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Apple's smart home hub was originally slated for release in early 2025, but it will now begin shipping on November 13, 2026. Two Apple executives have now explained what went wrong in the interim. Their explanation also clarifies why the device isn't available in this country.
Apple unveiled HomeView on October 13th, as both a desktop and wall-mounted model, each priced at $299. Prior to its launch, Kaiann Drance, Apple's Vice President of Product Marketing for Home, and Lilian Rincon, Vice President of Product Marketing for AI, spoke with The Verge about the device.
The focus is not on the screen or the camera, but on Siri AI. This is precisely what had held up the project for more than a year and a half.
Key Facts at a Glance
- According to Kaiann Drance, HomeView only comes together with Siri AI in a way that Apple couldn't deliver before.
- Lilian Rincon points out that this allows the home to be controlled in natural language, even by less tech-savvy family members.
- The device was originally planned for early 2025 and was hampered by the delayed AI features.
- HomeView is not launching in the EU because Siri AI is missing on the iPhone there.
- Siri AI runs on iPhones in Switzerland, but HomeView still doesn't start there.
What Apple is saying now
Drance presents Siri AI and the personal context—that is, the assistant's access to appointments, messages, and other personal data—as the core of the device. Apple sees this as a promise of data privacy. They explain the connection as follows:
With the magic of Siri AI, it all comes together in a way we haven't been able to deliver before.
Rincon describes Siri AI as significantly more powerful than the previous version. She cites heating as an example:
It's great because you can simply and naturally ask them to change the temperature on the thermostat.
This is aimed not only at technology enthusiasts, but also at the mother-in-law or the student from Generation Z.
A device that was waiting for its software
These statements align with the previous information. Back in March 2025, it was said that the device would have to wait for the delayed AI features and iOS 19 because it was heavily reliant on the new Siri functions. The hardware, however, was not considered a problem.
Neither manager explicitly mentions Siri AI as the reason for the delays. However, their statements all point to the same conclusion: Without Siri AI, HomeView would not have been able to deliver what Apple intended.
Why the device is missing in this country
This same dependency explains the launch date in Europe. Home View is launching outside the EU, with Apple justifying this by stating that Siri AI is currently unavailable on iOS in the EU. If Siri AI is the core of the device, as Drance describes it, this core is missing on the iPhone without Siri AI.
Switzerland is a different story. Siri AI is already running on iPhones there, but it's not among the eight launch countries. On HomeView, Siri AI initially only speaks English; French for Canada is expected to follow via an update, but Apple hasn't mentioned German.
| Country | Siri AI on the iPhone | HomeView to start |
|---|---|---|
| Germany, Austria | no | no |
| Switzerland | Yes | no |
| USA, Great Britain, Canada, etc. | Yes | Yes, from November 13th. |
Language as a second hurdle
I believe language is the bigger obstacle for the German-speaking market. Even if Siri AI launches on EU iPhones, a device that, according to Apple, relies on conversation with the assistant, remains largely useless without German voice output. Switzerland is already demonstrating that the EU issue alone is not enough.
Would you buy HomeView if it was initially only available in English in this country – or is German a must for you? Let us know in the comments what makes the difference for you.
