# New Apple and Amazon smart displays target shared household tasks

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-homeview-and-echo-show-16-could-be-the-family-computers-ive-been-asking-for/
- Published: 2026-10-30T13:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T13:24:03+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/tech/1022592/apple-homeview-amazon-echo-show-16-smart-display-family-computer
- Topics: Art, Culture, Gadgets, Technology

## Key points

- Apple and Amazon have rethought smart displays as shared household screens.
- HomeView costs $299; Echo Show 16 costs $499.99.
- Their usefulness still needs testing, and the price is a trade-off.

## Summary

Apple’s $299 HomeView and Amazon’s $499.99 Echo Show 16 could give smart displays a clearer role as shared family computers. The idea is a communal screen for household tasks such as checking calendars, controlling smart-home devices and seeing who is at the door, rather than a device for homework or paying bills.

The new models pair more capable hardware with displays and software designed for shared, always-available use, including easier switching between household members. That addresses shortcomings of earlier smart displays and tablets, which could be underpowered, difficult to share or prone to being carried away. Their prices are much higher than older models, and the writer says more testing is needed; the article also notes that the two devices differ in how they work.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.