When major shopping events like Black Friday roll around, you can bet that Amazon will be offering discounts on its most popular smart home devices. The good news? You don’t have to wait until November 27 to snag great deals on these gadgets.

Amazon is already knocking up to 60% off Ring Video Doorbells, Blink security cameras, Fire TV Sticks and more. If you're in the market for some extra home security, Ring's Video Doorbell is down to $44. You can also grab the Blink Mini 2k+ for just $16. Need a new tablet? The Fire HD 10 is now 53% off.

Whether you're looking to boost your home's security or take your entertainment setup to the next level, I've rounded up the best Amazon smart home devices on sale now. Best of all, you can shop these deals before Black Friday even arrives.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon device deals
• Blink Mini 2K+: was $39 now $16
• Ring Solar Pathlight: was $34 now $24
• Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro: was $34 now $24
• Ring Battery Doorbell: was $99 now $44
• Fire HD 10 (4GB version): was $154 now $72
• Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam Plus: was $159 now $104
• Amazon Ember 50" 4-Series Fire TV: was $399 now $309

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Fire TVs

Once upon a time, the Amazon Echo Dot was the company's least expensive smart speaker, selling for $50 or less during Black Friday. Those days are long gone, but Amazon thinks it's added enough to the new Echo Dot to justify its new price of $99.

The sixth-generation Echo Dot, which comes four years after its predecessor, has a similar design, with an acoustic fabric covering the front of the speaker, and a hard plastic shell around the back. The Alexa bar — the small LED strip that lets you know when the AI is listening — is now just a small arc in the front, rather than a circle running around the bottom of the device. Maybe Amazon thought it looked a bit too much like the Google Home Speaker?

Despite the outward similarities, Amazon has beefed up the internals of the Echo Dot. It has a marginally larger full-range driver (1.75 inches vs. 1.73 inches) that the company says will deliver crisper vocals and 50% more bass than the previous generation. Its new A23 processor is also better suited for handling on-device Alexa+ requests, so that you'll get faster responses.

And, the addition of a fourth microphone means that Alexa+ should be able to more easily pick up your voice, even if the room is noisy.

While the previous Echo Dot had both presence and temperature sensors, the newest model has Amazon's Omnisense sensor, which is basically those two sensors in one, but also uses AI to help provide more proactive suggestions.

As before, the Echo Dot has an Eero Wi-Fi extender built in, and supports Zigbee, Matter, and Thread. However, it has a hub built into the speaker itself, so it should be easier to further extend your smart home network.

The Echo Dot goes on sale today (Oct. 28) for $99, and is available in Graphite, Glacier White, Agave Green, and Coral Pink. The Amazon Kids Echo Dot, which comes in Octopus and Penguin, starts at $109.99.

Amazon Echo Studio with Camera

Amazon is also adding a camera to its top-end smart speaker; this will most likely appeal to those who have a Fire TV device, and want to upgrade their speakers. You can already use the Echo Studios as output devices for your Fire TV (I hooked up four Echo Studios to create a full surround system), but the Echo Studio with Camera enables one more feature.

Now, if you say "Alexa, call my mom," it will initiate a video call using your Fire TV device and the camera in the Echo Studio. This way, you can both see your caller and be seen by them. During the demo, Amazon executive Panos Panay made a video call to his parents, who seemed both bemused and a little befuddled (it was pretty early in the day for them).

However, you can also use the camera in conjunction with Alexa+, and have it identify objects, something Amazon said could be helpful for those with vision impairments.

The Echo Studio with Home Camera costs $249 — $30 more than the regular Echo Studio — and available in Graphite. You can buy a stand for the Studio separately for $39.

More from Tom's Guide

• I went hands-on with the new Amazon Echo Show 16, and it looks like the most complete smart display yet
• The Amazon Echo Time could be my new bedside smart clock
• I can't believe it took Amazon this long to come out with an Alexa Photo Frame

Over the years, Amazon has released several Echo Dot-like smart speakers with miniature displays, which were mostly designed to show you the time and weather. There was the Echo Dot with Clock (a design we loved) as well as the slightly more involved Echo Spot.

With the new Amazon Echo Time, the company is reviving the look of the original Echo Spot, packing a circular touchscreen into an orb-like smart speaker, in the hopes that it can reclaim an *ahem* spot on your nightstand.

Price and release date

The Echo Time goes on sale today (Oct. 28) for $199.99. You can get it in Graphite, Glacier White, and Coral Pink. Amazon also sells matching adjustable stands for $39.

Like other Echo devices, there's a kid's version of the Echo Time that costs $209, and includes a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. The Amazon Kids Echo Time comes in Galactic Grape and Cosmic Lime.

A customizable clock face

The standout feature of the Echo Time is the 3.2-inch display; the Time comes with hundreds of clock faces, all of which are customizable. Among the faces are ones for sports teams as well as other licensed properties like Harry Potter and the DC Universe.

The Echo Time's display also changes throughout the day, so as better to incorporate your natural cycles; it slowly brightens in the morning, and at night it dims automatically and reduces is blue light output to help you fall asleep more easily.

A smarter alarm

Similar to its newer Echo smart speakers, the Echo Time has Amazon's Omnisense sensor array, which can detect things such as presence and temperature, along with an ultrasound sensor to monitor for breathing.

Alexa+ uses these sensors to monitor your sleep, and can then adjust your desired wake-up time from 10 to 60 minutes, tailoring it for what it thinks is the optimal time to get you out of bed.

If you have other smart home devices, you can also add them to your wakeup routine, such as having a bedside light slowly turn on.

At $199, the Echo Time isn't cheap; the current Echo Spot costs half as much, and also serves its function well, and you get all the same Alexa+ functionality — it even acts as an Eero Wi-Fi extender. However, the Echo Time could appeal to those who want something that can better monitor their sleep, and make sure they wake up at the right time.

More from Tom's Guide

• I went hands-on with the new Amazon Echo Show 16, and it looks like the most complete smart display yet
• I can't believe it took Amazon this long to come out with an Alexa Photo Frame
• Amazon just updated the Echo Dot, but it's no longer the bargain it once was

Over the years, Amazon has come out with a bunch of really goofy products with Alexa inside: fashion assistants, wall clocks, light-up buttons, and even a smart ring. Yet, it's taken until now for the company to release a smart photo frame.

Perhaps the wait was worth it. While the new Alexa Photo Frame doesn't break any new ground design-wise when compared with the best digital photo frames, Amazon is using Alexa+ to intelligently curate all of those photos you have stored on your phone or elsewhere. You actually might finally see that picture you took during you vacation to Aruba five years ago.

The Alexa Photo Frame looks like your standard digital photo frame. It has a 10-inch, 1280 x 800 anti-glare touchscreen, and comes in three finishes: black plastic ($199), or birch or walnut wood frames, which cost $229. All models are available starting today (Oct. 28).

However, once you set up the photo frame, Alexa+ will start to work its magic. First, it will analyze all of the pictures in your library, and then its classifies them based on who's in the pictures, what people are doing, the time of year it was taken, and more.

Then, it will display the photos on the Frame based on factors like the time of year. So, for example, you'd see holiday photos in December, and beach pictures in the summer.

But, Alexa+ can also understand context, so it might pull two pictures of your kid, taken years apart, of them doing a similar activity, and display them side-by-side.

Of course, you can also curate what appears on the Frame, or if you decide to gift a frame to a parent or loved one. So if you give one to your parents, you can make sure that they only see pictures of your kids, for instance.

Also, if you want to tug at the heartstrings a little more, you can also attach audio clips to photos, so that when you tap on a picture on-screen, grandparents can hear their grandkids wishing them well.

The Alexa Photo Frame also acts as a smart speaker — not that you'd want to play music on it — so you could ask Alexa+ to display photos of your dog at a park, or pictures from a particular year.

Like other Alexa devices, you can turn off the microphone on the Photo Frame, select the notifications you receive, adjust the brightness of the screen, and more. However, it only works in landscape mode.

While the Alexa Photo Frame can be used by anyone, it makes the most sense for those who are Amazon Prime members, as they can store an unlimited number of photos in the cloud, and use certain Alexa+ features as part of their subscription. If you don't have a Prime subscription, you get 5GB of free cloud storage, with plans starting at $1.99/month for 100GB of storage.

At $199, the Alexa Photo Frame is priced competitively with some of our favorite models. For example, the Aura Aspen, which is a 12-inch model, costs $229. Coming in time for the holidays, I can easily see this being a popular gifting item.

More from Tom's Guide

• Amazon just updated the Echo Dot, but it's no longer the bargain it once was
• I went hands-on with the new Amazon Echo Show 16, and it looks like the most complete smart display yet
• The Amazon Echo Time could be my new bedside smart clock

When Amazon lifted the veil off its new Echo Show 16, I thought I was looking at a miniaturized version of Apple's Studio Display. But no, I was looking at Amazon's newest smart display, one that looks like it could beat the HomeView in more ways than one.

I had a chance to check out the Amazon Echo Show 16, which is available for preorder starting today (Oct. 28), and will ship later this year. Here's how Amazon's newest smart display really distinguishes itself from the pack — even if its starting price of $499 could make it a reach for some.

Price and availability

The Echo Show 16 is available for preorder starting today (Oct. 28) at Amazon.com, and will ship on December 16. The model with the standard glossy display costs $499, while the Nanomatte display is $569. If you preorder the device, you can get $100 off the price.

If you're not planning to wall mount the device, a swivel stand is available for $69, and a swivel-and-tilt stand costs $124.

Design

The Echo Show 16 is the most refined smart display from Amazon I've seen; the panel itself isn't as thin as the Echo Show 8 or Echo Show 10, but that's because the speakers are housed behind the display, rather than sitting in a bulbous base. As a result, the Echo Show 16 looks more like something you'd connect to your desktop, rather than a standalone device.

The rear of the Echo Show 16 is thicker than most other tablets, as it houses eight subwoofers. Around the front is a 13MP camera, which has a digital zoom to keep you in frame if you're moving around.

The screen itself measures 16 inches diagonally, and has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Like the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro tablet, you can get the Echo Show 16 with either a glossy finish, or with a nanomatte display, which cuts down on glare.

Sadly, the aluminum stand costs $69 extra, so unless you plan to wall-mount it, you'll have to cough up a little more.

