Apple HomeView has Siri AI built in, but its personal features depend on a paired iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence. Apple's footnotes name four dependencies. HomeView is $299 in the U.S. for both the tabletop and wall-mounted models, with pre-orders open and availability on Nov. 13.

What needs an Apple Intelligence iPhone or iPad

All wording is from Apple's Newsroom release and HomeView pages, checked at 10:07 a.m. ET on Oct. 13.

  • Personal context: "Personal context requests require a paired Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad running the latest software version with Siri AI turned on and set to a supported language." Apple's examples are Messages, Calendar and Apple Music playlists. Apple adds that Messages and Calendar content shows only when the enrolled user is recognized by face and the paired device is present and recently unlocked.
  • Siri voice customization: expressiveness and pace are set on the paired device and carry over to HomeView. Apple lists iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro models, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro models, or an iPad with an M4 chip or later and at least 12GB of memory. English only.
  • Camera video summaries and natural-language search (HomeKit Secure Video): setup on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, plus an eligible iCloud+ plan. Apple says the number of cameras depends on the plan.

What Apple says works without one

  • Siri AI basics: "even users without an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad will benefit from Siri AI's broad world knowledge; ability to have rich, natural conversations; and improved music discovery."
  • Guests and unrecognized users: smart home accessories, weather, timers and music, with no access to personal information.
  • Setup and multiple users: only a compatible iPhone or iPad running the latest software. Apple's specs page lists iOS 27.2 or iPadOS 27.2 or later.
  • FaceTime: the footnote asks for a FaceTime-enabled device on both ends and Wi-Fi, and names no Apple Intelligence requirement.

Which phones count

Apple's HomeView pages say "Apple Intelligence-enabled" and give no phone list of their own.

Apple's Apple Intelligence page lists iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone 16 family, iPhone 17, 17e and 17 Pro models, iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro models and iPhone Duo, plus iPad Pro and iPad Air (M1 or later) and iPad mini (A17 Pro). An iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus is not on that list.

Apple's caveats

  • Beta: Apple says Siri AI is available in beta in HomeView software version 27.2.
  • Limits: features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, and Apple says expanded access will be available for a fee in the future.
  • Language: Siri AI on HomeView is English in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK.
  • Processing: Apple says Siri requests can use on-device processing or Private Cloud Compute.

Why it matters

The $299 price covers the display. Apple's personal-context requests also need a paired iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence. Buyers whose iPhone is not on Apple's list get the shared assistant, not the personal one, and the custom Siri voice is narrower still.

What is not stated

  • Whether an unsupported iPhone gets any personal-context feature in reduced form: Apple names only world knowledge, conversation and music discovery.
  • A HomeView-specific supported-iPhone list: we could not find one on the HomeView or specs pages.
  • Which iCloud+ plan covers how many cameras, or its price.
  • We have not tested HomeView.