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Apple held a smart home event introducing the HomeView smart display, a fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, and a refreshed HomePod mini, according to discussion on 9to5Mac's Happy Hour podcast. Hosts Benjamin Mayo and Chance Miller also noted the new Apple TV's high price and shared their first impressions of the devices.
Apple is set to release the iPhone Duo on October 23, HomePod mini 2 on October 30, and new Macs with an OLED iPad mini around November 6, followed by HomeView and Apple TV 4K on November 13, according to analyst Mark Gurman. Gurman says Apple stores will undergo a major floor reset the evening of November 5 into November 6 to accommodate the new Mac and iPad mini launches.
Apple unveiled a Home Collection of smart devices including a HomeView panel, HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K, and nine accessories ranging from $40 sensors to $400 security cameras. A ZDNET reviewer, evaluating the lineup from a renter's perspective, singled out LG's $200 Indoor Cam as a standout pick due to its lamp-like design, automatic privacy mode, and lack of wall-mounting requirement.
Apple opened pre-orders this week for its new Apple TV 4K and HomeView devices, officially launching November 13. However, Apple Store delivery estimates have already pushed into later November for many configurations, though in-store pickup and some Amazon orders still show launch-day availability.
Apple told 9to5Mac that the new Siri AI features will be exclusive to the HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later), not the original HomePod mini. This came after a CNET report mistakenly claimed the S5-powered original HomePod mini would gain Siri AI compatibility via iOS 27.2 later this year; CNET has since corrected that story.
Apple confirmed that its upcoming Siri AI features, part of Apple Intelligence, will extend beyond its new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini 2 to older second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K models and existing HomePod Minis. The update is expected later this year via a TVOS 27.2 beta, rolling out first in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK in English.
Apple announced a new Apple TV 4K on Tuesday, cutting the cheaper 64GB Wi-Fi-only model and raising the price of the sole remaining 128GB Wi-Fi/Ethernet version to $300. The update adds a faster chip, Find My support for the remote, built-in far-field microphones for Siri, a dedicated AV1 decoder for higher-quality streaming, and the ability to pair HomePod 2 and HomePod Mini 2 speakers into a surround sound setup.
Apple confirmed its updated Siri Remote, which adds Find My support and a built-in speaker, is compatible with every Apple TV released since the Apple TV HD, not just the new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. The remote sells standalone for $59 and ships November 13th alongside the new Apple TV 4K.
Apple revealed the second-generation HomePod mini at its Welcome Home event, alongside new Apple TV 4K, a HomeView smart-home hub, and Apple Home smart accessories. The speaker keeps a similar design to its predecessor but adds a new lighting feature called Sound Glow and will later gain an upgraded Siri AI via software update in eight countries including the US and UK. It can function alone or link with up to three other units for multi-room audio, and works with Apple Intelligence-enabled devices to handle simple contextual tasks.
Apple's new Apple TV 4K replaces the 2022 model's A15 Bionic chip with an A19, which Apple says is up to 50 percent faster at CPU tasks and twice as fast at graphics, alongside doubled RAM, AV1 decoding, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The box now has three built-in mics for hands-free Siri, and a new $59 remote adds Precision Finding for compatible iPhones. The system also now supports four HomePods as a surround setup, up from the previous two-speaker stereo limit.
Apple introduced the HomeView smart display, a new Apple TV 4K with an A19 chip, and an updated Siri Remote, all now available for pre-order on Amazon ahead of their November 13 release. HomeView is a 7-inch touchscreen with facial recognition, Siri AI, and a Center Stage camera, priced at $299, matching the new Apple TV 4K's price, while the redesigned Siri Remote sells separately for $59.
Apple released developer and public firmware betas, build number 9B5043a, for several AirPods models including AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3. The rollout coincided with developer beta 4 of macOS 27.2, iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, and other OS updates. Apple has not disclosed what changes or fixes the new firmware contains.