Apple unveils HomeView smart display with context-aware Siri
Developing story first seen 5 hours ago
New hands-on details show Apple’s HomeView smart display combining home controls with personal information and context-aware Siri. The demos suggest it could serve as a central hub for Apple’s smart home devices, though its everyday performance remains untested.
The 7-inch display can show camera feeds and control lighting and thermostats, while Siri can use information from an iPhone to answer requests such as finding a song mentioned in a message. Safari can format compatible recipes with ingredients, instructions and timer shortcuts, and users can hand recipes over from an iPhone. HomeView offers personalised screens after recognising a user or their iPhone; the tabletop model adds bass speakers, while the wall-mounted version does not.
- HomeView combines smart home controls with personal information.
- Siri can use iPhone context to handle requests.
- Demos impressed, but full testing is still needed.
New here? Start with this
A smart display is a touchscreen device that combines a voice assistant with controls for smart home equipment such as lights and thermostats. These devices typically sit on tables or walls and can display camera feeds, calendar events and other personal information from a user's devices.
The market for smart displays is currently led by Amazon's Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub, which are used in millions of homes worldwide. These products serve as central hubs for managing other connected devices throughout a home and their voice assistants have become a routine part of how many people control their environment daily.
Apple has traditionally been absent from the smart display market, focusing instead on iPhones, computers and services, though it does make the Apple TV which offers some overlapping features. The company is known for prioritising privacy and building products that integrate closely with its own device ecosystem.
Full account
Apple has unveiled HomeView, a new smart display device representing the company's major entry into the connected home sector. The seven-inch touchscreen operates as a central hub for controlling household technology, adopting visual design cues from the Apple Watch whilst functioning as a full home management system. The device marks the fruition of Apple's recently intensified focus on smart home integration.
Two hardware configurations are available. The tabletop edition incorporates a speaker base with a down-firing woofer and passive radiators to amplify lower frequencies, complemented by dual full-range drivers integrated into the display unit. A wall-mounted alternative eliminates the enhanced audio components whilst maintaining identical pricing. Both variants feature an aluminium frame surrounding a Liquid Retina display, with multiple colour options offered.
HomeView manages smart home devices through Thread and Matter connectivity standards, supporting equipment from manufacturers including LG—featuring cameras, door locks, and climate controls—as well as other suppliers such as Schneider Electric. The unified Home app interface enables users to monitor live camera feeds and regulate lighting and heating systems through straightforward touch gestures and navigation.
When paired with compatible iPhones or iPads, the device employs Apple Intelligence to enable context-aware Siri interactions. The assistant can reference information from messages and emails to interpret requests intelligently, such as identifying songs mentioned by particular contacts. Additional capabilities encompass integration with recipe websites using standard markup formats, automatically extracting ingredients and steps with tap-accessible timer functions, alongside FaceTime calling and music playback. The device retails for £299 and launches on 13 November, with pre-orders available.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 emphasises hands-on design assessment and responsive performance from product demonstrations, whilst Source 2 prioritises commercial and technical specifications
Source 1 extensively details recipe integration features including proximity-based handoff from iPhones; Source 2 mentions recipes only amongst other functions
Only Source 2 provides specific pricing and launch date
Only Source 2 notes concurrent announcements of Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini 2
Source 1 identifies LG and Schneider Electric partnerships explicitly; Source 2 references connectivity standards without naming manufacturers
Source 1 includes subjective impressions of sound quality and Siri responsiveness; Source 2 presents objective hardware specifications
Source 2 explicitly addresses preorder availability and colour options; Source 1 does not
More coverage
- The Verge — Apple’s HomeView display is now available to preorder
- The Verge — I tried out Apple’s HomeView smart display
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Engadget as “Apple HomeView hands-on: Siri AI is your new roommate”.