Apple tests whether Siri AI sells hardware with a $299 hub

HomeView has no App Store; third-party audio and video services that support Apple's CarPlay architecture will be available on the device.

Apple Home Collection accessories, co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric and including cameras, a video doorbell, door locks and thermostats, are priced between $199 and $399 and begin shipping in December.

Apple said HomeView is not available for sale in the European Union because Siri AI is currently unavailable there.

HomeView relies on a connected iPhone or iPad to pull in personal context when responding to requests.

Investors are looking more closely at Apple's hardware sales for growth as the company's services revenue has come under regulatory pressure.

HomeView enters a smart home market dominated by Amazon and Alphabet's Google.

Apple's Wearables, Home, and Accessories category, which includes Apple TV, HomePods, HomeView, AirPods and the Apple Watch, reported $7.88 billion in sales in the quarter ended June, about 7% of the company's total revenue.

The accessories are made by LG and Schneider Electric and designed with help from Apple.

The broader consumer electronics industry has been dealing with price increases and demand deterioration related to component shortages in memory and storage.

Apple's smart home integration helps lock customers into its ecosystem; people who use multiple Apple products are less likely to switch to an Android phone.

The updated Apple TV 4K gains onboard microphones so users can issue Siri commands without picking up the remote.

The HomePod mini 2 swaps in an S10 chip.

Apple this summer upgraded Siri's capabilities with assistance from Google.

Bob O'Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research, said the process of wiring a smart home is still too difficult for many Apple consumers to see a benefit.

Apple's chief marketer Greg Joswiak said in a statement that HomeView "makes it easy to control your smart home".

Apple said that setting up a new smart home device takes one tap from the user's iPhone.

Apple's foldable iPhone model, the Duo, announced last month, retails for nearly $2,000.

The Apple TV 4K's $100 price increase is about 50.3% over the previous $199.

If $7.88 billion was about 7% of revenue, total revenue for the quarter ended June was near $113 billion (approximate, given rounding in the 7%).

A Duo at roughly $2,000 equals about 6.7 HomeViews at $299, slightly fewer at 'nearly' $2,000, so six or seven.

At $299 a unit, $1 billion of HomeView revenue requires about 3.3 million units.

$1 billion is about 12.7% of the $7.88 billion the category reported in the June quarter.

$1 billion is under 1% (about 0.9%) of the roughly $113 billion implied quarterly revenue.

Apple's HomePod Mini speaker comes in new colors and costs $149, a slight increase over its previous $129 price.

The HomePod Mini's $20 price increase is about 15.5% over the previous $129.