Video taking off 9.5x its usual first day

Sam Kohl finds Apple's $299 HomeView doesn't even come with its wall mount

AppleTrack's verdict on the new smart home lineup runs from a pricier Apple TV to a HomePod mini 2 that keeps the old speaker specs.

Channel:

AppleTrack Story of October 15, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 105,485 views a day, 9.5 times a normal first day on this channel (11,051).

Apple's home products are already a disaster.

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:27HomeView at $299: thick bezels, an LCD screen and weaker audio than the full-size HomePods.
2:00The speakerless wall version costs the same, and the wall mount plate is sold separately.
3:34Apple's Siri demo footage is shortened compared with real iPhone tests, unlabeled on screen.
4:14The older A18 chip keeps HomeView from Apple's top on-device AI models.
6:37Apple TV 4K gets minor spec bumps while its price rises to $299.
8:11HomePod mini 2 keeps the same audio specs at $149; Siri AI support comes after launch.

Take the speaker base off Apple's new HomeView and the price stays put. The wall-mounted version still costs $299, Sam Kohl points out, and the plate needed to hang it is a separate purchase. "Guess what, that is not included in the box," he says.

That detail sets the tone for "Apple's home products are already a disaster." A week ago AppleTrack was mapping out what Apple might bring to its October 13 event, as we reported here, and calling the hub by its rumored name, HomePad. It arrived as HomeView, and Kohl's reaction drew about 105,000 views in its first day, far beyond the channel's usual start.

HomeView gets the longest look. Kohl questions the thick bezels, the LCD screen, audio hardware below the full-size HomePods and the older A18 chip, which he says keeps it from running Apple's top on-device AI models. He also sets the quick Siri replies in Apple's promotional footage against slower tests on an iPhone. "They do not say on this screen that the sequences are shortened," he notes.

The rest of the lineup fares no better in his telling. The Apple TV 4K gets small spec bumps and a price of $299; the HomePod mini 2 keeps the original's audio specs at $149, with Siri AI support promised for later, not launch. On the LG-made accessories, he asks: "Why is Apple, the privacy company, partnering with LG on these accessories?" The video also carries a sponsored software segment.

The comments came in more than twice as fast as on a usual first day, and the Apple TV's price is the thread running through them. One viewer had been waiting to replace a model with the old touch remote; several say this is the first time they have heard Kohl genuinely irritated. He ends by explaining that the criticism comes from caring about the products.

Published on Trari

Where next?

Also in Technology reviews and gadgetsVideo surging 32x the video's usual paceMax Tech puts Nori to work on pilaf and packingBen's sponsored family-hub demonstration gets a delayed viewing jump, alongside a comment section crowded with requests for a "key."Channel: Max Tech · Story of October 24, 2026

A different discovery todayVideo people are talking about 11x its usual commentsZelenskyy tells Steven Bartlett why he needed "ammunition, not a ride"In a nearly two-hour conversation, Ukraine's president moves from sleepless nights and grieving parents to Bucha, Paddington Bear and the morning the invasion …Channel: The Diary Of A CEO · Story of October 24, 2026

What viewers say

First time I’ve ever heard you genuinely irritated and I’m with ya😅
@NttvbeefSee it on YouTube
First time I wanted ZERO of apples announced products!
@LuisjusthereSee it on YouTube
I was so excited as someone who was looking to upgrade their Apple TV that still has the terrible touch remote...$299 is INSANE
@brianpezzutiSee it on YouTube

6 more comments

11:25 nah you’re totally right. Valid crash out. They really dropped the ball this time.
@Mari0o0oSee it on YouTube
You are just being honest and there is nothing wrong with being honest about a product that you are not really excited about. I agree the event fell short and the products were not really exciting and have increased in price without any noticeable exciting features.
@manakeybearer4964See it on YouTube
$299 for the new ATV is absolutely ridiculous
@terrycarlton6991See it on YouTube
so apparently homeview with build in speaker WITH included power adapter is "only" $299 while the wall mounted version that has no build in speaker with add on usb c power mount and 40w adapter that sold separately is $397 will never make sense to me

so weird
@UniqueTechArchieveSee it on YouTube
So apples completely able to give us multi user iPads but they won’t
@Sunchaser-n9qSee it on YouTube
The Apple TV will end up being the Vision Pro of streaming side no way mainstream users will pay this
Ridiculous price
@AngeloPappas72See it on YouTube