Apple makes fresh push into smart homes market

NEW DELHI: Apple is making a renewed push into the smart home market, unveiling three new devices - HomeView, HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K - as it looks to take its newly launched Siri AI beyond smartphones and establish a stronger presence in connected homes. The launches mark Apple's latest attempt to challenge Amazon and Google in a market where it has struggled to gain significant traction despite its strong presence in premium consumer electronics.The centrepiece of the announcement is HomeView, a smart home display that acts as a central hub for controlling connected devices, managing household activities and interacting with Siri AI. The device is priced at Rs 39,900.Apple also introduced the second-generation HomePod mini at Rs 18,900 and a refreshed Apple TV 4K, starting at Rs 39,900. The new devices will become available in phases, beginning Oct 30."Apple must demonstrate that context-aware AI makes the connected home meaningfully more useful, while addressing interoperability and adoption barriers," said Prabhu Ram, VP, industry research group, CyberMedia Research (CMR).You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.