Apple's $299 HomeView Smart Display Takes Preorders, but Not in the European Union

Apple has finally built the screen for the kitchen counter. HomeView, announced on 13 October, is a seven-inch smart display on a domed speaker base that combines music, calls, camera monitoring and voice-controlled automations, and it costs $299 in the United States. Preorders opened the same day, with general availability on 13 November, according to Apple's newsroom.

The more telling detail is where it will not be sold. Apple says HomeView is unavailable in the European Union because Siri AI is not currently available there.

What does the Apple HomeView do?

The tabletop model comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray and has a 7-inch Liquid Retina display whose brightness runs from 500 nits down to 0.3 nits for night use. Two custom full-range drivers, a down-firing woofer and two passive radiators handle audio, with Spatial Audio and multiroom support. A wall-mounted version costs the same, and its Power Mount accessories start at $59.95, with a Power over Ethernet version arriving in early 2027.

The device recognises up to six people by face and gives each a personalised Home Screen. It supports FaceTime with Center Stage, Intercom, kitchen timers and recipe help, and a Home Camera view that shows up to nine feeds. With an iCloud+ subscription it adds camera recognition and video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video, and it can detect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sounds.

Why is HomeView not sold in the EU?

HomeView runs Siri AI, which Apple describes as English-only in the launch markets and in beta in the first software release. Personal context needs a paired iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence. Because Siri AI is not offered in the EU, 9to5Mac reports, the display is not sold there, and Apple says it is working constructively with the EU to find a way forward.