This week, Apple announced some new products specifically aimed at the home. These include HomeView, a shared display for home controls, FaceTime, and Siri AI, along with a new Apple TV 4K and a second-generation HomePod mini. There’s also the Apple Home Collection, with cameras and a smart lock from LG, plus thermostats developed with LG and Schneider Electric. The hardware starts arriving later this fall, with Home Collection accessories following in December and early 2027.

Of these, the most interesting is HomeView, a brand-new product category from Apple, but not a brand-new category in this space. Amazon and other vendors have been making a "speaker with a screen glued onto it" type of product now for several years.

It’s interesting to think about why Apple chose to release this product now. I suspect a big part of the reason is that they finally got their act together with Siri AI. A product like this wouldn’t work without it.

Another data point, though, is where Apple stands with Apple Home right now. It’s always felt to me like a bit of a lukewarm project out of Apple, where they put some effort into it, but just enough. In the first few years after release, it was feature-limited and buggy, so much so that I drifted away from Apple Home integration for a couple years.

In the last six months, however, I have gone all in again with Apple Home, and the second attempt has been a lot more successful. My blinds now go up automatically at sunrise and my lights reliably turn on when I walk in the room. Announcements come through my HomePods and my exterior cameras tell me when someone’s at my door right on the Apple TV.

The automation stack is deeper with Shortcuts support. Home Assistant offers more control, but I think Apple Home is enough for most people. More importantly for my family, Apple Home is something they can control without feeling like they need computer science degrees.

What Apple needs to focus on now is stability and privacy. Put simply, we need the lights to turn on (and off) when we expect them to, and we need to feel like our camera systems aren’t being converted into a small-market television program on the other side of the world. Apple has something to offer here if they’re willing to put more wood behind the arrow.

With the release of this new hardware, I feel like the pieces are falling into place. I’ve given Apple Home a second chance. Now Apple needs to stay committed to making it reliable and private for everyone in the house.