.
Sources: Apple's HomeView announcement, HomeView tech specs, HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K announcements, and Apple's US store pages checked October 18, 2026. Features are manufacturer claims; we have not tested these products.