Apple HomeView: New smart home gadgets presented, not all of them come to the EU

After years of half-hearted attempts, Apple is making an all-out strike. At an event in New York, the iPhone company presented its concept for a smart home based entirely on its products. This includes the second generation of the smart speaker HomePod mini, a new version of the Apple TV 4K streaming box and the so-called Apple Home Collection. These are a series of surveillance cameras, smart door locks and radiator thermostats that the company developed together with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric and which are also offered under their names.

You can use the device to listen to music and watch videos, make video calls thanks to the built-in camera, and, above all, control smart home devices. Or you can simply use it as a kitchen or wall clock, the dials are reminiscent of those on an Apple Watch. In keeping with the times, the screen is designed as a touchscreen, so you can control everything with the touch of a finger. Above all, the HomeView and the devices linked to it should be able to be controlled by voice, i.e. with the help of Apple's new AI assistance function Siri AI.

Trouble with the EU Commission

That is exactly the reason why Apple specifies euro prices for the HomePod mini 2 and the fourth generation Apple TV 4K, but not for the HomeView and the accessories supplied by Schneider and LG. Because Apple is still in dispute with the EU Commission over the introduction of Siri AI. Apple itself writes in the small print: »Apple HomeView is not offered for sale in the European Union because Siri AI is currently not available on iOS in the EU. “Apple is working constructively with the EU to find a solution.”

The commission has classified Apple's iPhones as so-called gatekeepers because of their widespread use. It calls on the company to give other manufacturers' AI systems on its smartphones the same options and access rights as Siri AI. Apple, however, is reluctant to do so, arguing that opening up its operating system in this way is too dangerous and that malfunctions could be caused by external influences. This is part of Apple's mantra that only its closed system offers users comprehensive security and privacy protection. Critics refer to this as a “golden cage”.