Apple unveiled the HomeView yesterday, its smart display for the home, and opened preorders for the first units. The device is part of a push into home automation that we’ve been seeing grow for weeks, but it arrives with an unpleasant surprise: Europe is left out of the launch. The reason, as you’d expect, lies in European regulation.
Siri AI sets the European timetable, and the wait is going to be a long one
In the official launch announcement, Apple explains that “the HomeView will not launch in the European Union because Siri AI is not available for iOS” on the continent. Apple’s AI is so central to the device that launching it doesn’t make sense until the full experience is ready.
According to the same press release, “the company continues to work constructively with European authorities to find a way to launch it.” Tim Cook himself has held talks with the European Union, but, as far as we know, even in the best-case scenario the wait will be more than five months.
Apple warned that the new European regulations would halt innovation on the continent even before they were approved. We’re already seeing how OpenAI’s models or Meta’s new AI features arrive in Europe later than usual, and now those delays now affect new product launches.
The HomeView arrives as a central hub for controlling our home, accessing our personal information, and interacting with Siri AI. Siri AI and Apple Intelligence are, therefore, at the core of HomeView, so, for the moment, we’ll have to wait to see developments in the field of AI before thinking about getting the new device.