A redesigned Alexa + interface

Amazon has once again redesigned the interface on its Echo Shows, this time making Alexa+ more prominent. Now, all Alexa+ interactions are saved as "cards" which are displayed as a widget on the screen. Tap on the card, and it expands to show you the transcript from that interaction, as well as supporting documents, images and links.

For example, if you ask Alexa+ how to grow tomatoes, it might present cards for different types of tomatoes, tips on watering, fertilizing, and which might grow best in your area.

Alexa+ will then organize all of the cards by type, theme, date, or any other categorization it thinks is appropriate, so you can more easily find them at a later time. A special Card gallery shows all of them at a glance.

Amazon's Alexa+ smartphone app will also get a similar treatment; by design, any cards you create on your phone will stay there until you share them with the Echo Show.

The Calendar view — now called Family Organizer — also sees a refresh. In addition to showing everyone's schedule, there's now a tab for meal planning, so you can lay out everything you want to cook for the week.

Smarter home view

For those with a lot of smart home devices, the Echo Show's new Home Map takes what's currently available to the next level. Now, all of your smart home devices are displayed in a 3D map of your house, where you can view, arrange, and control all of them.

For example, if there's a smart light in a bedroom, you can tap on the icon to turn the light on and off, dim it, or change its color, if that's an option. Cleverly, the icon on the screen will also reflect the current state of the device — so, if a light is glowing red, its icon will also have a reddish halo. Or, if a smart speaker is playing music, the screen will show you the song title.

If you have Ring cameras, the Home Map will show icons of people and vehicles around your house moving in real time, based on what the cameras are seeing. If you have familiar faces enabled in the Ring app, the Home Map will also identify those people, too. An Amazon rep said that Blink integration was also coming in the future. I found it to be both cool and a bit creepy — kind of like a high-tech Marauder's Map from Harry Potter.

Fire TV

Like previous Echo Shows, the 16 also acts as a Fire TV device, making it really well suited for those who want a small TV in their kitchen. Like the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21, the Echo Show 16 will also ship with a Fire TV remote, so that you don't have to rely on touch or voice to find the show you're looking for.

Of all of the Echo Show features I've used over the years, it's probably the one I've used the most.

Outlook

The hardware design of the new Echo Show 16 is impressive, but it's the new interface that might just have won me over. While I still want to take more time to really dive into it, I liked how it shows all of your interactions with Alexa+ in a smart, easily accessible way. I am curious to see how easy it will be to find everything once you have a lot of saved prompts, but it looks like Amazon has found a smart way to show everything on the screen. The new smart home interface also looks like it should make it much easier for me to manage all my devices.

This same interface will be rolling out to other Echo Show devices, so you don't need to rush out and buy the new Echo Show 16, unless you want the new design or the nanomatte display. We hope to get one in soon to test, so stay tuned.

More from Tom's Guide

• Amazon just updated the Echo Dot, but it's no longer the bargain it once was
• I can't believe it took Amazon this long to come out with an Alexa Photo Frame
• The Amazon Echo Time could be my new bedside smart clock

Whether you’re going on vacation, or just want to simplify the act of feeding your cats, automatic feeders are a real help. In our house, we’ve been using the PetSafe Smart Feed 2.0 for about six years, but recently, it started acting up, so I took it as a good opportunity to try out two new feeders for our two cats, who never seem to get enough food.

Both of them are “smart” feeders, in that you can control them with an app, and they both have cameras, so you can watch your kitties as they eat. Even better: Both have battery backups, so you don’t have to worry about them going hungry if the power goes out.

A feeder with a view

The first feeder I tried is the Molly&Cody Smart Feeder 6L Camera. This $99 feeder’s standout feature is that it has a small camera right above the bowl, so you can get a live view of your furballs eating.

While the feeder’s camera (720p, 120º field of view) isn’t going to rival the best home security cameras, it was more than clear enough for me to see my little furballs as they chowed down on their food.

Of course, when they’re eating, you pretty much see just the tops of their heads and ears. From the live feed, you can also press a microphone button to talk to your pets, though it mostly confused my cats.

In addition to the live feed, you can also record photos and videos of them eating, though you have to manually perform this action — you can’t have it automatically take a picture every time they come to get a bite.

The other feature I really liked was that it has a battery backup. While you need to supply the three D-cell batteries yourself, it ensures that your pets will continue to be fed even if the power goes out.

I also liked the simplicity of the feeder mechanism. The food sits in a hopper on the top, and is fed into the bowl via a small wheel with spokes that turns, not unlike a gumball machine. PetSafe’s mechanism is essentially a large conveyor belt that looks like an escalator; it’s more complex, and while it worked well for several years, it’s been jamming more frequently, which means our kitties haven’t been getting their food.

The biggest pet peeve I have with the Molly&Cody Smart Feeder is that its bowl is pretty small, and is more suited to a single pet. As a result, my two cats constantly pushed each other to the side to eat. Generally, this meant that the younger cat chowed down while my older cat waited his turn.

Dual-bowl delight

Feeling bad for my older cat, I then called in the OneIsAll dual-bowl feeder. This looks a lot like the Molly&Cody model, but it has two bowls on either side of the base.

I liked this one even better. For starters, the app will give you notifications when your cats are actually eating, rather than just when it dispenses food, and it also has a sensor that lets you know if the hopper is running low.

The OneIsAll app is a bit more polished, too — it’s a more intuitive design, showing when your pets ate, and you can also create profiles for your pets. There’s even a microSD card slot, so you can have it automatically record and save videos. You can also save videos to the cloud, but that requires a subscription; I’m not sure it’s quite worth that investment.

OneIsAll says that the cameras on the feeder deliver 1080p night vision; It’s plenty fine, but as with the Molly&Cody, once your cats start eating, all you get is a super-closeup view of their head. If they’re eating from the side, you can look straight into their ear canal.

I also found it was easier to clean the hopper of the OneIsAll model; it has two simple push-button latches to separate it from the rest of the machine. Like the Molly&Cody, it also uses the pinball machine-like method to dispense food.

The feeder we're using

Ultimately, my cats were pretty indifferent as to which one they liked better, so long as they were getting fed. From my perspective, both feeders worked well. One fun feature with each is that they have a built-in speaker, so you can talk to your pets from your phone. When I tried it, it mostly confused and startled my cats.

I’d have to give the nod to the OneIsAll model for its little extras, like the nicer app, the low food notification, and the fact that it’s easier to save videos. The company also sells a single-bowl model that’s only $50. It lacks a camera, but does have a battery backup, which in the end, might be the most important feature of all.

More from The Gadget Dad

• I tested the Pinwheel, Ring Ring, Tin Can and Waffle phones for kids; here’s which came out on top
• Home Depot 12-foot Skelly vs. Lowe’s 15-Foot Watcher: I put Halloween's biggest decorations to the test in my yard
• I’ve been using the BirdBuddy Home for nearly a year — 3 things I love about this smart bird feeder, and 2 I don’t

Black Friday is still more than a month away — but that hasn't stopped Amazon from discounting its smart home devices by impressive amounts. The retailer is currently knocking up to 60% off Ring Video Doorbells, Blink security cameras, Fire TV Sticks and more.

If you're looking to enhance your streaming setup, you can still grab the Fire TV Stick HD for just $19. In the market for some extra home security? Ring's Video Doorbell is down to $44. And if you could use a new tablet, the Fire HD 10 is now 53% off.

From boosting your home's security to revamping your entertainment setup, I've rounded up the best Amazon devices that will upgrade your smart home. These are the deals worth shopping ahead of Black Friday.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon device deals
• Blink Mini 2K+: was $39 now $16
• Fire TV Stick HD: was $39 now $19
• Ring Solar Pathlight: was $34 now $27
• Fire HD 10 (4GB version): was $154 now $72
• Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam Plus: was $159 now $104
• Fire TV Cube: was $199 now $109

Fire TV Stick Deals

Fire Tablets

Ring Deals

Blink Deals

I’ve been waiting for the Bird Buddy Home to make its debut longer than the swallows to come back to Capistrano.

The original Bird Buddy ushered in the age of the smart bird feeder, which not only gave you an up-close-and-personal look at the visitors to your feeder, but could also record photos and video and, thanks to AI, even identify your feathered or furred friends.

At CES 2026, the company introduced what was then called the BirdBuddy 2, its second generation feeder that uses the same camera as its Petal Smart Nature Camera. Initially, the feeder was supposed to ship in February (I received my review unit in January), but it was delayed a number of times; only now — in October — is it finally going on sale to the public.

So, I’ve had a lot of time to test this thing out. Now called the BirdBuddy Home, this feeder has a new 2K HDR camera module that lets you rotate it to capture horizontal or vertical photos and videos. The feeder itself has also been modified to fit more feed, and to make it easier to load in seed and clean everything.

So, after nearly 10 months sitting in my backyard, how does the BirdBuddy Home compare with the original?

BirdBuddy Home: Price and availability

The BirdBuddy Home is available starting today (Oct. 22) at BirdBuddy’s website for $219, and will be available at other retailers shortly after.

BirdBuddy is also launching a smaller version, the BirdBuddy Nook, which will cost $99 for the non-solar model, and $159 for the solar version. The nonsolar model will only be available at mybirdbuddy.com, while the solar model will be sold at most major retailers.

The original Birdbuddy Pro will be phased out, with remaining inventory available on Amazon through the end of 2026.

BirdBuddy Home: What I liked

The camera can rotate

With the original BirdBuddy, you were locked into a portrait-oriented video, which gave you a nice vertical view, but not so great side-to-side. It reminded me of the early days of video doorbells, where companies took off-the-shelf cameras that either gave you a narrow vertical view or a narrow horizontal view.

The BirdBuddy Home’s camera doesn’t solve that issue exactly, but it at least gives you the option of whether you want your videos in portrait or landscape orientation. All you have to do is rotate the camera in the feeder’s housing.

Hopefully, smart bird feeders will take a cue from the best video doorbells, and start using cameras that can take square videos.

The app has been improved

While not directly hardware-related, the BirdBuddy app has improved over time. One of the most recent additions has been a weekly recap of all your visitors, which makes it easy to see in one place who’s dropped by, stats on how many birds have visited, and more.

The app also makes it a cinch to scroll through videos and photos of all the birds, and seems to be fairly accurate when it comes to identifying species. I only get cardinals, blue jays, sparrows and wrens; it sometimes confuses the latter two, but you can change the identification with just a few taps.

