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A smart home hub with a screen, a new HomePod mini, a new Apple TV 4K, and its own line of accessories: Apple revamped its product range on October 13th. However, less of this remains for Germany than the list might suggest. Two devices are coming here, two are not.
Since the end of September, October 13th had been rumored as the date for Apple's relaunch of its smart home technology; on October 8th, Apple officially announced it under the motto "Welcome home." Whether there would be a traditional presentation remained uncertain until the very last minute, but the new type of device strongly suggested a keynote address.
Apple unveiled four new products: the HomeView smart home hub, the Apple Home Collection with accessories from LG and Schneider Electric, the HomePod mini 2, and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. HomeView, HomePod mini 2, and Apple TV 4K are available for pre-order starting today, provided Apple offers them in the respective country. The Home Collection will follow in December, with individual devices not available until early 2027.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Apple does not sell HomeView, the smart home hub with a 7-inch display, in the EU.
- The Apple Home Collection is only available in the USA, Canada and parts of the UK.
- The HomePod mini 2 costs 169 euros in Germany and will be available from October 30th.
- The Apple TV 4K with A19 costs 349 euros in Germany and will be available from November 13th.
- Siri AI does not speak German on any of the new devices.
All new products at a glance
| Device | Price in Germany | Price USA | Available | In Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HomeView | – | $299 | November 13 | no |
| Apple Home Collection | – | from $39.95 | from December, partly from the beginning of 2027 | no |
| HomePod mini 2 | 169 euros | $149 | October 30 | Yes |
| Apple TV 4K (4th generation) | 349 euros | $299 | November 13 | Yes |
HomeView: the central hub that doesn't arrive here
HomeView combines a 7-inch display with a speaker stand, available as a tabletop model in four colors and as a wall-mounted model in two. A camera recognizes up to six people and displays individual content to each; it is primarily controlled via Siri AI. The November 13th release date coincides with the mid-November launch that Bloomberg recently mentioned.
Apple does not sell the device in the EU because Siri AI is not available on iOS in the EU. HomeView is only offered in the eight countries where Siri AI runs in English.
Apple Home Collection: Accessories for three countries
Cameras, a video doorbell, a lock, two thermostats, and temperature sensors comprise the Apple Home Collection. Apple developed the devices in collaboration with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, and they are sold in the Apple Store. Setup is done with a single tap on the iPhone; no additional app is required.
The series starts in December, but only in the USA, Canada and, in the case of cameras and doorbells, also in Great Britain.
HomePod mini 2: new colors, more sound
The HomePod mini 2 has the S10 chip, comes in pink, green, blue, white, and midnight, and features a light effect on its top that pulses to the beat of the music. It functions as a speaker when connected to a Mac, provided the Mac has Wi-Fi 6E or later.
Siri AI will only arrive via an update and only in English in eight countries. Siri AI isn't even mentioned in the German announcement; instead, the price of the HomePod mini 2 has increased by €30 compared to its predecessor.
Apple TV 4K: A19 chip and microphones that understand German
The new Apple TV 4K is powered by the A19 chip. Three far-field microphones allow Siri to be used without a remote, and German is explicitly listed as a supported language. The new Siri Remote can be located in "Find My." Siri AI is not mentioned in the German press release for the Apple TV 4K.
At €349, the new Apple TV 4K is significantly more expensive than the previous model, which most recently cost €229 and €299.
Surround sound from four speakers
The real innovation for living rooms lies in the combination: the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K and four speakers create, for the first time, surround sound that automatically calibrates itself to the room. This feature was already demonstrated in the second beta of tvOS 27.2, though at that time it was still compatible with the third-generation Apple TV 4K.
There must be a pair of the same model at the front and another pair at the back. This means you can have four HomePod mini 2s, four second-generation HomePods, or one pair of HomePods at the front with one pair of HomePod mini 2s at the back. Older HomePod mini models and the first-generation HomePod are not compatible.
What has shifted compared to expectations
In early October, boxes arrived at Apple Stores with an embargo period ending on October 8th, leading to speculation that October 13th might be the start date for sales. However, only pre-orders began on October 13th; the first devices were available in stores on October 30th.
The Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini were last slated for a joint release on October 30th. This only applies to the HomePod mini 2; the Apple TV 4K will follow on November 13th along with HomeView. The A19 chip was also hinted at in the code of tvOS 27.2, as was a foundation for Apple Intelligence on the Apple TV.
A smart home day with the rest of Germany
I believe October 13th marks Apple's most serious foray into the smart home market to date. For the first time, the hub, accessories, speakers, and Apple TV will visibly integrate, and setting up accessories entirely without a manufacturer's app is the right approach.
For Germany, only a portion of the new offerings remain. The two devices that embody the new concept, Home View and the Home Collection, will not be available. The HomePod mini 2 primarily brings new colors and sound, while the Apple TV 4K focuses on speed, microphones with German language support, and surround sound. Those specifically looking to create a surround sound experience will still get the essentials in Germany, as this exact combination is available here. Therefore, the HomePod and Apple TV will remain the control centers for Apple Home in Germany.
Which of the four new products would you have been most likely to buy if they were all available in this country – and are you satisfied with what's actually being released? Let us know in the comments what ends up in your shopping cart.
