IT之家 On October 21, news: In an interview with tech media The Verge earlier this month, Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Home Product Marketing Kaiann Drance said that the company's first smart home hub, HomeView, is not merely a stack of features.Its "killer feature" is the minimalist experience and Siri AI.
Therence said that by assisting Siri AI, HomeView can integrate home devices with everyday tasks in "ways never before possible." Apple's vice president of AI product marketing, Lilian Rincon, further explained that users can issue instructions in a way closer to everyday speech, without having to memorize fixed commands or complicated operation paths, and can make requests naturally, such as adjusting the thermostat temperature.
IT之家 cited the blog post as introducing that, with iPhone、iPad By comparison, HomeView's core value lies in being "always available." It stays fixed in the same spot at home, continuously powered and requiring no unlocking, so family members can simply walk up to control lights, air conditioning, security cameras, or check schedules; it can also serve as an Apple Home control hub and, for the first time, supports convenient multi-user switching.
Rincon emphasized that Apple does not want Siri to become an AI companion that "chats for the sake of chatting." She noted that many voice assistants keep pressing users for more information, whereas Siri AI's goal is to understand the need, directly carry out the task, display the necessary information, and then "get out of the user's sight."
However, HomeView also faces some practical limitations. The device is not expected to officially ship until November 13, 2026; it has a smaller screen and cannot run apps directly, so watching content such as Apple TV still requires using AirPlay through an iPhone. There are reports that Apple is already developing a follow-up version with a larger display.