There's also a host of other fun features, such as information on bird species, and the ability to check out feeds from other BirdBuddy feeders around the world.

It’s easier to fill and clean

I have my Bird Buddy mounted on a six-foot pole, so it’s somewhat easy to reach without me having to haul a ladder out every time I need to refill it. Like the original, there’s a triangular door at the top of the back of the feeder that swings open; on the newer model, the door is a bit larger, which makes it a lot easier to fill without spilling lots of seeds all over the ground. However, the company no longer ships the little filling cup that came with the original.

Also, all of the pieces pop off somewhat easily, so it’s much quicker to clean the inside of the feeder — an essential task to prevent diseases from spreading. However, as I found out, this leads to other issues…

BirdBuddy Home: What I didn’t like

It’s been chewed up by squirrels

One of the best attributes of the BirdBuddy Home is also its worst. It’s very easy to disassemble to clean, but the large opening in the bottom of the feeder makes it a lot easier for squirrels to empty it out quickly. Once those furry-tailed rodents found the feeder, they would drain it in a day or two. By comparison, the metal grate on the front of the BirdFy 2 Metal 4K feeder prevented the squirrels from eating all the seeds as quickly.

One other disadvantage of the BirdBuddy Home’s all-plastic design: When the squirrels couldn’t easily reach the seeds, they started chewing the front plastic section of the feeder.

It’s expensive

The BirdBuddy Home is available at Amazon for $219. That’s a lot to pay for a smart bird feeder. I can’t vouch for the competition, but you can find plenty of other models with higher-resolution cameras for less than $200. Currently, you can get the original BirdBuddy Pro Solar for $169 at BirdBuddy’s site; I recommend picking up that deal if you like what the company is offering.

There’s also the BirdBuddy Nook ($99/$159 for solar), which has the same camera, but a smaller reservoir, so you’ll be refilling it more often.

If you don’t want to pay a monthly subscription, you can record video at up to 2K resolution. If you want 2K Ultra (which records HDR content) or slow-motion (which captures video at 90 fps) you’ll need to pony up for a Premium subscription, which costs $69/year for an individual membership and $98/year for a family membership, which lets up to 10 invited members look at the feed from the camera.

Regardless of whether you have the free or paid tier, BirdBuddy only saves videos on its servers for seven days; if you want to save anything for posterity, you’ll need to save it to your in-app collection or download it.

One I dunno

Upgraded, but distorted visuals

I suspect the reason for the BirdBuddy Home’s delay was that the company was working on improving its camera quality. When I first received the device, it could only record in resolutions up to 1080p. A few months later, and it was upgraded to 2K. When that switch occurred, I was able to see much more detailed images, such as individual feathers on the birds, and strands of fur from the squirrels who regularly raided the feeder.

Compared to the BirdFy Metal 2K, the BirdBuddy’s video was better — not only was more of the frame in focus, but the camera did a better job at accounting for differing levels of brightness in the background. For example, it was able to capture the clouds in the sky more accurately.

However, images and videos are more distorted around the edges than they are with the original BirdBuddy. While birds and objects in the center look accurate, things such as seeds at the bottom in the foreground were stretched out so much they looked like grains of wild rice.

Within the last week, I’ve also noticed some water between the lens cover and the camera itself; while it doesn’t seem to have affected the quality of the video itself, it’s a little concerning.

I suspect the issue I experienced could be due to the fact that I had an early model. I reached out to BirdBuddy, and the company is sending me a new unit to test.

BirdBuddy Home: Verdict

I’ve had a BirdBuddy in my yard for more than three years at this point, and it’s been a real treat to see all the critters that come to the feeder. The BirdBuddy Home is a modest improvement on the previous generation, but not such a great leap that you should toss the model you have.

It’s nice that you can now pick between portrait or landscape videos, but I hope that the company can fix the lens distortion. And, a little bar of metal along the bottom of the feeder would probably help keep hungry squirrels at bay, if just for a little longer.

Apple is reportedly developing a premium HomeView built around a motorized arm that spins 360 degrees and turns the display toward whoever's speaking, per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. A larger 9-inch screen, a 2027-2028 target, and an identity crisis about whether it's a "Max," an "Ultra," or something with its own name.

We’ve only just got the first HomeView, but the Cupertino crew is thinking about the long-game here, and it expands into a companion era I’m not sure we’re ready for — with a fascinating backstory.

What’s actually rumored

Per Gurman, the arm-equipped device pairs the motorized base with a bigger 9-inch display — up from the 7-inch panel on the standard HomeView just announced. But what’s key to note is that this is not HomeView 2.

It’s a more premium experience, and a companion that is actually able to rotate on its base and look at you as you walk around a room. Less of a passive device on your kitchen countertop and one that can actively engage with you — with a rumored $1,000 price tag penciled in for a 2027 launch.

Apple already showed you this future

In February 2025, Apple Machine Learning Research published a video of a robot lamp research demo — a little articulated Pixar-looking lamp that watched a person move around a room, and responded with something uncomfortably close to personality. Head tilts. Leaning in. The unmistakable energy of Pixar’s mascot coming to life with a machine learning degree.

Nobody treated it as a serious thing at the time. But here we are in October 2026, watching how things can come full circle. The more I watch it, the more I realize this wasn’t just a lamp demo. It was Apple workshopping the idea of making your furniture behave like it notices you.

And soon, we may see what that looks like in a real product. But that’s not the only place where Apple may have already been unintentionally working on the HomeView Max.

The car is dead. Long live the car’s robot arm

Here’s the story underneath the story: the $10 billion electric car is the most expensive graveyard in Apple history. When it was gutted, we all thought that everything was scattered into the wind.

Gurman’s reporting suggests something more deliberate — the robotics lived on, moving the arm from the driveway to the living room. And all that gesture recognition, smooth motion and spatial awareness of that car arm is reportedly being repackaged as this screen that turns its head when you walk in mid-Siri.

As a tech nerd, this is an absurdly cool use of some serious engineering.

The reality check: this is a pet, and pets are expensive

So, it’s time to put the tin hat on, together.

First, the swivel is the whole thing — and the entire privacy conversation. Apple’s pitch has always been privacy-centered, and for good reason when you see what other companies are doing.

And while that may well be the case with this arm version of HomeView, I think there’s a creep factor to a screen following you around the room that will cause some spirited discussions around the Thanksgiving table.

Second, that rumored price is going to turn some heads. Compared to other smart home hubs, the current HomeView is already pretty pricey and kind of limited in functionality. Now we have a premium robot sibling option set for launch next year? That’s a big test of household budgets.

Third, Siri has to be good. A robot arm that turns toward you only matters if there’s something worth saying to it once it’s looking. The HomeView ad does show how it can fit into a chaotic family household, but if my iPhone’s Siri response time is anything to go by, those pauses between people asking questions and getting answers would actually leave some awkward silences.

When it’s just a screen on your countertop, that can be forgiven. But when you make it a companion, it has to be near-instantaneous. The arm, ironically, is probably the least important component of this device when it comes to actually using it.

Who should care?

Gurman’s report uses the word “companion,” and I couldn’t agree more. For the past decade, smart home devices have been appliances — helpful, static and furniture-adjacent.

This robot arm is the moment the real hub is elevated above being just a screen with a speaker, but a feeling that something in your house knows you walked in.

Are people going to be comfortable with this? That’s something we’ll find out. Apple’s $299 HomeView is a slightly high, but rational price for a smart display, and it’ll get the software updates the robot needs anyway.

This rumored arm version is for a different person entirely: the smart-home early adopter with a spouse who’s stopped asking where the money went, and the Apple watcher reading the tea leaves.

So to figure this out, I turn to you, dear reader!

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If you’ve been eagerly eyeing Amazon’s Echo Show or Google’s Nest Hub smart displays but wanted to wait and see what Apple had up its sleeve, you’re in luck: the wait is finally over. Unveiled earlier this week, the Apple HomeView officially launches on Friday, November 13.

Rumors of a smart speaker with a built-in display from Cupertino have been making the rounds online for years. Mark Gurman first reported all the way back in 2021 that Apple planned to expand its smart home lineup with a display-equipped device.

Then came reports of a smart display attached to a robotic arm that could swivel to follow you around the room, much like the now-discontinued Echo Show 10. Later, in 2023, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted the new device would feature a 7-inch display.

Now, after five years of speculation, the Apple HomeView is real and could be in your house in time for the holidays. But is it actually worth buying? Here are five reasons to pick up the HomeView to control your existing smart home devices — or make it the starting point for your setup — along with two reasons you might want to skip it for one of the best smart displays instead.

Apple HomeView: Reasons to buy

Apple’s first smart display brings a lot to the table, especially if you’ve already bought into the company’s ecosystem. From its dual dashboard system and hands-free recipe navigation to deeper Siri AI integration and seamless FaceTime calls, here are the top features that make the HomeView worth adding to your smart home.

Smart home dashboard

One of the hardest things about living in a smart home is having to juggle between multiple apps on your phone. If you have one of the best iPhones, the Apple Home app helps simplify this, but the Apple HomeView takes things a step further.

The HomeView actually features two distinct dashboards: a shared household view and a personal one. When no specific person is in front of the screen, the device defaults to a shared layout displaying universal widgets for controlling smart lights and thermostats or viewing live security camera feeds. This is a great addition for guests, who can easily adjust a room’s lighting without having to guess the exact names of your individual smart lights.

Then, when one of up to six household members approaches the HomeView, the display switches to a personalized home screen using facial recognition. This second dashboard surfaces your private reminders, personal calendar events, and favorite accessory shortcuts pulled directly from your iPhone.

Siri AI

Just like how Amazon’s Echo Show smart displays got an upgrade to the AI-powered Alexa Plus earlier this year, HomeView relies heavily on Siri AI. Powered by Apple Intelligence and the built-in A18 chip inside HomeView, this new version of Siri is tailored to handle natural follow-up questions, mid-sentence corrections, and complex, multi-part commands without you having to repeat the wake word.

When paired with your iPhone or iPad, Siri AI can pull personal context from Apple’s first-party apps like Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Reminders. At the same time, Siri AI on HomeView uses broad world knowledge to deliver conversational answers instead of just redirecting you to a web link on your other devices.

