Apple launches 299 dollar HomeView smart display with facial recognition and new smart home lineup Apple unveiled the 299 dollar HomeView smart display with facial recognition, alongside an upgraded Apple TV 4K, a revamped HomePod mini, and new LG and Schneider Electric smart home accessories. Apple unveiled a 299 dollar smart home display on Tuesday that uses facial recognition and artificial intelligence to identify family members, escalating its battle with Amazon and Google for control of the connected home. The device, called HomeView, headlines a new lineup that includes an upgraded Apple TV 4K streaming box, a revamped HomePod mini speaker, and a collection of security cameras, door locks, and thermostats. HomeView will be available starting Nov. 13 and features a 7-inch Liquid Retina touchscreen with brightness ranging from 0.3 to 500 nits. It includes a built-in camera that can recognize up to six household members, automatically displaying their calendars, messages, and other personalized information.Avi Greengart Praises HomeView IntegrationThe device relies on Apple's upgraded Siri AI assistant to answer questions, manage daily tasks, and operate connected appliances. Avi Greengart, president and lead analyst at Techsponential, praised the new device's appearance and integration with Apple's other products. He told The Post: It's gorgeous. It's smaller than it looks in photos, and it ties very deeply into Apple's ecosystem.Greengart, who attended Tuesday's unveiling, also noted that if you've invested in Ring cameras, this probably isn't for you, and if you've invested in Android phones, this probably isn't for you. The display allows homeowners to monitor security cameras, adjust thermostats, control lighting, and communicate through FaceTime. Bloomberg reported that it will support Spotify and other outside media services through an interface based on Apple's CarPlay technology.HomeView reportedly runs on a new software called homeOS, a mashup of CarPlay, tvOS, and watchOS. It does not have an App Store, and Apple will decide which applications customers can enjoy. Apple says it has built-in privacy safeguards designed to keep household members from accessing one another's personal information. Users must have a compatible iPhone or iPad nearby that has recently been unlocked before sensitive data can appear.HomeView Recognition And Positioning OptionsThe display can be positioned at the center of the home or wall-mounted in spaces like the entryway or hallway. It is optionally attached to a stainless steel arm in an aluminum base that also houses a speaker, and it comes in four different colors. HomeView can recognize users by their faces and will adapt in real time whether it's you, your partner, your kids, or anyone else who's part of your Apple Account family.When an Apple Intelligence-capable device is nearby, HomeView can draw personal content from the Calendar, Messages, and other relevant information across apps. New owners will find familiar experiences with Messages, FaceTime, Calendar, Clock, Photos, Music, Podcasts, and other apps. The device is already available to pre-order for 299 dollars in the U.S., the UK, Australia, Canada, India, and New Zealand, with more countries being added later.At this moment, Apple says HomeView won't be available in the European Union as the company tries to work with the European Commission over Siri AI availability. Apple's HomeView carries a substantial premium over rival products, including Amazon's 179.99 dollar Echo Show 8 and Google's 99.99 dollar Nest Hub. Apple also introduced a 299 dollar 4K Apple TV featuring built-in microphones that allow users to issue hands-free Siri commands without reaching for the remote.Apple TV And HomePod Mini Pricing DetailsThe streaming device, scheduled for release Nov. 13, includes a remote that can emit a sound when misplaced. Its predecessor started at 199 dollars, according to Bloomberg. Apple also introduced a 149 dollar HomePod mini 2, arriving Oct. 30, which runs on Apple's S10 chip and introduces Sound Glow, a lighting system that illuminates the speaker's touch-sensitive surface in colors that reflect album artwork or ambient sounds. Both products can be preordered Tuesday.Apple is also teaming with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric on a lineup of connected-home accessories scheduled to begin shipping in December. The collection includes a 199.95 dollar indoor camera, a 249.95 dollar video doorbell, a 299.95 dollar outdoor camera, a 349.95 dollar smart door lock, a 399.95 dollar floodlight camera, and smart thermostats starting at 199.95 dollars, according to Bloomberg. The accessories can be configured through an iPhone without requiring separate accounts or additional applications.The LG video doorbell features a dual camera system to capture visitors and packages, with a built-in spotlight, 2.5K resolution video with the front camera, and Full HD with the bottom camera. The LG Floodlight Cam is made to monitor outside the home, as it features dual floodlights that turn on whenever it senses motion, plus slow-light color night vision so it can capture information even when it's not bright.LG Camera Specifications And Night VisionThe outdoor camera also comes with low-light color night vision and can be positioned on an angle, while the indoor camera can be tilted upward and downward depending on whether users are home or not. Apple says the cameras capture up to 2.5K resolution video, recognize people, familiar faces, pets, and other objects, and store video in supported iCloud+ plans.They can be paired with the HomeView, HomePod, HomePod mini, or Apple TV 4K, and can be set up in just a tap with the iPhone, as everything is managed through the Apple Home app. The devices use end-to-end encryption, and only users and people they want to share information with can access the home data. Apple says users will be able to understand what's happening in their homes, manage access, and more.Greengart said Apple's target customers, consumers already invested in its products and accustomed to paying premium prices, may be willing to spend more. He also said Apple's entry could have consequences beyond its own sales, potentially giving rivals room to charge more for their devices. I also think that this gives Amazon and Google license to move a little bit up market, he told The Post.He noted that Amazon has increasingly focused on selling hardware profitably rather than relying on steep discounts to attract customers. Apple is betting that deeper integration with its existing devices, personalized AI features, and privacy protections will persuade customers to pay more.