Cartoon toys sit at a round table in a bright showroom full of smart screens and speakers. A small silver toy with a glass head sits on a stack of books and holds up a screen with a $299 tag. A glowing blue star is inside his glass head. Next to him, a star-headed toy in a beanie, a mask and a striped shirt sits with his arms crossed and a sack at his feet.

Siri Pulls Up a Chair

Apple's new home screen costs the most at the table. The brain inside it is Google's.

Apple has wanted a seat in the smart home for ten years. On Tuesday it brought a new screen to the table, and the assistant inside it runs on someone else's work.

  1. 2016 and 2018. Apple puts out its Home app, then its HomePod speakers. Reuters calls the home "a market where Apple has tinkered for a decade without major success" (Reuters).

  2. January 12. Apple and Google say "the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology" (joint statement). Apple: Google's technology "provides the most capable foundation" (CNBC).

  3. October 13. Apple shows HomeView, a 7-inch screen for a tabletop or the wall, with Siri AI inside. $299. Orders open that day, and it arrives November 13. It knows up to six faces in a house (Apple). Google's name is not in Apple's announcement.

  4. The table. Amazon's Echo Show 8 is $199.99. Google's Nest Hub is $99.99 (Reuters).

  5. Where it can go. Not the European Union, "as Siri AI is currently unavailable in iOS in the EU." English only, in eight countries (Apple).

  6. The fine print. Some features "are subject to daily usage limits," and "expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future" (Apple).

  7. What the analysts said. One of Apple's two big hurdles is "the limited ability of Siri to give useful answers." Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight: "AI alone will not be enough to convince households to invest in more devices" (Reuters).

Made a promise one to keep