When it comes to HomeView’s 7-inch display, Siri AI acts directly on what’s currently on screen. For instance, you can look at a live camera feed and ask it to unlock the front door — provided you have a compatible smart lock installed. Likewise, when looking at a recipe on your HomeView, you can ask Siri AI to add those ingredients straight to your shopping list.

Hands-free FaceTime, messages and calls

Having to prop your iPhone up every time you want to FaceTime with your grandparents gets old fast. Fortunately, Apple’s HomeView handles video calls with ease thanks to its 12MP camera equipped with Center Stage auto-framing. You can also start a FaceTime call completely hands-free just by asking Siri, which is especially handy if you’re mid-recipe and need to quickly check an ingredient with your parents.

Just like on a Mac, you can send iMessages directly from the HomeView. While you can type them out using the on-screen keyboard, you can also dictate them — and have incoming replies read back to you — using Siri AI. Phone calls work seamlessly, too; if your iPhone rings in another room, you can simply answer the incoming call directly on the smart display’s screen. Plus, HomeView doubles as an in-home intercom, letting you blast quick voice announcements like “dinner is ready” across every Apple device in the house.

Multi-person recognition

That 12MP camera on the front of HomeView isn’t just for video calls. While the new device lacks Face ID, it uses the camera to scan the faces of up to six people in your household. This is what allows your personal dashboard to automatically pop up when you walk up to the screen.

In a way, HomeView’s multi-person recognition feels like having separate user accounts on the shared family computer back in the day. Once the device recognizes you and verifies your unlocked iPhone or iPad is nearby on the same network, you can securely access your personal iMessages, calendar, and reminders. HomeView’s far-field microphones also support multi-user voice matching, allowing Siri AI to differentiate between family members and respond with personalized answers when different people talk to it across the room.

Step-by-step recipes

There’s no better place for a smart display than the kitchen, and Apple definitely considered this when designing HomeView. One of its best features is how you can take any online recipe you’ve opened in Safari and send it straight to the device. From there, HomeView strips away all the clutter and reformats the page into clean, step-by-step instructions with large text that’s easy to read across the room. It even uses proximity sensing to automatically scale the text size up or down based on how far away you're standing.

Since you don’t want to be touching a glass screen with messy hands, you can navigate the entire process using voice commands. Saying phrases like “Siri, next step” lets you advance the recipe without leaving greasy fingerprints on the display. HomeView’s recipes also feature embedded step timers, allowing you to set, label, and manage multiple concurrent timers hands-free while you cook.

Apple HomeView: Reasons to skip

As impressive as the HomeView is on paper, it isn't going to be the right fit for every home. Between its strict reliance on the iPhone and the steep additional costs required just to get a clean wall-mounted install, here are two major drawbacks you should keep in mind before picking one up.

iPhone required

Unlike Amazon’s Echo Show or Google’s Nest Hub devices which are platform agnostic, for the best experience with Apple’s HomeView, you’re going to need an iPhone or at least an iPad. In fact, without one, you can’t even set up a HomeView since you need a device running iOS 27.2 or later just to register it.

While there are households where iOS and Android co-exist, non-iPhone users won’t get anywhere close to the full HomeView experience. Without an iPhone or iPad, you don’t get access to the device’s personal dashboard since facial recognition won’t work — it only matches faces to active Apple IDs. Essentially, without an iPhone, you're stuck feeling like a guest in your own home.

A clean install costs even more

At $299, the standard Apple HomeView is already one of the most expensive smart displays on the market, sharing a price point with Amazon’s much larger Echo Show 15. However, if you want to wall-mount it — especially if you’re aiming for a sleek, wire-free installation — that $299 base price quickly balloons.

Unlike the tabletop model, the wall-mounted HomeView doesn't include a mount or a power supply in the box. Choosing the DIY route with Apple’s entry-level Power Mount USB-C adds $59 to your tab, pushing the total to $358. If you want a hardwired, flush-to-the-wall setup without visible cables dangling down to an outlet, the Power Mount AC Wired costs $79 extra — plus the additional cost of hiring a licensed electrician to wire it safely, which Apple recommends through a partnership with ADT.

Finally, if you want to run power and data over a single network cable, the Power Mount PoE costs an eye-watering $129 on top of the display, and that's before factoring in the cost of a PoE switch or professional installation.

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If you rely on Apple Home to manage your smart home, iOS 27 is packing five key features into the app, led by two major upgrades that tackle long-standing user complaints: enhanced security camera intelligence and smarter notification management.

Powered largely by Apple Intelligence, these updates simplify how you monitor video footage and keep your lock screen clutter-free.

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Apple's HomeView Smart Display has only just been announced, and isn't due to go on sale until November 13 — but you can already save some money on your pre-order. Admittedly it's not a large amount of money, this is a brand new Apple product, but considering how expensive everything is nowadays the option to save even a few dollars shouldn't be ignored.

Amazon is currently offering the Apple HomeView for $290, which is $9 off the standard price. Weirdly the discount only seems to be available in three of the four color options, and anyone hoping to pick up the Starlight (cream) color will have to pay the full $299. But Space Gray, Rose Pink and Silver all get to enjoy that slight discount.

The Apple HomeView is not just an iPad with a stand, which is what a lot of smart displays try to be. It's been designed specifically to fit into Apple's burgeoning smart home ecosystem by offering an experience that doesn't involve cloning the things that your iPhone or Apple Watch can already do.

The most impressive thing is that the HomeView can actually recognize up to six individual people, and adjust the information that's presented on screen accordingly. This means that the schedules and widgets you see are going to be different to the ones your partner or roommate might be presented with.

Siri AI's personal context feature is going to play a key role in this too, offering a smarter and personalized experience when you interact with the HomeView. In fact, it's even possible to ask the screen to find information from your iPhone and display it for you.

Naturally HomeView can do all the things you'd expect from a smart display. The screen can operate as a digital photo frame, rotating images from your own Apple Photos albums to mix things up at home.

Similarly, the 12MP Center Stage camera means the HomeView can also function as a FaceTime machine, letting you offset your calls from your usual device. Plus, like an Amazon Echo, it's an intercom that can communicate with other Apple devices around the house.

That's on top of the fact this is a hub for all the Matter-equipped smart home devices in your home. That's including, but not limited to, the new Apple Home Collection that's been designed in conjunction with LG and Schneider Electric.

So if you need a smart home hub, and figure the Apple option is right for you, take advantage of this discount while you can — no matter how small it might be.

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Case in point: Blink devices are up to 62% off right now. That includes the Blink Mini 2K+ which is on sale for just $16. You can also grab a Blink Wired Doorbell bundled with a Blink Outdoor 2K+, which is currently sporting an $80 discount.

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Apple's new $299 HomeView might be the first smart display in years that makes me want to put one back in my kitchen. Which is saying something, considering I once had multiple Amazon Echo Shows around my home before eventually giving up on them altogether.

I was initially a big believer in the Echo Show. I loved the idea of having recipes, music, photos and smart home controls available without constantly reaching for my phone. But the longer I lived with them, the more I realized how much work I was doing to make these supposedly convenient devices useful.

Want to follow a recipe? I found myself working around Amazon's suggested options rather than easily opening one I'd already saved on my phone. Want to turn the screen into a digital photo frame? That meant managing another app just to display my favorite pictures.

Add in the increasingly intrusive ads, and my Echo Shows eventually went from helpful household gadgets to screens I didn't particularly want to look at. It wasn't long before I sent them off to my storage unit.

But after seeing Apple's new HomeView in action on a bedroom nightstand, mounted on a wall and, most practically for me, on a kitchen counter, I started reconsidering whether I'd actually given up on smart displays altogether.

Unlike my Echo Shows, HomeView seems designed to work with the things I'm already doing on my iPhone, rather than asking me to figure out another way to do them.

HomeView works with my life, not the other way around

Usually, when I'm following a recipe, I've already decided what I'm making. The instructions might be in a link I've texted to my partner, a screenshot or an increasingly chaotic collection of ingredients and instructions copied into Notes (surely I'm not the only one?).

With my Echo Shows, getting to that specific recipe was often more trouble than it was worth. Eventually, it became easier to prop up my iPhone or iPad on the counter. Not exactly the convenience I was looking for.

HomeView takes a different approach. I watched Apple AirDrop a recipe from an iPhone to the display, where Safari transformed the webpage into step-by-step instructions, complete with automatically suggested timers. You can even use Siri to move through the steps hands-free.

Siri AI can also retrieve a recipe someone sent through Messages, using personal context from a compatible iPhone.

Other smart displays have offered guided recipes for years, but what appeals to me is that HomeView starts with content I've already found, rather than expecting me to find something within its own ecosystem. Whether it can handle my messier Notes recipes remains to be seen.

In a similar vein, I like how HomeView can pull photos from existing Apple Photos albums, including shared albums, and display collections featuring specific people or places. I wouldn't need to maintain a separate library through Amazon Photos, which is something I rarely bothered updating on my Echo Shows.

Neither of these features is necessarily revolutionary. But together, they address the biggest reason I stopped using smart displays: I don't want another gadget that requires homework.

A screen that feels like it belongs in my home

Then there's the issue of what actually appears on the screen when I'm not interacting with it.

One of my biggest frustrations with the Echo Show was the promotional content. When I'm making coffee, I want to see my calendar, the weather or a favorite photo — not a recommendation for an Amazon Prime TV show or something to buy.

HomeView is ad-free, and its customizable faces put much more emphasis on the information you choose to display. There's a Modular face with widgets, a Photos face and even an animated Snoopy.

Because HomeView recognizes up to six household members, information displayed changes depending on who's standing in front of it. That means my partner and I could approach the same device and see our own schedules, reminders and widgets without manually switching profiles.

There are requirements, of course. Personal context relies on a compatible iPhone with Apple Intelligence connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and the phone must have been recently unlocked. Still, I like the idea that HomeView is an extension of my existing devices instead of another screen demanding its own digital life.

Apple doesn't need to reinvent the smart display

HomeView still has plenty to prove. There's no traditional App Store; some of its smartest features depend on a compatible iPhone or iPad; and at $299, it's considerably more expensive than many competing smart displays.

But I'm not asking Apple to reinvent the smart display category. All I want is one that feels useful without requiring extra effort. Taking familiar features and connecting them to the way I already use technology is something I wish Amazon had been better positioned to implement.

And while HomeView has yet to prove it'll deliver on that promise in the long-term, it's made me excited about owning a smart display again.

