Apple has finally unveiled its long-awaited home smart display. Called the Apple HomeView, it’s designed to function as a hub for various smart home devices, while also serving as an entertainment and communication console.
Basically, it’s Apple’s version of an Echo Show, albeit with the kind of software polish we’ve come expect from the company. It comes in two form factors: a screen mounted on a speaker base for tabletop use and a screen-only device designed to mount up walls, like a fancy wall clock that can do so much more.
The Apple HomeView’s central hardware is a 7.0-inch square screen with rounded corners that you can interact with like a regular touchscreen device. We guess, it kinds of looks like a giant Apple Watch. When idle, you can use it to display different types of clock faces, too, so it really acts like a supersized version of Apple’s smartwatch. However, you’re not just limited to the clock faces, since it offers all sorts of options, including ones with different widgets for a multi-function idle screen, art, photos, and more. There are no buttons anywhere on the device, by the way, so you’ll have to interact with it via the touchscreen or voice control. The screen has adjustable brightness between 0.3 nits to 500 nits, by the way, so you can turn it way down for use in the nightstand during the wee hours and way up when you’re cooking in a well-lit kitchen.
At the top, there’s a 12-megapixel FaceTime camera, which, Apple claims, is strictly used for video calls and facial recognition. The speaker version, by the way, has the screen mounted to a base with two full range drivers, a down-firing woofer, and two force-canceling passive radiators. They’re connected by a stainless steel hinge that makes it easy to adjust the viewing angle.
The Apple HomeView has a homescreen with four separate areas for widgets, so you can customize it to your exact liking. You tap on one of the widgets to access different apps and controls. Alternatively, you can use voice commands. Siri AI is baked into the device, so you can interact with it similar to other Apple devices. It’s designed to function as an Apple Home Hub, a Matter controller, and a Thread Border Router, allowing you to control all compatible local devices, create scenes and automations, and support HomeKit Secure Video. A number of Apple’s own apps are built in, including Calendar, Reminders, Messages, and Music, while also supporting third-party audio and video apps compatible with the Carplay architecture.
According to Apple, it has an intelligent switching feature that can detect up to six different people, automatically customizing the interface depending on who’s using it. Do note, you will need an iPhone or iPad connected in the same network for it to work. Otherwise, the user just gets whatever default interface you put in. It’s powered by Apple’s A18 chip by the way, which also provides the kind of data security you might want from a device that’s, basically, got access to your whole house.
The Apple HomeView is now available for preorder in select territories, with deliveries slated for November 13th. Price is $299.
