Apple's HomeView: A $299 Smart Display With Siri AI (Not in the EU)

Apple has announced HomeView, a smart display for the kitchen counter or the wall. It costs $299 for either version, pre-orders opened on October 13, and it ships November 13.

What’s new:

• A tilting 7-inch touchscreen and an A18 chip
• Siri AI built in, so you can start a conversation on HomeView and pick it up on another Apple device
• Face recognition for up to six people, switching to each person’s notifications and calendar
• Recipes, music and FaceTime, with some tasks handed off from an iPhone

English support at launch covers the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.

The catch: HomeView will not launch in the European Union. MacRumors reports Apple says the reason is that Siri AI is not yet available on iOS there, and Apple says it is working with the EU on a way forward, with no timeline. Much of the device’s value depends on Siri AI, so expect it to be only as good as that assistant.

Try it: If you already live in the Apple ecosystem, compare it with a HomePod or Apple TV before pre-ordering.