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The irony of smart home gadgets is that they can require an awful lot of work (and app downloads) for devices that are supposed to make your life easier.

Apple wants to simplify that process with the new Apple Home Collection, a lineup of smart home accessories developed by LG Electronics and Schneider Electric in collaboration with Apple.

The collection includes a variety of standard smart home devices from security cameras and smart thermostats to a door lock that can recognize when you're approaching with your iPhone or Apple Watch.

But more importantly, rather than requiring a collection of separate apps and accounts, these accessories are designed to work directly with the new Apple HomeView smart home display and Apple Home app, with an emphasis on easy setup, privacy and integration with your existing Apple devices.

Apple Home Collection: The full list of smart home devices

A smart lock that knows when you're coming home

Of everything in the collection, the LG Smart Deadbolt Lock might be the accessory I'm most interested in trying.

Using Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, the lock can detect when you're approaching with a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch and automatically unlock the door. No need to pull out your phone, tap your watch against the lock or enter a passcode.

That said, the lock does also include a keypad, plus a physical keyhole concealed behind a sliding cover. As much as I like the idea of a door that recognizes me, I wouldn't want to find myself locked out because my phone battery died.

Security cameras that know when you're home

LG is also introducing indoor and outdoor security cameras designed to work directly with Apple Home.

The $199 indoor camera has a particularly thoughtful privacy feature. In lieu of, say, a physical privacy shutter, it can automatically tilt downward when you arrive home. You can also configure schedules for this behavior.

For outdoor security, LG is offering a camera designed to monitor the area around your house, including an option with a motion-activated floodlight.

The cameras integrate with Apple's existing HomeKit Secure Video features, including recognition of familiar faces, pets and package deliveries, with supported video history stored through iCloud+.

A video doorbell with two different views

The LG Video Doorbell features two cameras: one facing outward to capture visitors and another pointing down toward the ground.

That second camera is designed to give you a better look at packages left near your doorstep, which is something traditional doorbell camera angles don't always capture particularly well.

And with Apple's new HomeView smart display, you'll be able to check up to five compatible camera feeds at once from a central screen instead of reaching for your phone. This camera, when set up with an iPhone with Apple Intelligence, also monitors familiar faces and pets for motion activity recaps.

Smart thermostats from LG and Schneider Electric

The collection also includes $199 smart thermostats from both LG and Schneider Electric with slightly different designs, giving buyers some choice in how the thermostat looks on the wall.

Like existing smart thermostats, these can make adjustments throughout the day to help maintain comfortable temperatures while reducing unnecessary energy use.

The thermostats are designed for North American heating and cooling standards, so availability will be more limited than some of the other products in the collection.

Apple Home Collection outlook

To me, the biggest selling point of the Apple Home Collection is how easily they're designed to work together. Simply bring your iPhone near a device, follow a few prompts and add it directly to the Home app. There are no separate manufacturer apps or accounts required.

The accessories will begin arriving in December. Security cameras will be available in the U.S., Canada and U.K., while the smart lock and thermostats are limited to the U.S. and Canada. Prices start at $199 for the indoor camera and thermostats, with the smart lock costing $439.

Apple has supported third-party smart home accessories for years, but collaborating with LG and Schneider Electric to develop them is definitely a different approach. Combined with the new HomeView display, which gives Apple's smart home ecosystem a more obvious centerpiece, there's finally a clearer picture of what an Apple-powered home could look like.

If Apple can truly make setting up and managing a connected home feel less like managing a dozen different gadgets, that might be the smartest feature of the entire Apple Home collection.

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Apple has spent years making products for just about every part of our lives. There's an iPhone in our pockets, an Apple Watch on our wrists, AirPods in our ears, Macs on our desks and an Apple TV in our living rooms. But for all its efforts with HomeKit and HomePod, Apple has never really had a defining smart home moment. Apple HomeView might finally be it.

I got an early look at Apple's new $299 smart home display ahead of its official announcement, and what struck is that HomeView doesn't feel like an iPad attached to a speaker or an oversized Apple Watch. Instead, it borrows some of the best ideas from across Apple's ecosystem and turns them into something that feels designed specifically for the home, built on a platform Apple is calling “HomeView Software.”

Sure, Amazon's Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub have been around for years, but HomeView is the most inventive new product for Apple users since the Vision Pro — only with a much more approachable price and a purpose that's considerably easier to imagine in everyday life.

Between its personalized interface, surprisingly clever cooking features and new Siri AI capabilities, I came away from the demonstration with a breakdown of these seven features that stand out most.

1. HomeView recognizes who's standing in front of it

Using facial and voice recognition, HomeView can identify up to six people in your household and adjust the information on its screen based on who’s interacting with the display accordingly. That means schedules, reminders and widgets on the home screen you're looking at can be different from what your partner sees when they approach the same device.

Apple is also drawing a distinction between accessible shared experiences, like controlling lights or playing music, and private information, like iMessages, Safari browsing and calendar events.

There's a security-related catch, though. To access personalized information, your iPhone needs to be home, connected to the same Wi-Fi network and has to have been recently unlocked.

2. Siri AI understands your personal context

We've heard plenty about how Apple is making Siri smarter with personal context, but Apple's demonstration gave me a more tangible example of what that means.

Imagine asking Siri to find a recipe that someone sent you in a text message. Instead of searching through your conversations, you can ask HomeView to find it using information from your iPhone.

The same intelligence can help with calendar requests, questions about everyday topics and other tasks that would typically send you reaching for your phone.

Apple says Siri requests are processed on HomeView’s A18 processor, while relevant personal context is retrieved from your iPhone (15 Pro or newer supporting Apple Intelligence.)

It's an interesting approach because your iPhone essentially remains the keeper of your personal information, even when you're interacting with another device, but only you can request the use of personal context.

3. It turns online recipes into a cooking experience

When I’ve used Amazon’s smart displays in the past, it's been, primarily, to follow recipes. Apple’s version of using a smart display into a sous chef relies on a new Safari sub-interface that translates internet recipes into organized, step-by-step instructions.

You can AirDrop a recipe from your iPhone or search for one directly using Safari, or using personal context, ask for a recipe sent to you in iMessage or Mail to be surfaced.

It even recognizes when a recipe calls for a timer and automatically presents one (that looks very similar to the Apple Watch’s timer) that you can start with a tap.

You can use Siri to move through the instructions, too.

As someone who regularly cooks with a recipe open on my phone or iPad, often propped against whatever happens to be nearby, this is the kind of feature I could actually imagine using several times a week.

4. HomeView doubles as a customizable digital photo frame

Apple has clearly borrowed some inspiration from the Apple Watch for HomeView's interface, particularly its customizable faces.

There are clock faces, modular layouts with widgets, a moving Flow face that reminded me of a lava lamp and even an animated Snoopy face.

The Photos face is especially appealing. You can display images of specific people, places or albums, including shared albums, and have them rotate throughout the day. As is the case for iPhone wallpapers, Portrait photos look particularly dynamic.

HomeView’s TrueTone display can adjust to the surrounding light, with brightness ranging from 500 nits all the way down to just 0.3 nits. That's the dimmest display it has ever engineered. That makes me think a HomeView makes as much sense for your nightstand as it does in those shared high-traffic areas of the house.

5. FaceTime hands-free with a 12MP Center Stage camera

HomeView has a 12MP Center Stage camera and a four-microphone array for hands-free FaceTime calls.

I can see this being particularly convenient in a kitchen, where you might want to chat with someone while preparing dinner, or in a living room where several family members want to join the same call.

You can also hand off FaceTime calls from your other Apple devices.

No, it's not an entirely new concept for smart displays, but the integration with Apple's existing FaceTime experience could make it especially useful for households that already rely on iPhones.

6. Your entire smart home gets a control center

Naturally, HomeView is also designed to manage your smart home. You can control compatible lights, locks, thermostats and other accessories, create widgets for devices in Apple's Home app, and view up to five security camera feeds simultaneously.

But Apple isn't just introducing a new way to control existing Matter-equipped accessories. It's also teaming up with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric on an entirely new lineup of products called the Apple Home Collection.

The collection includes indoor and outdoor security cameras, a video doorbell with two cameras for monitoring visitors and packages, smart thermostats, and a smart door lock that automatically unlocks when you approach with a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch via UWB.

7. There are two versions of HomeView hardware

When it comes to controlling smart home devices, an optimally-placed, wall-mounted control center tends to be a preferred interface. That’s why Apple is introducing two versions of HomeView hardware at the same price.

The tabletop HomeView comes with a speaker base featuring a down-firing woofer and two passive radiators, along with two full-range drivers in the tilting display itself. Apple demonstrated its music playback capabilities, including album artwork, lyrics and controls for managing speaker groups.

The wall-mounted model, meanwhile, has audio tuned for its placement and is particularly well-suited for smart home controls. It will offer three mounting options, including two in-wall solutions developed with Schneider Electric.

Apple HomeView: My early verdict

The more I saw of HomeView, the more I realized Apple is serious about giving its smart home ecosystem something it's been missing all along: a centerpiece.

What's particularly interesting is that HomeView doesn't seem to depend on having a house full of connected gadgets to be useful. Between FaceTime, recipes, music, photos and personalized information, there's plenty here for someone who hasn't invested much in smart home technology. And for those who have, HomeView could be the missing link that brings everything together.

There are still some important questions, particularly around how reliably Siri AI handles personal context and how limiting the lack of a traditional App Store in “HomeView Software” might be. But after witnessing HomeView in action, I'm considerably more interested in having one in my kitchen or on my nightstand than I expected to be.

Apple has spent years finding its way into nearly every corner of our lives. With HomeView, it might have finally figured out how to make the home itself feel like an Apple product.

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It’s looking like a lock. Apple is set to announce its HomeView smart home hub at the October 13 “Welcome home” event. Think like an Amazon Echo Hub, but Apple-fied with a (rumored) premium design and Siri at its heart.

There’s been plenty of leaks, many from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, so let’s take a look at them all and figure out what you can expect to see Apple CEO John Ternus talk about tomorrow.

iMac G4 nostalgia

As someone who fawned over the iMac G4 in the window of my local PC World, this calls to me. The hardware is set to come in two form factors — first is the 6-inch screen attached to a flat, square mounting plate on the wall. This is probably the common sense option to free up countertop space…but I’m not one for common sense.

That brings me to the second form factor — that same 6-inch screen suspended over a spherical metal and fabric speaker base.

