HomeView: Apple unveils its $299 home screen, with no launch in France

Apple adds a screen to its offer for the connected home. Released on October 13, 2026 at the Welcome Home event, HomeView will be available on November 13, at a US$299 price. Clubic, 01net, Frandroid and Numerama describe the same launch: a shared device for home automation, communications and entertainment. They also report his absence from the European Union, confirmed by Apple. [S1] [S2] [S3] [S4] [S5]

Two formats, a device that stays connected

HomeView combines an A18 chip with a 7-inch Liquid Retina touch screen. Two versions are offered at the same price: one is placed on a cabinet, with a base-closure and a hinge allowing to tilt the display; The other hangs on the wall. Unlike a tablet, the device does not have a battery and must remain powered. The interface displays simplified information remotely, then more details when a user approaches. [S1] [S2] [S5]

The price of the wall version does not include its fixation. Schneider Home supports are announced from $59.95 for a USB-C power supply and $79.95 for a connection to the sector. An option powered by network cable, called PoE, will arrive early 2027 at $129.95. The distinction therefore counts more than the only identical price of the two screens. [S2] [S4] [S5]

A family screen, personal content

Apple announces the recognition of up to six users, each with its own apps and widgets. To view personal information, such as messages or calendar, HomeView must recognize the user's face and detect the presence of its recently unlocked iPhone or associated iPad. The manufacturer presents these conditions as data protection on a device used by the entire household. [S1] [S3] [S5]

The announced uses range from FaceTime calls with automatic framing to recipes transformed into successive instructions, accompanied by timers ordered by the voice. Handoff allows you to continue listening on iPhone. HomeView controls touch-enabled or Siri AI accessories on the home side and can display up to nine camera streams simultaneously. However, video summaries require an eligible iCloud+ subscription and configuration with an Apple Intelligence compatible device. [S1] [S3] [S5]

Siri AI: opportunities, but also conditions

Frandroid notes several reservations that the press release confirms: Siri AI is proposed in beta, initially in English, while Canadian French is announced for a later update. Some functions using models hosted on Apple servers are subject to daily limitations. Expanded access will become fee-free, with no rate specified in the advertisement. [S3] [S5]

The dependence on iPhone nevertheless deserves a nuance. Frandroid describes a product based entirely on Siri AI and the iPhone of the occupants. Apple states that a compatible iPhone or iPad is necessary for multi-user configuration and operation, but that Siri AI's general knowledge remains accessible without Apple Intelligence-compatible associated device. It is the requests exploiting the personal context that require this additional compatibility. [S3] [S5]

European Union excluded, not all Europe

Titles that evoke an absence "in Europe" simplify the geography of the launch: the United Kingdom is well among the markets open to pre-orders on 13 October, alongside the United States, Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand. Apple also plans Singapore and a distribution by licensed resellers in South Africa. The exclusion announced concerns the European Union, therefore France. [S2] [S3] [S4] [S5]

To explain this, Apple invokes Siri AI's unavailability on iOS in the EU and claims to work with European institutions to find a solution. 01net and Frandroid place this decision in the dispute over the Digital Market Regulation, the DMA. This explanation must remain attributed: the press release consulted does not establish a European ban on the sale of HomeView, but sets out Apple's reasons for not marketing it. [S2] [S3] [S5]

No French launch date is announced. The future ownership of Canadian French is also not a promise to commercialize in France. At this stage, the business schedule and characteristics are documented; the daily performance of the assistant and the effectiveness of the protections announced remain to be appreciated beyond the presentation of the manufacturer. [S1] [S3] [S5]