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Apple HomeView Skips EU Launch Over Siri AI Restrictions

By Published Updated
6 sources tracking this story
Apple AI Assistants Consumer ai-business

TL;DR

  • HomeView ships November 13 at $299 with an A18 chip and facial recognition for up to six users, each getting a personalized home screen.
  • HomePod Mini 2 launches October 30 at $149, up $50 from 2020, with the S10 chip and a Sound Glow visual light feature.
  • Siri AI on HomePod Mini 2 arrives via future update with no date given, meaning launch buyers receive the hardware without the headline capability.

Apple said on October 13 that its new $299 HomeView smart display will not be sold in the European Union, citing the continued unavailability of Siri AI on iOS in the region. The hub goes on sale November 13 in eight English-language markets — Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and the US — according to MacRumors.

The language on Apple's product page is blunt: "Apple HomeView is not available for sale in the European Union, as Siri AI is currently unavailable in iOS in the EU." The $149 HomePod mini 2 and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K carry an identical footnote, noting Siri AI "will not be initially available in the EU in iOS or iPadOS." Apple said it is "working constructively with the EU in an attempt to find a path forward," without giving a timeline.

This is our second HomeView alert on the Apple tracker this week, after earlier reporting on the November ship window, and the first time an Apple hardware launch has been pulled from the EU because of the Siri AI gap rather than just a software feature being withheld.

What others are reporting

Coverage cluster as of 2h after publish

  1. Bloomberg Read →

    Bloomberg's URL and headline confirm coverage of HomeView, Apple TV 4K, and HomePod Mini 2 together, framing this as a coordinated platform push rather than isolated product launches.

  2. CNBC Read →

    CNBC's headline frames HomeView primarily as a Siri AI showcase device, centering the story on AI demonstration value over smart home utility or the EU restriction angle.

  3. TechCrunch Read →

    Focuses on HomePod Mini 2's $50 price hike from 2020, S10 chip acoustic improvements, the Sound Glow visual feature, and Siri AI arriving via future update with no date given.

    The $149 update is $50 more expensive than the original version launched over six years ago in 2020.
  4. Yahoo Finance Read →

    Provides CEO John Ternus framing: HomeView is his signature hardware-and-design pivot to recover smart home ground Apple ceded to Google and Amazon.

    HomeView can recognize up to six household users via facial recognition and serve up their specific apps, notifications, and more.
  5. iDropNews Read →

    Details two hardware form factors, tabletop and wall-mount, plus A18 chip specs, positioning HomeView as the personalized shared-screen Apple never shipped as an iPad.

    It recognizes your face to shift from a household screen to your own experience.

Originally reported by macrumors.com

Read the original article →

Original headline: Apple Unveils $299 HomeView and $149 HomePod Mini 2, Keeps Siri AI Hub Out of EU