Everything Apple Unveiled at Its “Welcome Home” Event

At its “Welcome Home” event today, Apple unveiled a slate of new smart home gadgets, including its first (and long-anticipated) smart home hub. The flagship introduction comes alongside much-needed updates to the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K, and a collection of new smart home and security accessories that arrive with […]

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Say hello to Apple HomeView, the latest 4K TV and HomePod Mini, and a host of new smart home gadgets.

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All news from Apple's "Welcome home" event

A news writer focused on creative industries, computing and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar covering hardware news and reviews.

At its "Welcome Home" event today, Apple unveiled a slew of new smart home gadgets, including its first (and highly anticipated) smart home hub. The flagship launch comes with much-needed updates to Apple's HomePod Mini and 4K TV devices, and a host of new smart home and security accessories designed in collaboration with trusted third-party manufacturers.

HomeView is Apple's first smart display

The screen can be used to display smart home control widgets, clock faces, photos, and more. Image: Apple

It really looks like the iMac G4 from this angle. I dig it. Image: Apple

HomeView is arguably the company's first major Apple Home launch since HomeKit was released in 2014. It gives you a dedicated screen to monitor and control compatible smart home gadgets. Security devices around your home — something Amazon and Google have long offered for their smart home platforms in the form of the Echo Show and Nest Hub devices.

The $299 HomeView is available in four colors: silver, starlight, rose pink, and space gray. The phone has a 7-inch square Liquid Retina display on a round speaker stand (or it can be wall-mounted), with a design similar to Apple's iMac G4 from 2002. The HomeView display can automatically adjust light levels to suit its surroundings and can dim the brightness by up to 0.3 nits so it can comfortably sit on your bedside table without blinding you at night. A 12-megapixel camera can be used for FaceTime calls and enables the device to recognize up to 6 different users – automatically adapting from a shared home screen to a personalized hub when the recognition features are activated.

Feature-wise, HomeView has all the typical smart home hub functionality you'd expect: you can manage lighting, thermostats and other smart device controls, and monitor live view of up to 9 security cameras. There are also some Apple-powered Siri AI features, such as personalized context and text descriptions for video feeds, but these features are accessed via iPhone connectivity. In fact, HomeView requires every user in a household to have an iPhone with the latest operating system, which may cause problems in mixed iOS/Android households or anyone with an older iPhone. Available for pre-order today, with availability from November 13.

The glitter ball is back, this time in more muted colors. Image: Apple

Ever since sparse details leaked out in September, we've been expecting Apple to release an updated version of its tiny Pod speaker, but now the update is official. The $149 HomePod Mini 2 is $50 more than its six-year-old predecessor and retains many of the same design features, but it's still cheaper than the larger second-generation HomePod, which launched in 2023 for $299. It has the same familiar ball shape, but with fewer color options than before: pink, blue, green, white, and midnight, which are in line with current iMac models.

The swirl of colorful lights on the top panel also makes a reappearance, but Apple has upgraded it with a "Sound Glow" feature that matches the light to the color of album art and other beautiful soundscape designs. The HomePod Mini 2 is powered by the same S10 chip as the Apple Watch Series 10, and supports WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 6, and both Thread and Matter. Siri AI support via a connected iPhone will come in a software update "at a later date," according to Apple.

It can be used as the default speaker for your Mac, and multiple speakers can be connected together to provide a surround sound experience: four HomePod Mini 2 speakers or two second-generation HomePods with two HomePod Mini 2. HomePod Mini 2 can also automatically calibrate with the new Apple TV 4K to sense where the devices are placed in the room and adjust the sound to best match the space. You can pre-order the new HomePod Mini 2 today and it will start shipping on October 30th.

The new Apple TV 4K comes with built-in microphones

The new Apple TV 4K hasn't changed much in its design, but it now comes with built-in microphones. Image: Apple

This is the fourth generation of Apple TV hardware, and it has some minor but appreciable improvements in quality of life compared to its predecessor, which was released in 2022. The new Apple TV 4K is $149 ($20 more than the 3rd generation at launch) and comes with four far-field microphones built into the set-top box — meaning it no longer tethers you to a VIP device. Satiety However, it doesn't respond out loud, so any responses are displayed as text on the screen.

You can also pair the new Apple TV 4K with a compatible iPhone to take advantage of Siri AI features, such as using a personal context to display a TV series recommended by a friend via text message, and asking the AI assistant to watch shows on Apple TV (the streaming service, not the device). If you lose your remote, you can ask Siri to locate it and play the sound using the Bluetooth channel sound. Pre-orders are available today and are expected to ship on November 13th.

Home Collection has LG and Schneider smart home gadgets

These smart home gadgets are made by partner companies, but they still have that "Apple" look to them. Image: Apple

Apple also introduced a new range of smart home hardware designed in collaboration with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The Apple Home collection includes several cameras from LG: a $199 indoor camera that automatically tilts down when you get home to provide privacy, a $299 outdoor security camera with optional motion-activated floodlights (which raises the price to $399), and a $249 video doorbell. These are all HomeKit Secure video cameras, meaning they can detect people, pets, packages and vehicles, and support Apple Intelligence features via a connected iPhone.

The set also includes an LG door lock and two thermostats – one from LG and one from Schneider. All of the devices listed use NFC and are designed to be easy to set up, similar to the AirPods pairing experience. Just approach them with your iPhone, follow the on-screen steps, and the device will automatically be added to your Home app. Apple hasn't mentioned a release date for the smart home gadget collection, only saying that it's "coming soon."

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