On October 19, Beijing time, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman revealed that Apple’s smart home hub, HomeView, has finally been released, though its development was completed long ago. The device languished in warehouses for an extended period, awaiting the rollout of a new, more functional version of Siri. By the time it was released, the hardware was already showing signs of becoming outdated. Originally slated for a late 2024 launch, HomeView faced repeated delays due to an AI crisis and setbacks in Siri’s development, only now making its official debut.

HomeView is built around the new iteration of Siri, designed to access users’ personal content, recognize family members, and prioritize voice control as its core functionality. Its hardware features a thick-screen bezel, an A18 processor, and 8GB of memory—specifications that were finalized and boxed up over six months ago, only to gather dust in storage.

Despite the delay, HomeView is priced competitively at $299, offering good value for its capabilities. Additionally, Apple is reportedly working on a premium version equipped with a robotic arm, signaling its ambition to expand the device’s functionality and appeal.