Apple announced its first-ever home hub smart display the HomeView on Wednesday, while also unveiling a line of home security devices which will not be available in Australia at launch.

The HomeView – Apple’s attempt to compete with popular home hubs such as Amazon's Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub – features a 7-inch display and comes in two variants: one that is wall-mounted, and one that is used on a tiltable tabletop base.

Both variants have built-in speakers, but the tabletop version adds a built-in subwoofer in the base.

Integrated with Apple’s AI-overhauled personal assistant Siri, the HomeView features a smart home dashboard for controlling compatible smart home devices such as cameras, lights, and locks, the company said.

It can also use facial recognition to recognise up to six people and only grant them acess to their own personal messages, calendars, apps, widgets, and other content – as long as they have compatible Apple devices.

“When paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled device, [HomeView] can also draw on a user’s personal context, such as their Calendar, Messages, and relevant information across their apps, to provide more helpful, personalised responses,” Apple said.

The HomeView will work with Apple’s first-party apps, including FaceTime calls, as well as some “compatible third-party audio and video apps”, the company said.

The device will cost $449 in Australia when it launches on 13 November, for either the tabletop or wall-mounted version.

The tabletop edition will come in four colours: silver, starlight, rose pink, and space grey – while the wall-mounted version will only come in silver and space grey.

Apple is not selling the HomeView in the European Union, because Siri AI has not gained regulatory approval for use in the EU.

“Apple is working constructively with the EU in an attempt to find a path forward,” the company said.

Home security devices not available in Australia at launch

Apple also announced a range of home security devices it “designed in collaboration with” Korean electronics giant LG and France’s Schneider Electric, including security cameras, a video doorbell, a temperature sensor, thermostats, and a smart door lock.

“Each product can be set up starting with a single tap with iPhone, controlled entirely from the Home app and using Siri, and work as either standalone accessories or together as a connected system,” Apple said.

A company spokesperson confirmed to Information Age that the series of security devices – dubbed the Apple Home Collection – will not be available in Australia when they launch in December.

The spokesperson would not confirm whether Apple planned to release the devices in Australia at some point in the future.

The LG video doorbell and camera lineup will only be available in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom at launch, they said.

The LG smart deadbolt lock, LG temperature sensor, and LG and Schneider thermostats will only be available in the US and Canada.

LG has recently faced allegations of “spying” on users through its smart TVs, which the company has denied.


The 'Apple Home Collection' includes devices Apple co-designed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. Image: Apple / Supplied

New Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2

Apple also announced updated versions of its Apple TV 4K streaming box and HomePod mini smart speaker on Wednesday.

The new Apple TV 4K integrates Siri AI, as well as built-in microphones to let users talk to Siri without needing to speak into the Siri remote – which now also gets Find My support to prevent it from getting lost.

Much like the Apple HomeView, the new Apple TV 4K can also tap into a user’s personal context if their Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone is nearby, the company said.

The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K will launch in Australia on 13 November for $449.

Apple’s updated HomePod mini 2 comes in new colours, supports four-speaker surround sound when paired with other HomePods, and will get Siri AI integration “in a future software update”, Apple said.

The device will launch in Australia on 30 October for $229.

Apple’s other big October launch – its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo – is scheduled to take place a week earlier, on 23 October.

The company is also rumoured to be preparing to announce its first touch-screen MacBook laptop and a new iPad mini in late October.