Apple holds 'Welcome Home' smart home event on October 13, launches HomeView hub and HomePod mini 2

Apple held its Welcome Home smart home launch event in New York on October 13 US local time, officially unveiling its first smart home hub HomeView, the second-generation HomePod mini, and a refreshed Apple TV 4K, along with an Apple Home Collection accessory line co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. HomeView pairs a 7-inch square Liquid Retina touchscreen with an A18 chip and a next-generation Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, serving as a smart-home control panel, camera monitor, thermostat interface and lock controller; both the desktop and wall-mount versions are priced at $299 (about 2,001 RMB) and opened for pre-order in the US, UK, Canada and Australia on October 13, with shipping on November 13. HomePod mini 2 is the first update in six years and ships with the new Siri and Apple Intelligence; the China edition is priced at 1,099 RMB and goes on sale October 30. The first batch of 12 Apple Home Collection accessories, covering cameras, thermostats, smart doorbells and locks, is priced $189-399 and starts shipping in December. Apple's stock hit an all-time intraday and closing high the same day, pushing market cap above $5 trillion.