Apple HomeView Without an App Store? Then I Will Not Buy It, in My Opinion

I wanted this home hub for months. I have four HomePod minis, smart bulbs and a smart TV at home, and in my last article about the Apple Welcome Home event I wrote that I was excited and worried at the same time.

Now, one day before the event, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, as reported by 9to5Mac, gave us the name and a few details. The hub will be called Apple HomeView. It will be announced on Tuesday, October 13, but it probably will not be in stores until the middle of November. It runs on an A18 chip, it looks like the iMac G4 with a floating display on a speaker base, and there is also a version for the wall. And one detail changed everything for me: according to the report, Apple HomeView will not have an App Store.

In this article: HomeView, not HomePad: a nice surprise · Shown tomorrow, sold in a month: the same as iPhone Duo · No App Store on Apple HomeView? For me, that is greed · I wanted this hub. If it is confirmed, I will not buy it · An A18 chip from 2024? That does not bother me at all · HomePod mini 2: S10, Siri AI and finally Wi-Fi 7 · Will I replace my four HomePod minis? · Four colors: Apple did this well · What Apple must show tomorrow · FAQ

HomeView, not HomePad: a nice surprise

Do I like the name? Yes, why not. If it really works the way the name says, so you “view” everything from across the room, it fits. It was a surprise, but a nice surprise.

And I think Apple did it on purpose, so people do not confuse it with the iPad. “HomePad” sounded like a small iPad for the kitchen. I lean more to that explanation.

Shown tomorrow, sold in a month: the same as iPhone Duo

Apple did the same with the iPhone Duo. They show a new product, open pre-orders, and they get to know how it will sell. They do the presentation, the wow effect, and then they have a few more weeks for even stronger marketing.

When I look at it from that angle, showing it now and selling it a month later makes sense. It is more about the business model, and I will say it is not bad. They have it well thought out.

No App Store on Apple HomeView? For me, that is greed

This is the part that really bothers me. It feels a bit like they are fooling us. So we will not be able to put our favorite apps on it. Apple sells us a device on which it then wants to make money only with its own apps, like Apple Music, Apple TV and so on.

That is sad, and honestly, it annoys me. In my opinion, it is greed from Apple’s side. How is it possible that I buy something from you, and I cannot choose which apps I want to put on it?

So my favorite Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+ will not be there. I like Apple TV, but not so much that in my kitchen I will play only Apple TV. No. And once more, no.

To be fair: according to the report, it may be possible to project widgets from third-party apps from a nearby iPhone. But a widget is not an app. And Apple has not confirmed anything yet. We will know more tomorrow.

I wanted this hub. If it is confirmed, I will not buy it

You may remember how much I wanted this hub for my smart home. I wrote about it again and again, from the LG doorbell and lock to the event itself.

So I can say for sure: if it is confirmed that only Apple apps will be there, then even if Apple HomeView is completely mega good, I will definitely not buy it. I do not like it when a company wants to make money on me with that much greed. No, thank you.

An A18 chip from 2024? That does not bother me at all

Some people will say an A18, the chip from the iPhone 16, is old for a new product. It does not bother me at all. Apple’s chips are super, even the older models. They are fast and they work well. For a home hub, I do not see any problem there.

HomePod mini 2: S10, Siri AI and finally Wi-Fi 7

According to the same report, HomePod mini 2 comes on October 30, together with the new Apple TV 4K. It gets the S10 chip instead of the S5, Siri AI as the first Apple home product, Apple’s N1 chip for Thread and Matter, and Wi-Fi 7. The current model has only Wi-Fi 4. New colors too: pink, green and blue, next to midnight and white. The current HomePod mini already went up from $99 to $129 in June.

Wi-Fi 4 surprised me. And I think I can feel it. In the last year, maybe two, pairing all four of my HomePod minis together is sometimes hard, and one of them almost drops out. Sometimes I thought about it: maybe the problem really is the Wi-Fi. Maybe it is just my feeling. But I hope that with the new Wi-Fi, they will work faster and more stable.

Will I replace my four HomePod minis?

Maybe it is time. But I will see what new things they really bring. If it is just a few minor changes, then maybe not. As speakers for music, the old ones are still good. Only Siri AI could be the reason. Maybe yes, maybe no.

We more or less know what the mini can do, and even from the mini we always expect one thing: it stays a speaker. So we will see what they show tomorrow, and for what price they will sell it. Earlier I also wrote about the HomePod surround sound and party mode that could come with it.

Four colors: Apple did this well

Apple HomeView with a speaker base reportedly comes in space gray, silver, starlight and pink. The wall version only in silver or space gray.

How should I say it, it has its place. We all have different taste and a different interior at home. I support as many colors as possible, exactly for things like this, so everyone can choose according to their home. Apple did this well.

What Apple must show tomorrow

Sadly, for me, if it is confirmed that Apple HomeView gives us only Apple’s own apps, Apple does not have to show anything. I will definitely not buy it. I do not want anyone to tell me what I should use in my gadgets, even if it is a smart hub.

And if Apple surprises me and opens it to other apps? Then we can talk again. I will watch the event tomorrow, and I will tell you right after.

Featured photo: SimonWaldherr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Apple HomeView: FAQ

What is Apple HomeView?

Apple HomeView is the reported name of Apple’s smart home hub, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. It has a display that floats on a speaker base, like the iMac G4, and a wall-mounted version. Siri AI is the center of the experience.

When will Apple HomeView be released?

Apple is expected to announce it on October 13, 2026, but according to Bloomberg it will probably go on sale only in mid-November.

Will Apple HomeView have an App Store?

According to Bloomberg’s report, no. It will run Apple’s own apps, and users may be able to project third-party app widgets from a nearby iPhone. Apple has not confirmed this yet.

What chip does Apple HomeView use?

According to Bloomberg, Apple HomeView uses the A18 chip.

When is HomePod mini 2 coming and what is new?

HomePod mini 2 is expected on October 30, 2026, with the S10 chip, Siri AI, Apple’s N1 chip for Thread and Matter, Wi-Fi 7 and new pink, green and blue colors. The current HomePod mini costs $129.

Sources: 9to5Mac, Bloomberg (Mark Gurman).

Our Take

Apple HomeView is a nice name, and showing it now and selling it in November is a smart business plan.

But no App Store, if it is confirmed, is greed in my opinion. No Netflix, no Prime Video, no Disney+ in my kitchen? Then I will not buy it, no matter how good it is.

HomePod mini 2 with Wi-Fi 7 and Siri AI could finally fix my four speakers. I will decide after the price.