Yesterday was an unusually big day for hardcore Apple fans, who were treated to a whole bunch of new product announcements... that were clearly not deemed momentous enough to receive the kind of glamorous event the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 did just last month.
But while that's not necessarily an indication of the box-office prospects of the first-gen HomeView, second-gen HomePod mini, refreshed Apple TV 4K, or the all-new Apple Home Collection of LG and Schneider-made smart cameras, thermostats, temperature sensors, video doorbells, and door locks, I'm very skeptical that any of these devices and accessories will prove major commercial hits and I especially have my doubts over one product in particular for the following reasons.
What is the Apple HomeView exactly?
If you're familiar with the Amazon Echo Show roster or the Nest Hub lineup that Google seems to have inexplicably abandoned after several (semi) successful releases and a curious rebranding effort a number of years back, you might be inclined to label this first-of-a-kind Apple gadget as a smart display.
Who wants an oversized Apple Watch on their desk? | Image by Apple
I know I'm probably going to call it just that in many future articles for simplicity's sake, but if you look closely at yesterday's official HomeView announcement, you'll notice that Apple actively avoids to call the product... anything.
The Cupertino-based tech giant is not using the "smart display" term or even "smart home hub" to describe its long overdue rookie Echo Show-rivaling effort, instead employing... far too many words (that don't really say anything of substance) about its goal to "bring entertainment, connection, and smart home management together in one place" and "be central to the home and personal to everyone in it."
Are you happy to see the Apple HomeView unveiled at last?
6 Votes
Now, you might think that this doesn't mean anything because no one really reads Apple's Newsroom posts with as much attention to detail as me. And I'll admit it's possible that I'm jumping to conclusions here. But it just feels to me like the HomeView is a product without a clear identity, purpose, or target audience that Apple kind of felt obligated to release after years and years of development despite not believing it can actually break into the mainstream. You know, like the Vision Pro.
Is there anything special about the HomeView?
Another little detail about the HomeView announcement that I couldn't help but notice is the lack of typical Apple epithets. While the OG HomePod was touted as a "breakthrough" wireless speaker with "amazing" audio quality and even the HomePod mini 2 claims to deliver "even richer" audio experiences compared to its predecessor, the HomeView isn't billed as groundbreaking or innovative in any significant way, which is... definitely fair but still a bit unusual.
It's like Apple isn't even trying to mask the mediocrity of its "new way to enjoy entertainment, stay connected, and manage the home." Granted, the 7-inch Liquid Retina display and the aluminum design are described as "stunning" and "elegant", respectively, but those are about as generic and lazy advertising claims as you can possibly get from Apple.
At first glance, it doesn't seem like the HomeView will be able to do anything that Amazon's Echo Show family can't do. | Image by Apple
Of course, the truly original HomeView aspect is its square shape, which basically makes it look like an oversized Apple Watch of sorts rather than taking inspiration from the traditional tablet form factor, as the Echo Show line, Nest Hub, and Nest Hub Max.
But being original is not always an automatically good thing (even when you badly need to compensate for your very late market segment entry), and in this particular case, I think the HomeView's unconventional shape might seriously harm its entertainment skills. Can you imagine "enjoying" a movie, TV show, or even a trailer on YouTube on that "stunning" 7-inch screen with 1088 x 1088 pixel resolution? I just can't, I'm sorry.
The most disappointing thing was... pretty easy to predict
Just because I never expected the HomeView to be priced sensibly (especially in this day and age), that doesn't mean the official $299 tag makes me any less angry and willing to recommend Apple's first smart display (I told you I was going to call it that) over its more diverse and... clean-looking Echo Show rivals.
The difference between a disappointing and a merely underwhelming HomeView is of around $100, if you ask me, as Amazon's latest Echo Show 8 costs $199.99 with essentially the same general capabilities as Apple's new smart home product, as well as the ability to display Netflix and Prime Video content on a form factor that actually makes sense for that sort of thing.
The Echo Show 15 is not only way bigger than the HomeView, but also considerably more powerful, versatile, and oftentimes, more affordable as well. | Image by Amazon
Netflix and Prime Video don't seem to be among the HomeView's officially supported services at launch, mind you, and YouTube is also noticeably absent from a painfully short list that only includes stuff like Apple TV, Apple News, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Music at the moment.
Of course, the thing that makes it especially hard for the Apple HomeView to ever hope to take on the Echo Show portfolio is that the latter includes a $249.99 11-inch model, a $349.99 15-incher, and even a $499.99 21-inch colossus, not to mention an ultra-affordable $99.99 5-incher as well. And the Echo Show 15, which by the way comes with a full built-in Fire TV interface and thus native YouTube support in addition to Netflix, Prime Video, and yes, even Apple TV, is often on sale for $299.99 or (way) less.
Now what could Siri AI possibly do that Alexa+ can't to make up for all those clear Echo Show advantages (including screen size, screen variety, and superior audio power)?
Here are more news stories about new and upcoming Apple products:
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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