Apple introduced this Tuesday (13) the HomeView, its first home device with a smart screen and the new Siri based on artificial intelligence. With an initial price of US$ 299, the device starts reaching consumers on November 13, but will not initially be sold in the European Union due to the unavailability of Siri AI in the region.
Equipped with a 7-inch Liquid Retina display, the HomeView combines music playback, FaceTime calls, management of connected devices and home monitoring. The product comes in two versions, one for tabletops and another for wall mounting, both at the same price in the United States.
The new interface allows viewing up to nine security cameras simultaneously, controlling locks, lighting, thermostats and blinds. The device also recognizes up to six residents by facial recognition, displaying a personalized home screen for each person, with individual apps, appointments and messages.
Apple states that personal information only appears when the system identifies the authorized user and their paired iPhone or iPad is present and has been unlocked recently. The processing of sensitive data uses protected areas of the A18 chip, while certain Siri requests may use the Private Cloud Compute infrastructure.
New Siri will have conditional features and usage limits
The main new feature is in Siri AI, developed to hold more natural conversations, answer questions on different subjects and understand information displayed on the screen.
However, the most personalized features require an iPhone or iPad compatible with Apple Intelligence. This integration allows checking messages, appointments and app information, in addition to performing certain actions on behalf of the user.
Without a compatible device, the HomeView will still be able to use Siri AI for conversations, general questions and music discovery, but will not have access to the same personal context features.
There is also an important commercial condition: the new assistant debuts in beta version, and certain AI features that depend on server processing will have daily usage limits. Apple confirmed that it will offer expanded access for a fee in the future, without disclosing prices or a date for that charge.
Geographic availability will also be restricted. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa are part of the initial group of markets, with Siri AI operating in English. Support for Canadian French is planned for a later update.
In the European Union, the company attributes the absence of the HomeView to the unavailability of Siri AI on iOS and states that it is working to find a solution. There is no official forecast for a launch in the European bloc.
Orders began on October 13 in most of the announced markets, while Singapore starts pre-sale on the 15th. The two versions arrive on November 13, although the wall mounts are sold separately, with prices in the United States starting at US$ 59.95.