A18 muscle for Siri AI

To get Siri AI running zippy, you need some serious horsepower under the hood. That’s where the rumored A18 chip and 8GB of RAM come in. This is going to be the big differentiator from other home hubs — all of which rely exclusively on the cloud to get things done.

This should enable small models to run locally on HomeView without any of that cloud lag to do simple things like adjust lighting or temperature, while offloading to the cloud if you’ve got something more complex in mind.

The catch: no App Store allowed

This is the most surprising part if you ask me. The App Store has always been a jewel in the crown of Apple devices, so to (reportedly) see the HomeView not get one is a little concerning.

If you want third-party functionality, leaks suggest you’ll have to “project” widgets from a nearby iPhone, for things like pulling up a native YouTube recipe video, for example.

In terms of actually using this device, that could be a problem. I know many people who use their Echo Shows in the kitchen with recipe videos, so hopefully the OS gets an update to support this in the future. Also, I hope this doesn’t mean the smart home device support isn’t walled off so significantly.

The price may be steep for a smart home hub

Now for the cost. Rumors are pointing to $350, which is quite a bit more than the likes of the $249 Echo Show — placing it costwise $100 shy of the base iPad (which does have a full App Store, larger screen and a battery). That means smart home control is available on a bigger slab already.

Apple’s mission with HomeView is going to be proving that this separate device with its iMac G4 looks and a better speaker in the base justifies the cost for a more locked-down OS.

The supporting cast

No, I’m not talking about the rumored Apple TV 4K or HomePod mini 2 announcements. Rather, what seems to be a suite of devices that have been designed to play nice with the HomeView.

It’s looking likely that we’ll see a smart lock, temperature sensor and thermostat all co-developed with LG — all of which seem to have been leaked pretty extensively on X.

The Smart Deadbolt Lock will support all the things you’d expect like tap to unlock, master codes, and a rotatable keypad revealing a physical lock if you need to use a key in clutch moments.

The Smart Thermostat can be temperature calibrated, and can also display humidity too with a simple UI that should be readable from across the room.

And this comes paired with a Temperature Sensor with a magnetic back to attach to metal surfaces (as well as an adhesive back for other surfaces). The battery is replaceable in this, and it links up with the thermostat to give an accurate real-time reading.

Outlook

Apple’s HomeKit launched in 2014, yet Amazon Echo Shows and Google Nest Hubs have owned the kitchen counters for a decade. Tomorrow, Apple looks finally set to fix that with HomeView with an updated Siri AI in tow.

I’m hoping the support isn’t walled off to specific devices, and that the wider smart home ecosystem is supported through this central command center. That alongside the “it just works” nature of Apple could be a game-changer for the home.

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Update October 13: Follow our Apple "Welcome Home" LIVE blog now for all of today's big announcements.

Apple is set to host the first of possibly two October hardware events today, and the likelihood is that the "Welcome Home" event will focus on smart home gadgets. According to Mark Gurman over at Bloomberg, that includes an all-new product called a HomeView, as well as updates to the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini.

Gurman's report zeroes in on the HomeView as the product that will 'close the biggest hole in its ecosystem' by essentially fusing an iPad with a HomePod. Rumors have circulated about this product for a long time but Gurman has corroborated previous reports — 24 hours before the product is officially unveiled.

This will be an all-new product to act as the control center for your smart home, but Apple has apparently partnered with other brands to make sure that compatible accessories — like a smart doorbell and thermostat — are in production.

Part of the reason Apple's smart home ambitions haven't been met was, as Gurman puts it, because Siri's capabilities were never "reliable or capable enough to serve as the connective tissue holding everything together". That's changed with Siri AI and Apple now appears ready to launch an all-out assault on the smart home market.

Here's what to expect at tomorrow's event.

Apple HomeView smart home hub

According to the report, the HomeView will be equipped with an A18 chip, likely paired with the same 8GB of RAM used in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus that it first appeared in. The device will use Siri AI for voice control and be available in either a free-standing tabletop version or as a wall-mounted version that packs the speaker into a flat, square wall plate.

Despite being built on the shoulders of the HomePod, the HomeView will reportedly feature better sound than Apple's smart speaker and come in a choice of four colors: Gray, Silver, Starlight and Rose. However, the wall-mounted version will be limited to Gray and Silver.

There are a few caveats also apparently in place with the HomeView. While it will be revealed tomorrow, Gurman says it won't launch until "mid-November". Furthermore, it will arrive with first-party Apple apps on board, but no App Store for any third-party options. Lastly, the mentioned accessories above — which will also include indoor and outdoor security lights, a deadbolt lock and a floodlight camera — won't ship until later this year "at the earliest."

So while the arrival of a wholly new Apple product is an exciting one, Apple may have a bit of a waiting game to play with this one.

New Apple TV 4K

It was a bit of a surprise not to see a new Apple TV 4K announced back in September but apparently the device is coming tomorrow. The current Apple TV is nearly four years old and, according to the leaks, little will change when it comes to the outward appearance.

Instead, the new set-top box will have an upgraded A17 Pro chip inside (taking over from the A15 Bionic) as well as a RAM boost to 8GB. It will also feature the N1 chip and support for Apple Intelligence, Siri AI and — crucially — Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Oh, and we may get a revamped Siri Remote.

One thing we don't know is whether or not the new Apple 4K TV will stick at the same $199 starting price (it was hiked earlier this year from $129) or be increased further.

New HomePod mini

Like the Apple 4K TV, we are probably going to see a long-overdue refresh to the HomePod mini that upgrades the internals but keeps the outward design exactly the same. Well, apart from some new colors. Gurman claims we'll see the speaker drop in Green, Pink, Blue, White and Midnight.

The new HomePod mini 2 will be equipped with the same S10 chip that debuted in the Apple Watch Series 10 — a big upgrade over the S5 in the current version. As someone who still uses a first-gen Apple HomePod, I'm really looking forward to even an iterative update to Apple's smart speaker.

Again, as with the Apple 4K TV, I just hope that Apple doesn't increase the pricing too much. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out. As a reminder, the event is taking place in New York and is set to kick off at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. BST.

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If you've read any of my Cricut reviews on Tom's Guide, then you wouldn't be surprised to find that I enjoy making stickers. From designing to cutting and sticking to any available surface, creating Cricut stickers has become one of my pastimes in the last two years.

When the die-cutting brand approached me with a secret briefing on a new range of products, I was rather intrigued. What more could the craft-focused brand do? My first thought was anything BUT a sticker-exclusive device. I had envisioned perhaps an even smaller die-cutter than the Cricut Joy 2, or maybe a new suite of tools, but I was more than happy to be wrong.

Upon first unveiling, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the StickerPix Print + Cut was an entry-level Cricut device that keeps the essence of the brand alive and well, all while appealing to a beginner-friendly market. In the grand scheme, by using thermal dye-sublimation technology and a precise-cut blade, the StickerPix takes a popular Cricut hobby — a.k.a. making DIY stickers — and puts it into a slightly more affordable, yet exclusive package.

In fact, the StickerPix comes in two packages — the Print model and the Print + Cut model. The glaring difference between the two? The standalone Print model uses pre-cut sticker sheets, whereas the Print + Cut can trim its own sheets. For transparency's sake, I opted for the Print + Cut for this review solely for the additional cutting factor.

After reviewing the newest flagship, the Cricut Maker 5, last month, among the other Cricuts I've tried in the past, I was well-placed to try the StickerPix Print + Cut. But how will the brand's first solo sticker and photo printer stack up? I put it to the test to find out.

Cricut Stickerpix Print + Cut review: Price and availability

Globally, the Cricut StickerPix Print + Cut can be found at craft stores and major retailers. In the U.S., crafters can buy the machine and the Essentials Bundle for $299 (more on that below). Similarly, crafters in the U.K. can buy the Cricut StickerPix Print + Cut directly from the brand's website for £249.99 with the Essentials Bundle.

In Australia, the machine and the Essentials bundle retails for AU$469. You can buy it from retailers such as Harvey Norman and Spotlight. Aussie crafters should note that the machine is only available starting October 15, 2026.

Similar to the Joy 2, the StickerPix Print + Cut comes in a two-tone Powder Blue colorway, which I am officially dubbing "Cricut Blue". The machine is quite compact, only taking up 8 in x 11.3 in x 4.1 in / 20.4 cm x 28.7 cm x 10.4 cm of desk space. It has one LED power on/off button on top, a storage space for extra sticker or photo paper, and an internal system that slides the paper from the Print side to the Cut side when making stickers.

Much like newer Cricut-branded machines, the StickerPix now comes with a bundle of materials in the box. The Essentials bundle includes 18 sticker sheets, 18 photo paper sheets and one ink cartridge. In the U.S. and UK, crafters can opt for an Ultimate Plus bundle instead, which includes 90 sticker sheets and 90 photo sheets; however, this does come at an additional $80 / £90 cost.

If you run out of sticker or photo paper, Cricut has extra materials available to purchase. For the Essentials bundle on its own, it will cost you $24.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95. This is a bit costly for a pack of sticker sheets and photo paper, but it also includes an additional ink cartridge, which could be useful in the long run.

Cricut Stickerpix Print + Cut review: Specifications

Cricut Stickerpix Print + Cut review: Performance

The Cricut StickerPix Print + Cut (and the Print-only model) uses thermal dye-sublimation technology to produce high-resolution, ultra-vivid sticker and photo prints that are water-, scratch-, and fade-resistant. On the Print side, the machine will print each ink color, as represented by the LED-lit power button, before passing it through the machine to the Cut side. On the Cut side, a built-in fine-point blade cuts neat edges for every kind of sticker or label shape.

In terms of set-up, you'll need to download the Cricut Design Space app and follow the instructions to insert the ink cartridge. I found I didn't need any handholding, but there are setup tips in the app and in the box if you need them. I was very much ready to get started as soon as I plugged the StickerPix Print + Cut in and turned it on.

The only thing to note is that you'll need to load the sticker or photo paper sheets into the printer from the storage slot before each use, which is simple enough to do. And you'll need to leave some space on either side of the machine to allow the paper to slide in and out when printing or cutting. I'd suggest leaving at least 10cm on either side.

Because the machine has two basic functions — i.e., printing and then cutting — and operates on two media — stickers and photo prints — it was easy to test its performance.

Stickers

I'm not beating around the bush here — this machine had me mesmerized.

