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Apple introduced the HomeView smart home hub and a new Apple TV 4K, both priced at $299. The company cites rising chip costs due to AI demand as a factor in the price increase.
Apple has introduced two new hardware products for the home: the Apple HomeView smart home hub and a new generation of the Apple TV 4K. Both devices are priced at $299 (U.S.), a significant increase from previous models. The launch, announced on October 13, 2026, integrates Apple’s latest AI capabilities, referred to by the company as Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence.
The Apple HomeView is a 7-inch Liquid Retina display device designed for tabletop or wall mounting. It features a custom acoustic system with two full-range drivers and a down-firing woofer. The device uses facial recognition to identify up to six users, providing personalized access to Messages, FaceTime, Calendar, and Reminders.
According to Apple, the HomeView is powered by the A18 chip and includes "Secure Exclaves," which are protected runtimes for processing camera and microphone data. The company states that data processed in these exclaves "cannot be accessed by the HomeView software, apps, the user, or Apple."
The HomeView is available in silver, starlight, rose pink, and space gray. Pre-orders began on October 13, 2026, with availability starting November 13, 2026. The wall-mounted version requires separate mounts from Schneider Home, priced between $59.95 and $129.95. Apple notes that the HomeView is not available for sale in the European Union because Siri AI is currently unavailable in iOS in that region.
The new Apple TV 4K is also priced at $299. This represents a substantial increase from the 2022 model, which started at $129. The 2022 model with 128GB of storage and ethernet cost $149 at launch, though Apple later raised that price to $249.
In a statement shared with MacRumors, Apple attributed the price hike to the "AI boom," explaining that data centers are purchasing large amounts of memory and storage, causing chip prices to spike. Apple said it could no longer absorb these costs.
The new Apple TV 4K includes three built-in microphones, allowing for hands-free interaction without a remote. It supports Siri AI, which Apple describes as "profoundly more capable and conversational." The device can drive a surround sound setup, but only when paired with four HomePod mini 2 or second-generation HomePod speakers.
Both the HomeView and the new Apple TV 4K feature Siri AI, which Apple says is an "entirely new version of Siri." The assistant offers onscreen awareness and can draw on personal context from paired Apple Intelligence-enabled devices, such as an iPhone or iPad.
Siri AI is currently in beta. It will be available on the 2021 and 2022 Apple TV 4K models via the tvOS 27.2 software update. It is not available for the 2017 Apple TV 4K or the older Apple TV HD. For the new Apple TV 4K, the home owner must have an iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence to use certain features, and Apple caps the frequency of some feature uses per day.
The launch marks a strategic shift in Apple’s home hardware lineup, consolidating entertainment and smart home control into devices with higher price points. The $299 price tag for the Apple TV 4K, double the starting price of its 2022 predecessor, reflects broader industry trends where AI infrastructure demand is impacting component costs. The exclusion of the EU from the HomeView launch highlights ongoing regulatory challenges regarding AI features in that region.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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