Apple HomeView: a $299 smart home screen that recognises everyone in your family
Apple's new home hub comes in tabletop and wall-mounted versions, uses Siri AI, and arrives on November 13, but not in the EU.
Apple has finally launched a device many fans have wanted for years: a smart home screen. Called HomeView, it was announced on October 13 and costs $299 (£299). Pre-orders are open now, and it reaches stores on November 13.
Two versions, one price
HomeView comes in two forms:
- Tabletop: a 7-inch square touchscreen sitting on a rounded aluminium speaker base, with a hinge so you can tilt the screen. It comes in Silver, Space Gray, Rose Pink and Starlight.
- Wall-mounted: just the screen, in Silver or Space Gray, fixed to the wall with one of Apple’s special mounts.
Both cost the same $299. However, the wall version needs a mount that is sold separately, and those are not cheap: $59.95 for a USB-C version, $129.95 for a version powered through an Ethernet cable (PoE), and $79.95 for a hard-wired AC version that does not arrive until early 2027.
What makes it different
The headline feature is that HomeView is personal to each person in the house. It can recognise up to six household members by face and changes the home screen, apps and widgets for whoever is standing in front of it. Your messages and calendar stay private, while things like photos and music can be shared.
Other key features include:
- Siri AI, Apple’s new conversational assistant. Paired with a compatible iPhone, it can pull information from your messages, emails and calendar.
- FaceTime video calls and an intercom between rooms
- Smart home control by touch or voice for compatible lights, locks and other devices
- Security alerts: with a supported iCloud+ plan and compatible cameras, it can recognise people, pets, packages and cars, and it listens for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
The tabletop model has a proper speaker system, with two drivers in the display and a woofer in the base, so it doubles as a music speaker.
Where you can buy it
At launch, HomeView is available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India. It is not launching in the European Union, because Siri AI is not yet available there. Apple says it is working with EU regulators.
Apple is late to the smart display market, but it is betting that personal profiles and privacy will win people over.
How it compares
Google and Amazon have sold smart displays for years, often for much less. Apple’s advantages are tight iPhone integration and its focus on privacy and personal profiles. Its disadvantage is price, especially for the wall version once you add the mount.
Should you buy one?
- Yes, if your household mostly uses iPhones and you already have Apple-compatible smart home devices.
- Maybe wait, if you use Android, or if you want to see reviews of Siri AI in daily use first.
- Not yet, if you live in the EU, as it is not on sale there.
