APPLE UNVEILS HOMEVIEW SMART HOME DISPLAY FOR $299
Apple unveiled HomeView, a smart home hub, during its "Welcome Home" event, with pre-orders opening the same day and shipping starting on 13 November. The device features a 7-inch square Liquid Retina display and costs $299, available in two versions: one that mounts to a wall and another that sits atop a small speaker base with a stainless steel hinge for adjusting the viewing angle. Both versions come in four colour options: silver, starlight, rose pink and space grey. Apple chief executive John Ternus shared a video of the device on X, showing various customisable display modes the company calls "Faces". The HomeView has no physical buttons, relying instead on its touchscreen and voice commands for interaction.
The device functions as a Matter controller and Thread Border Router, and can display smart home controls, pull up information via Siri AI, handle video calls and show footage from HomeKit Secure Video cameras. It adapts its content for different family members by drawing on data from their iPhone or iPad, according to one of the reports. The base model on the speaker version includes a down-firing woofer and two force-cancelling passive radiators alongside two full-range drivers. Its display reaches a maximum brightness of 500 nits and can dim to 0.3 nits, which one report described as the lowest minimum brightness Apple has offered on any device. A 12-megapixel FaceTime camera with Centre Stage sits at the top of the screen for video calls.
Apple had reportedly been working on a smart home display for several years, having originally planned a 2024 launch alongside an upgraded Siri AI before delaying those plans, according to a report cited by one outlet. The overhauled Siri AI system referenced in that plan launched alongside Apple's operating system updates the previous month. HomeView joins a market that includes similar smart display devices from other technology companies. Pre-orders for HomeView are open now, with shipments confirmed to begin on 13 November.