There are thousands of templates to choose from on the Design Space app, and you can even make your own stickers using your own photos or graphics.

The software has gotten substantially better in the last two years, and has had a mini glow-up for the StickerPix machines. Now you can create sticker sheets with printed backgrounds and use label or photo templates. You can even let the software fill the sheet to optimise space or let it 'surprise' you with the sizes of your stickers.

I stuck pretty true to form for my tests. For this project, I made a mix of my own photo stickers and cute Design Space templates, and let the app organise them for me. After selecting a sticker sheet template in Design Space, I edited the stickers and made some adjustments, but otherwise I was good and ready to print.

Once the sticker paper was loaded into the machine, I hit the 'make' prompt and watched the machine go. It started printing the designs, color by color, before sliding it into the cutting side and making accurate kiss-cuts for each sticker. The entire process took around 2-3 minutes from start to finish.

After cutting five or so sheets, the StickerPix more than excelled in every way. There were some instances where user error impacted the overall design of the sticker — i.e. sizing a detailed sticker too small or photos needing a simple edit to make the color pop more — but other than that, I was particularly impressed with every sticker I made.

Photo Prints

Next up — photo prints. Honestly, this wasn't something I thought I'd be particularly interested in. But after thinking about making upcoming holiday party invites or printing cute photos of my niece and nephews, the thought immediately erased itself from my mind.

Sure, I might be used to heading to my local office supply store and printing photos for 80c a piece, but now, I could just as easily do it from home — and from my phone, which is a big win in my book.

Again, much like the stickers, there are hundreds of photo print designs to choose from in the Design Space app, or you can make your own. I decided to go simple for my initial test, and uploaded a commissioned graphic of myself and my husband with our favorite Pokémon... cheesy, I know!

This image was particularly detailed, especially with the amount of blues and greens in the background, so I was a little hesitant. But sure enough, it delivered a pristine, crystal-clear image.

It's worth noting, though, that the photo paper prints at a different size than the stickers, and you'll need to adjust the paper tray when loading each time. Sticker sheets are 4 x 7 in, whereas the photo paper is 4 x 6 in, which is pretty standard for everyday photo prints. I forgot to do this while making stickers, and it ended up chopping my sticker sheet in half...

Cricut Stickerpix Print + Cut review: App features

All Cricut machines, including the StickerPix Print + Cut, are dependent on the companion design software, Cricut Design Space.

You'll need to download the software to set up the machine, and you'll find QR codes on the box and in the instruction manuals for the App Store and Google Play Store. Design Space is also available for PC and Mac. It's also worth noting that the software needs to be regularly updated to use StickerPix effectively.

As mentioned, Design Space has gotten a lot more user-friendly, especially when using the StickerPix machines. Templates for stickers, labels, photos and cards are displayed on the homepage, and there are easy ways to tweak existing designs. You can also upload your own images or files to use in your designs.

You can also add the designs straight to a blank canvas or bookmark them for later projects. If you haven't used Design Space before, the software does have a step-by-step tutorial you can follow.

Now you can pay for a subscription that gives you access to everything Design Space has to offer; however, most users can get by without one. In full transparency, for this review, I was supplied with a paid subscription, which I've used a fair bit more than the average crafter.

Cricut Stickerpix Print + Cut review: Verdict

In a world of fun hobbies, let making stickers reign supreme! But in all seriousness, the Cricut StickerPix Print + Cut didn't disappoint. That said, it's definitely not a must-have machine for every crafter.

Here's my breakdown: if you're just as keen on sticker making and want to join the Cricut gang, this machine could be considered a 'gateway drug'. The StickerPix Print + Cut has all you need to make your own stickers and photo prints, without the cost of forking out for a Maker 4 or Maker 5.

If you want to craft more than just stickers and photos, but still want a taste of the Cricut life, I'd suggest opting for the Joy 2, which has a speedy print-then-cut sensor exclusively for making stickers.

But regardless of which sticker or photo-making machine you choose, if your life depends on crafting, you can't go wrong with a Cricut.

About a month after it announced the iPhone Duo, Apple is holding yet another event, but this time around, it looks to be aimed at the smart home. The event, which will take place in New York on October 13th at 9 a.m. ET, is titled "Welcome Home."

Bbased on the rumors we've been hearing, the event will be centered around the company's new smart home device, which could be called the HomePad. Apple sent around invites, and also posted a somewhat cryptic announcement on X, which shows two people doing a needlepoint of the old-school Apple logo.

What we expect to see at the Apple October event

As noted, we expect that the Apple HomePad, or whatever it will be called, will be the highlight of the event. This new smart home hub/tablet is likely to have a new interface similar to the Apple Watch, and will be able to customize what it displays based on who's in the room.

It should also feature the new-and-improved Siri, to better handle requests, a la Alexa+ and Gemini can with the best smart speakers and displays from Amazon and Google. It's been speculated that the HomePad, which was rumored to come out at least a year ago, has been delayed until Apple could get Siri right.

Also rumored to make an appearance at the event could be a new HomePod smart speaker, as well as a new Apple TV device; it's been several years since either has been refreshed.

As part of its renewed push into the smart home, we could also see a series of new smart home devices that Apple is developing in conjunction with LG. Just recently, a number of images leaked showing several smart home devices, including a video doorbell, smart thermostat, and smart lock made by the Korean company, which would purportedly work with Apple's ecosystem.

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After years of leaks and rumors, Apple's smart home ambitions are starting to come into focus. A Bloomberg report early this week claimed that Apple and LG are partnering to develop a number of smart home gadgets, including a doorbell and thermostat.

Apple is reportedly holding an event on October 13 where several smart home devices could be announced, including the much-rumored HomePad smart home hub.

Now the reputable leaker, pdfu has followed Mark Gurman's report with leaked renders of the LG/Apple lock, thermostat and a smart temperature sensor, plus some details about the devices. Here's what they look like and what each device is supposed to feature.

Smart Deadbolt Lock

Notably, of the three devices that pdfu revealed in their posts, none of them have an obvious Apple logo. However, they all feature an LG log, typically on the top of the device but not front and center. These first smart home devices are reportedly going to launch under LG's branding and not Apple's.

Starting with the Smart Deadbolt lock, it features a rotating keypad to open. It supposedly comes with a swivel pin to limit the rotation so it doesn't hit a wall.

There are settings for a touchpad light ring, door left open alarm and lock sound volume. It should support auto-unlocking, tap-to-unlock, emergency power and master codes. All typical for a smart lock.

It should fit 2.375-inch (60.3mm) and 2.75-inch (69.9mm) brackets and comes with two normal keys.

Smart Thermostat

The leaker did not provide as much information about the smart thermostat. Reportedly, it will have settings for a far-sight display, a humidity display, brightness and language.

It should also feature a calibrated temperature and temperature offset options.

Interestingly, the rounded design feels similar to Google's Nest thermostat, while most other smart thermostats, like the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential, seem to have a squircle design.

LG Temperature Sensor

Finally, the little white circle that is the Temperature Sensor should detect both temperature and humidity.

It allegedly features a magnetic back to attach to metal surfaces and comes with a metal plate that can be adhered to surfaces. It should come with a replaceable battery and replacement alerts.

Per Gurman, Apple and LG are also working on a video doorbell and a trio of security cameras (indoor, outdoor, and floodlight).

Are you excited for a more Apple-centric smart home? Let us know in the comments.

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The most terrifying thought concerning smart home privacy is the idea that my baby monitor is being watched by anyone other than myself. In the era of privacy beaches, your smart home devices might be leaking your data, and you need to shut that down ASAP.

Smart devices, from your thermostat to your washing machine, utilize IoT (Internet of Things) technology, which means that they’re embedded in a network that exchanges data with other devices over the internet. But what sort of data could a washing machine collect that could pose a potential privacy issue? Well, that simple smart appliance is connected to the same network as your laptop or computer, so hackers can bounce from a lightbulb to a PC.

We live in a time where we’ve traded our privacy for convenience, and while these companies have gathered a ton of data on us already, it doesn’t mean we need to keep the toxic river flow going. Let’s go over how to secure your devices.

Change your password

Come on now, don’t walk around with your username as “admin” and password as “password” for your router or any of your smart devices. You might as well be handing the manila envelope of your life directly to a hacker.

If you’re looking for convenience, use a strong password manager to autogenerate a password for you. Using personal information in a password is almost as bad as whatever the default is. Simple words are also ill-advised. If you really want to know how fast a hacker can break your password, Hive Systems produced a convenient graphic for you to get the idea.

Most importantly, don’t use the same password twice. I know it’s a pain, but it’s necessary, and let’s move onto why.

Enable 2FA or MFA

Changing your password is not enough. Even if you’ve somehow developed an impenetrable string of letters, numbers, and symbols, it could easily be put on blast if there’s a security breach. And suddenly, a hacker knows the password for your Samsung washing machine, which could be the same password you use for your laptop (if you happened to not take my previous advice).

Most devices let you set up two-factor authentication (2FA) or multifactor authentication (MFA), and it is a simple way to stop a hacker from breaching your smart home even if they have the password to your device. Setting this up, typically through your phone, is another layer to keep your smart home safe.

Enable automatic firmware updates

This may seem rather obvious, but it’s important to point out that you should keep all your smart home devices, especially your router, up to date and this includes your other devices too, like your smartphone and laptop. The easiest way to do that is to enable automatic firmware updates. Whenever there’s a security issue, manufacturers will ideally patch the vulnerability as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, that might not always be the case. If a company is no longer supporting the product or simply discontinued it, that might be your cue to do the same. No one likes spending money on something new when the old one works just fine, but the older a product is, the more vulnerable it could become.

Use a router-level VPN

Setting up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can not only secure your smart home devices but all of the devices on your network. A VPN encrypts your data, so hackers won’t be able to see what exactly your smart home devices are communicating. It’s not impenetrable, but it’s a strong layer of security.

Now, the only problem with this is that most VPNs aren’t free and not all routers are compatible with VPN integration. However, if you have access to a VPN and a compatible router, you should be able to set it up via your router settings, in a section likely labeled VPN Client mode.

Set up a smart home network

One of the most significant changes you can make to your smart home is using a local or separate Wi-Fi network for your smart home devices. This does come with some drawbacks, however.

