Apple launches HomeView smart hub, new Apple TV 4K, and HomePod mini 2 at its October event
Apple's first two-event October in years puts the living room, not the pocket, in the spotlight.
Apple held its long-teased 'Welcome home' event on October 13 in New York, unveiling a trio of connected-living devices: the Apple HomeView smart display hub, a refreshed Apple TV 4K, and an updated HomePod mini that is now priced at $149 after the original's recent price cut. It is a notable first for the company to split a single month into two distinct launch events, with a second presentation reported for around October 27 focused on new Macs and an OLED iPad mini.
What the HomeView hub actually is
The centerpiece is the HomeView, a squarish smart display with roughly a 7-inch screen priced at $299. Apple's promotional film, 'Welcome Apple HomeView: Designed for life at home', frames it as a permanent fixture of the living room rather than a portable gadget. The screen is intended to control smart home products, stream music, make video calls, and serve as a hub for HomeKit accessories, effectively becoming the default control surface for Apple Home in a way the original iPad-anchored setup never quite managed.
The pricing matters as much as the form factor. At $299, the HomeView sits meaningfully below the cost of buying an iPad solely for HomeKit control, and directly above traditional smart display competitors such as Echo Show-class devices. Apple is betting that the HomeView's integration with HomeKit Secure Video, UWB-based Home Key accessories, and Siri AI workflows justifies a premium over generic Android-based smart displays.
Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 get quieter upgrades
The refreshed Apple TV 4K receives a meaningfully upgraded chip and more memory, with reports pointing to an A19 or A19 Pro paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, though a separate claim of an A20 Pro remains unresolved as of this writing. Regardless of the exact silicon, the new set-top box is expected to carry Apple's N1 wireless networking chip, bringing Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support to the device for the first time, and to ship with the full Siri AI experience enabled. Thread support is the headline: Apple TV becomes the first Thread-capable product in the streaming box category, giving it a direct role as a Thread border router for Matter smart home accessories and closing a long-standing gap in how the Apple TV integrates with the broader smart home mesh, rather than merely sitting on the outside of it.
The HomePod mini 2, also announced October 13, is priced at $149 in the US, a $20 premium over the original HomePod mini's recently reduced price. Early hands-on coverage highlights faster chips and new color options. Notably, a new full-size HomePod with Siri AI is not part of the October 13 lineup, though Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports it is still 'coming eventually.'
Context: why Apple doubled up in October
Holding two product events in one month is unusual for Apple and signals a crowded hardware pipeline. The October 13 event is framed entirely around the home, while the reported October 27 event shifts focus to Macs and an OLED iPad mini featuring an A20 Pro chip, a landscape front camera, and a redesigned speaker system. MacRumors also reports a first foldable iPhone with a book-style design and minimal crease arriving later this year, rounding out what is shaping up to be Apple's most dense hardware year in several years.
If you are invested in Apple's smart home ecosystem, the HomeView at $299 offers the first dedicated, always-on control surface that does not require repurposing an iPad. Buyers of the current HomePod mini or Apple TV 4K should wait — the new versions at $149 and similar pricing land soon, and the Apple TV 4K's N1 chip makes it the first Thread-capable set-top box in the lineup, a genuine upgrade for Matter and HomeKit owners. The HomeView is the pick for anyone who wants a living-room hub without sacrificing an iPad. Those waiting for a full-size HomePod with Siri AI will need patience; it is not part of this month's announcement, and the October 27 event will tell us whether the OLED iPad mini and new Macs follow in the next few weeks.
Sources: MacRumors: Apple's October 13 Launch: What's Coming; Tech-Insider: Apple Sets 2 October Events for 3-Device Home Push; MacDailyNews: Second October product launch expected as Apple lines up more late-month hardware.
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