Apple's HomeView Arrives With Last Spring's Software Still Installed

Apple's HomeView Arrives With Last Spring's Software Still Installed

A brand-new device shipping with a six-month-old OS

Apple's new HomeView smart home hub does not officially reach customers until Friday, November 13, but it is already out of date. According to firmware database AppleDB, units leave the factory running HomeView Software 26.5 (build 23W714), a version roughly six months old. On first setup, users will be prompted to update to HomeView Software 27.2 (build 24V514). In other words, the device needs a major update before it can offer the experience Apple advertised.

Version 27.2 is the real launch software

Apple released HomeView Software 27.2 on October 30, two weeks ahead of the hardware launch, and it is clearly the software the HomeView was meant to ship with. The update brings 20 default wallpapers, each in light and dark variants, plus Control Center, light and dark mode support, and a face-editing interface for customizing the Lock Screen that developer Guilherme Rambo has showcased. A familiar "Hello" greeting appears on boot. Buyers who unbox version 26.5 are essentially getting a placeholder; 27.2 is the complete product.

The stale build is more evidence of a long delay

The old factory image is the latest sign of how long the HomeView sat waiting. Mark Gurman reported in November 2024 that Apple was targeting a March 2025 launch, a date that kept slipping. An FCC filing shows the device was already being tested in 2024 under an earlier software version, and Apple executives have since confirmed in interviews that the holdup was Siri AI: without a capable voice assistant, the screen made no sense. Siri AI only launched this September, and reports say finished hardware sat in warehouses for the better part of a year.

Early buyers update on day one, Europe waits entirely

The practical impact is mild but real. Customers in the eight launch countries who pre-ordered at $299 since October 13 — Amazon even discounted the Space Gray model to $289.99 — will spend their first minutes with the device downloading 27.2. European Union buyers face a longer wait: Apple has paused the launch there entirely because Siri AI is unavailable on iOS in the region, saying only that it is working with the EU on a path forward, with no timeline.

A 7-inch hub that recognizes up to six people

Hardware-wise, the HomeView is Apple's first smart display for the home: a 7-inch Liquid Retina display with Siri AI, FaceTime, entertainment apps, and smart home controls. A built-in camera recognizes household members — up to six users — and shifts from a shared screen to personal content in Messages, Calendar, Reminders, and Find My. It works as a Matter controller and Thread Border Router, anchoring Apple Home and Matter setups, with wall-mount options sold separately.

Launch verdict and the EU question

What matters now is whether launch-day reviews look past the stale factory build once 27.2 is installed, and whether Apple can bring Siri AI — and with it the HomeView — to the EU. After the long wait blamed on the assistant, the HomeView is the first real-world test of Siri AI in the home. A six-month-old version number is a footnote; the $299 question is whether the screen earns its place on the kitchen counter.