Apple HomeView hub skips App Store and leans on Siri control

Apple is building a new smart home centerpiece called HomeView, and details circulating ahead of its big event on Oct. 13 paint a picture more focused on voice than apps. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that HomeView will not have an App Store. Instead, it will operate with a small lineup of Apple-made apps and place Siri and connected devices front and center. The idea is to keep the experience simple: glance at a screen when you want to see something, but mostly talk to it for day-to-day control.

HomeView is described as one piece of a broader push to catch up in the smart home. Apple has reportedly spent years trying to close the gap with rivals by expanding its own hardware ecosystem and making it easier to control the home with Apple devices. The plan ties into other refreshed hardware in the same lineup, including a new Apple TV and a new HomePod mini. LG is said to be building accessories that will work with HomeView as part of what’s being termed the “Apple Home Collection.”

According to Gurman, the HomeView display itself will come in two form factors: a countertop model with a metal speaker base and a wall-mounted version. Color options for the countertop version are listed as space gray, silver, starlight and pink, while the wall-mounted variant will come in space gray and silver. The device is said to run on an A18 chip, with the Apple TV updated to an A19 and the HomePod mini moving from an S5 to an S10. While the HomeView would be shipping in mid-November, the other devices are expected to hit stores on Oct. 30, with preorders for HomeView reportedly starting soon after the event.

Pricing details for the HomeView aren’t confirmed yet, and the Canadian price isn’t listed in the reports. If you’ve been hoping for a fully open app ecosystem on a smart home display, this setup may feel limiting; however, Apple’s strategy appears to prioritize a streamlined, Siri-first experience with interoperability across Apple’s own devices.

What this could mean for how you manage your smart home is simple: fewer apps on the screen, more voice commands, and a tighter bond between HomeView and the rest of Apple’s hardware. If you rely on a mix of third-party smart home gear, you’ll want to watch closely how well HomeView plays with non-Apple devices through Siri and the Home app, and which accessories will be officially compatible as part of the Apple Home Collection.

Apple’s new HomeView smart home hub won’t have an App Store. It will run a limited set of Apple apps, with Siri and connected accessories at the center of the experience — not third-party apps. More in Power On: https://t.co/8X27fWDnDC

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 11, 2026