Apple has unveiled a new Apple TV 4K, the HomeView smart display and HomePod mini 2 at its Welcome Home event on Tuesday 13 October 2026. All three are available to pre-order, with the first deliveries beginning later this month.
The Apple TV 4K is getting its first hardware refresh since 2022, with a faster processor, microphones that let you talk to Siri without the remote and a new four-HomePod surround-sound option. HomeView is the bigger departure: a touchscreen for controlling the connected home, making video calls and sharing information around the household. UK HomeView prices start at £299.
Apple TV 4K (2026): an A19 chip and hands-free Siri
At a glance, the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K looks much like the box it replaces. The changes are inside. Apple’s launch announcement confirms an A19 processor, while the new model also supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Ethernet and Thread connectivity. There is 128GB of storage, and Apple continues to position the device as both a premium streamer and a hub for compatible smart-home accessories.
The biggest everyday change could be the simplest: you no longer need to reach for the remote to ask Siri a question. Far-field microphones built into the box allow hands-free requests from the sofa. You can ask for a particular kind of film, find programmes through conversational descriptions or get help with a question about something on screen. Siri shows its response on the television.
Apple’s updated Siri can also use personal context from a compatible Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, such as finding a programme somebody recommended in a message. Those functions depend on the relevant devices, software and permissions; they are not a reason to assume every household will get the same experience immediately.
Crucially, the Siri AI beta is also available on second-generation Apple TV 4K models and later. Owners of an older box do not have to buy the 2026 model simply to use the new assistant. What they won’t get from their existing box is the new built-in hands-free microphone setup.
The Siri Remote also supports Find My, including an audible alert to help locate it. That is useful when it disappears into the sofa, although Apple says compatible earlier Siri Remotes support Find My too. A remote-finding feature alone would be a poor reason to replace a working streamer.
Four HomePods bring a different option for home cinema
Apple’s other substantial Apple TV change is audio. The new box can create a surround-sound arrangement with four compatible HomePods: four HomePod mini 2 speakers, four second-generation HomePods or one matching pair of each. Apple says the system determines where the speakers are positioned and adjusts the sound for the room.
That goes further than the setup we examined in our earlier report on Apple TV and four HomePods, where sending audio to additional speakers wasn’t the same as giving them dedicated front and rear roles. The new arrangement is exclusive to the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.
It is an interesting alternative for households already invested in HomePods, but not necessarily the best-value way to build a home cinema from scratch. A conventional Dolby Atmos soundbar or AV receiver still deserves consideration, especially when a room has space for a dedicated centre channel and subwoofer.
HomeView: a £299 touchscreen for the whole household
HomeView is Apple’s first dedicated smart-home display, and arguably the more interesting of the three announcements. Its seven-inch Liquid Retina screen can show lights, heating controls, camera feeds, reminders, photos and FaceTime calls in a shared space, rather than making everyone reach for their phone.
There are two designs. One sits on a domed speaker base with an adjustable screen, making it suitable for a kitchen counter or bedside table. The other is designed for wall mounting in places such as a hallway. Both cost £299 in the UK, with UK pricing reported by T3; mounting hardware may cost extra.
Apple confirms that UK pre-orders are live now and that both models will be available from Friday 13 November 2026. The tabletop version comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space grey, while the wall-mounted version is offered in silver and space grey.
HomeView’s 12-megapixel camera can be used for FaceTime, while facial recognition lets the interface adapt to different household members. Apple says it can recognise up to six people, showing relevant personal information when the required features are enabled. The device also works as a Matter controller and Thread border router for compatible smart-home equipment.
There is a practical limitation behind the personalised features. HomeView can display shared household controls on its own, but some Siri AI requests that draw on messages, calendars or other personal information require a paired Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad. Families using a mixture of Apple and Android devices should check which features every member can access.
The screen is also intended for entertainment, with music, podcasts and supported video services. Its built-in speakers and adjustable display make the tabletop version more than a simple control panel, though how well it fits into a kitchen or living room will be clearer once people have lived with it.
HomePod mini 2: new hardware, with the smarter Siri coming later
After six years, Apple has refreshed its smallest HomePod. The HomePod mini 2 keeps the familiar rounded design but adds an S10 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6 and support for Thread and Matter. Its new Sound Glow lighting can respond to album artwork and other audio, and the speaker comes in pink, green, blue, white and midnight.
The clearest benefit for home-cinema buyers is its compatibility with the new Apple TV 4K’s four-speaker system. It can also work in a stereo pair or as part of multiroom audio. Owners who mainly play music through a single original HomePod mini will have less reason to upgrade immediately.
There is one detail buyers should not overlook: Siri AI will arrive on HomePod mini 2 in a later software update, rather than with the initial release. Apple’s official announcement confirms pre-orders are open in its launch markets and availability begins on Friday 30 October. In the UK, The Independent reports a price of £149, up from £129 for the outgoing HomePod mini.
UK prices, pre-orders and delivery dates
Pre-orders opened on 13 October and are live now. The new Apple TV 4K is due on Friday 13 November. A UK Apple Store order confirmation reviewed by Tech Torque Media lists a £299 price for the fourth-generation box, with delivery scheduled for that date.
HomeView and HomeView (Wall Mounted) are both £299 in the UK, with availability from 13 November; optional wall-mounting accessories are extra. HomePod mini 2 is £149 in the UK according to launch reporting and is due first, on 30 October. These are pre-order products, not items already available for immediate collection.
Is the new Apple TV 4K worth upgrading to?
There’s still plenty to like about the 2022 Apple TV 4K. As we found in our long-term review, it remains a responsive streamer with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos support. But if Apple TV is at the centre of your home-entertainment setup, the fourth-generation model has several upgrades worth getting excited about.
The A19 chip provides more processing power, while Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 bring newer connectivity. Built-in microphones make talking to Siri easier without picking up the remote, and the four-HomePod surround arrangement adds something the older boxes cannot offer. Each improvement has its own appeal, and together they make a convincing case for anyone who enjoys getting the most from Apple’s entertainment ecosystem. The 2022 model hasn’t suddenly become outdated, but that doesn’t mean existing owners have to sit this generation out.
HomeView is a different buying decision. A £299 shared control screen makes more sense if the household already uses plenty of compatible smart-home devices and wants a central place to manage them. Someone with only a couple of smart bulbs may get much less from it.
Before the launch, Apple’s Welcome Home invitation left plenty of questions about the hardware. The products are now confirmed; whether they justify a place in the home will come down to how easily they work with the equipment people already own.
Tech Torque Verdict
The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K looks like a worthwhile evolution of an already excellent streamer. More processing power, newer connectivity, hands-free Siri and the prospect of a four-HomePod home cinema give existing owners real reasons to consider an upgrade, especially if they use Apple TV every day. We’ll need to live with the hardware to judge how much difference those changes make, but there’s more here than a routine chip refresh.
HomeView is the bigger step into new territory. At £299, it offers an appealing way to bring cameras, heating, entertainment and family information together on a shared screen. Its success will depend on how reliably those features work for everyone in a household. Between HomeView, the refreshed HomePod mini and the new Apple TV 4K, Apple has given both newcomers and existing users something interesting to explore.
