Apple has officially introduced its first smart display, the HomeView, marking a significant step in integrating Siri AI into the home environment. The device prioritizes a beautiful, multipurpose screen aesthetic over innovative new smart-home functionalities, even going so far as to obscure text messages from family members.
The HomeView has arrived after being long-rumored by the tech giant. During a first look in New York City, the device was found to be visually stunning. Featuring a small, vibrant screen atop a speaker base, the HomeView is designed for video calls, photo display, and quick information access via Siri AI. Its square shape offers a less imposing profile compared to larger competitors like the Google Nest Hub Max or Amazon Echo Show 11, making it well-suited for kitchen counters or bedside tables.
Positioned as the centerpiece of Apple's home strategy, the HomeView is priced at $299. It launches alongside new cameras, thermostats, and door locks for Apple Home. As a smart home hub, Matter controller, and Thread Border Router, the device orchestrates various Apple Home and Matter-compatible gadgets. It is available in eight countries, including the US and UK, with pre-orders open now for shipping on November 13th.
Pow ered by built-in Siri AI, the display supports natural-language voice interactions for general knowledge queries, smart device control via voice and touch, and information retrieval using personal context derived from text messages, calendars, and emails. This personal context feature relies on facial recognition and requires an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone to be on the same network, ensuring that children cannot view private texts.
The HomeView is capable of displaying formatted recipes for cooking, keeping users engaged in FaceTime video calls with Center Stage technology, and showing live feeds from HomeKit Secure Video cameras. The screen sits atop a small aluminum speaker base connected by an adjustable stainless steel arm. Notably, the device lacks physical volume or power buttons, and the 12-megapixel FaceTime camera is exposed, used solely for calls and facial recognition.
The interface offers customizable "faces" that resemble a larger Apple Watch rather than a small iPad. Idle states can display photo, clock, or Snoopy faces, while a modular face allows for widgets from apps like to-do lists, world clocks, and podcasts. A dedicated home widget face provides controls for lights, climate, and cameras. Although untested by the reviewer initially, swiping up reveals a familiar app grid with core apps like Messages and Apple Music.
Apple outlined a vision of a family of five utilizing the HomeView during the morning rush, demonstrating its utility for tasks like finding French toast recipes, checking the calendar, and answering FaceTime calls. The demo included a scenario where a daughter could send a text message to a secret boyfriend via the device, which activated facial recognition to prevent her younger brother from reading it. The reviewer noted that while realistic, the scenario lacks realism because no iPhones were held during the interactions.
The reviewer views smart displays as a convenient way to control home devices without reaching for a phone. Apple's HomeView takes this concept further, aiming to eliminate the need for a phone entirely within the home. It is designed as an "iPhone for your home," allowing access to all Apple apps directly on the screen.
The HomeView is available in four colors: silver, starlight, rose pink, and space grey. Audio capabilities include two speaker drivers in the display, a woofer, and two force-canceling passive radiators in the base, delivering sound that exceeds the HomePod Mini but falls short of the standard HomePod. A wall-mountable version without the speaker base is also available for $299, featuring plug-in, in-wall power, or PoE options.
The device features a Liquid Retina display with True Tone support and ambient light adjustment, capable of reaching 500 nits brightness and 0.3 nits for low-light usage. The aluminum case is button-free, featuring only a speaker grille and mic holes. Interaction is handled via tapping widgets or voice commands.
While functioning as a HomeKit hub for local control and automations, the HomeView is described as less of a focused smart home controller and more of a tool to reduce iPhone usage. It supports Apple apps like Calendar, Reminders, Messages, and Music, alongside third-party audio and video apps using CarPlay architecture, though video apps are currently limited.
The Siri AI on the HomeView is the same version found on the upgraded iPhone with iOS 27, offering broad knowledge, personal context, and natural language understanding. It demonstrated the ability to handle chained requests, such as booking a calendar event, setting a reminder, and adding a grocery item, although chained commands for home devices are restricted to specific types, like turning on lights but not adjusting thermostats simultaneously.
Both tabletop and wall-mounted versions share the same feature set, differing primarily in placement. A kitchen counter setup is ideal for consumption and music, while a wall-mounted unit serves better as a smart home control center. Apple demonstrated a wall-mounted unit near a front door, capable of displaying doorbell feeds and up to nine live camera streams from HomeKit Secure Video.
A key software feature is intelligent switching, which uses facial recognition and the presence of a recently unlocked iPhone to tailor the interface to the user. Upon authentication, the device shows personalized layouts and context, such as recipes or music. If unauthenticated, it defaults to functional views like doorbell feeds or general info. Apple supports up to six profiles, with all microphone and camera data processed on a Secure Exclave (A18 chip) to ensure privacy.
Concerns remain regarding the speed of profile switching and limitations when unauthenticated, drawing parallels to previous Siri frustrations on the HomePod. While smart home controls like security footage require authentication, the reviewer questions if any compelling smart home use case exists beyond what competitors offer. Despite this, the device's design and iPhone integration are praised, and the potential to keep phones off the dining table could be its primary selling point.
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