You can set up a guest network on your router and throw all your smart home devices on there, effectively isolating them from your primary network. How effective this is comes down to the type of smart home device you’re connecting. Some can get temperamental with your phone not being on the same exact network. You might need to switch to the guest network, connect with the device, and switch back to see if that works. In other cases, it might not be compatible at all.

If you want to go the local network route, things will take a slightly more challenging but effective turn. You’ll need to get your hands on a Raspberry Pi or an old laptop and start looking into Home Assistant, an open source home automation system that keeps all of your smart home devices local.

If you’re willing to trade convenience back for privacy, this should be your next step. It’s more involved than what we can cover here, but to put it simply, your smart home devices connect to your laptop or Raspberry Pi locally and then can be managed through the Home Assistant app.

Bottom line

The more steps you take to secure your network, the less likely you’ll have to worry about your personal data being breached because of something as simple as your washing machine. Even one of these steps will drastically improve your security, but changing your passwords and using 2FA or MFA is great advice in and out of your smart home.

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Just the other night, a piercing siren woke me and everyone else in my house up in the dead of night. Half awake, I made my way downstairs only to find out it was our carbon monoxide detector going off. We called emergency services, and before I knew it, the entire neighborhood was lit up with fire trucks and emergency vehicles descending on our home.

After checking the house for carbon monoxide levels, first responders gave us the all-clear to head back inside. I still don't know why that sensor triggered, but the scare was enough to make me immediately order another Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor.

While its primary role is keeping tabs on everyday indoor air quality, it also tracks carbon monoxide levels. With a 33% discount on it right now, I couldn't pass up this Prime Day offer — especially after what happened the night before.

I’ve had the Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor running continuously for over three years now, and despite being the gadget I interact with the least, it does a whole lot behind the scenes. Fundamentally, it keeps tabs on indoor air quality.

It's remarkably consistent, too, immediately flagging poor air quality the moment I start cooking in the kitchen or spraying harsh cleaning solutions around the house.

While the instant audio alerts chiming across all my Alexa speakers give me a quick heads-up (and remind me to crack a window), the Alexa app is where the real value lies. That’s where it breaks down the exact data points across particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and yes, carbon monoxide levels.

That false alarm was the reason for buying a second unit. Since neither my existing Amazon monitor nor any other sensor in the house registered elevated carbon monoxide levels that night, I determined that the detector sounding the alarm was simply faulty.

To give myself real peace of mind, I ordered another Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor specifically for our second floor. One of its biggest advantages over traditional detectors is that it plugs directly into an outlet for continuous, steady power — eliminating the nagging worry of dying batteries chirping in the middle of the night.

And while a plug-in sensor would typically go dark during a blackout, that isn't a concern for me because my home's battery backup ensures it stays powered and monitoring without missing a beat.

• shop all October Prime day deals
• YETI sale: deals from $10
• Amazon devices: deals from $12
• Anker Smart Display Charger: was $39 now $23
• Skechers: from $25
• TV sale: deals from $69

We’re in the midst of October Prime Day, and there’s no shortage of great deals — especially if you’re shopping for tech. If you’ve had your eye on new devices from brands like Apple, Blink, Anker and more, now is the perfect time to shop. I’ve rounded up tons of standout tech deals, and the best part? They’re all under $50.

From smart displays and security cameras to portable chargers and audio devices, there’s something for everyone — and prices start at just $12. So, if you’re ready to upgrade your smart home or add a few new gadgets to your lineup, keep scrolling to shop some of my favorite Prime Day deals.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon device deals
• Amazon Smart Plug: was $24 now $12
• Apple EarPods: was $19 now $15
• Fire TV Stick 4K Select: was $49 now $17
• Soundcore P20i: was $39 now $18
• Anker Nano II USB-C Charger: was $39 now $22
• Blink Video Doorbell: was $59 now $26
• Echo Dot (5th Gen): was $79 now $39
• Ring Battery Doorbell 2K: was $99 now $39

Prime Day Tech Deals

More Deals

Every time a major Amazon sale rolls around, you can bet the retailer's popular smart home devices will be sporting some pretty impressive discounts — and Prime Big Deal Days are no exception.

Even better? Amazon has already dropped early deals on Fire TVs, Kindles, Ring Video Doorbells, Blink security cameras, Echo devices and more. With savings of up to 70% off, it’s hard to imagine these prices getting much better during the actual October Prime Day event. In other words, if you’ve had your eye on one of these devices, now is the time to shop.

From smart displays to security cameras, you really can't go wrong when purchasing these popular devices — especially when the deals start at just $12. If you're ready to upgrade your smart home, keep scrolling to shop my favorite deals ahead of Prime Day.

There are tons of Alexa deals up for grabs, so keep scrolling to see my favorites! For more, see our Amazon promo codes coverage.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon device deals
• Amazon Smart Plug: was $24 now $12
• Blink Video Doorbell: was $59 now $26
• Echo Dot (5th Gen): was $79 now $39
• Ring Battery Doorbell 2K: was $99 now $39
• Amazon Fire 7 Kids Tablet: was $109 now $54
• Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam Plus: was $159 now $59
• Insignia 50" F50 4K Fire TV: was $299 now $159
• Toshiba 65" G700 Series ArtVision 4K UHD Smart Fire TV: was $1,999 now $1,097

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Apple just launched the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and it's preparing to start accepting pre-orders for the highly anticipated iPhone Duo.

But the company doesn't appear to be done releasing new products, as the latest rumor from Bloomberg suggests it's preparing new smart home devices, including the rumored HomePad (or whatever it decides to call its screen-based smart home hub).

Fans of the Cupertino-based company had to turn to Google Nest or Amazon Alexa if they want a screen-based device to talk to in their homes while Apple worked to get its Siri assistant and device ready for primetime. If these rumors are accurate, we should learn more about the new smart home devices on October 13, which is just two weeks away.

Here are the features of Apple's HomePad that you need to have on your radar (note that a lot are on other smart home hubs):

Visitor Mode

To me, Visitor mode is what really sets Apple's device apart from the best smart displays. Google and Amazon have the smart home hub space pretty cornered right now, but Apple could take some of the market thanks to this privacy feature.

According to Bloomberg's report, when the hub detects unfamiliar people in the room (those not registered in the household), it won't show any personal information. It'll use facial and voice recognition to identify visitors and non-household members (neither is new; current hubs from other companies use both facial and voice recognition). But the way Apple plans to use it (if these rumors are accurate) sounds fantastic and like a great way to keep anything embarrassing or private from showing up on your screen when guests are lingering.

Siri AI

We couldn't have a 2026 or 2027 Apple device without Siri AI being a huge part of it. Whether that's a positive depends on how you feel about Apple's use of AI so far, but as Siri AI improves over time, it should be a net positive overall.

I'm neutral to Siri AI so far, but I do use Google's AI on my Nest devices to ask quick questions or help settle arguments in the home, and I could see myself using Siri for the same purposes (I do use Siri in the car to find out quick facts that pop up during conversation, and it does the job well enough). We'll have to see exactly how Apple chooses to integrate its AI tool, but I fully expect it to do what it needs to well enough.

iMac G4-like design

I guess this isn't a feature in the traditional sense, but it might be the aspect of the HomePad I'm most excited about. The iMac G4 is nothing short of iconic, so the idea of a device sitting on my kitchen counter that looks like a mini one of those sounds great.

And when the larger version with the movable arm comes out later (it'll reportedly have a 9-inch display), it could capture the look of the iconic all-in-one computer even more faithfully. I might ditch my Google Nest devices based on the look alone.

FaceTime and intercom

Apple will reportedly offer FaceTime as part of the smart home experience, so you can chat with friends and loved ones on video, as you would on your iPhone. It will also include an intercom system to communicate with other hubs in the home.

The report doesn't mention whether the intercom feature will be able to broadcast to iPhone or iPad devices, but that seems like a nice convenience if you want to summon everyone for dinner and household members are in a room without a hub. We'll see what happens come October 13.

Table or wall (depending on model)

Apple is rumored to be developing two models of its HomePad. One will sit on a table, and the other will mount on a wall.

Both models will lack batteries, so it will need to be plugged in at all times. This is pretty standard for smart home hubs, so I'm not surprised Apple is forgoing a battery.

iPhone-like thickness

Perhaps one of the more interesting rumored aspects of the HomePad is how small it's rumored to be. The 6-inch screen isn't overly surprising, but the reported iPhone-like depth is quite shocking. We're used to smart home hubs being a little bulky (largely due to the speakers), so Apple launching one with iPhone-like depth is interesting.

Of course, that leads me to wonder how good the internal speakers will sound compared with the competition. iPhone speakers have come a long way over the years, but they still lack the depth and punch of more robust speaker systems.

Ambient display

Almost every smart home hub has some kind of ambient display mode, and the HomePad looks set to follow the trend. This isn't overly exciting on its own, but Apple is expected to put its own spin on it with a lava lamp-like mode that'll make the hub feel like a display piece.

Of course, it'll have photo slideshows as well if a digital clock with a lava lamp aesthetic isn't your thing. With the quality Apple offers for its Mac and iOS wallpapers, I'd be shocked if the screensavers Apple includes with its smart home hub are anything but gorgeous.

More from Tom's Guide

• iOS 27 has a hidden anti-scam setting — here’s why every iPhone user should turn it on
• iPhone 18 Pro variable aperture lens just added to Apple's Final Cut Camera — here's how it works
• Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra may scrap the 10MP telephoto lens — and there's no word of a replacement

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days — AKA October Prime Day — is on the way. But you don't need to wait for October, as Amazon is already offering early deals on its smart devices.

Right now you can get up to 65% off Fire Tablets, Ring video doorbells and more. It's the perfect time for a cheap and easy refresh. I'm predicting prices won't get much cheaper than they are now on Prime Day proper (although I'd be happy to be proven wrong, of course.)

There are tons of Alexa deals up for grabs, so keep scrolling to see my favorites! For more, see our Amazon promo codes coverage.

Quick Links

• shop all Amazon device deals
• Amazon Smart Plug: was $24 now $12
• Blink Video Doorbell: was $59 now $26
• Ring Battery Doorbell 2K: was $99 now $39
• Amazon Fire 7 Kids Tablet: was $109 now $54
• Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam Plus: was $159 now $59
• Insignia 50" F50 4K Fire TV: was $299 now $179
• Toshiba 65" G700 Series ArtVision 4K UHD Smart Fire TV: was $1,999 now $1,099

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