Apple reveals HomeView, a $299 smart display that knows who's looking at it

Apple HomeView was officially announced today. It is a $299 smart display built around the new Siri AI and meant to take on Amazon's Echo Show lineup. It works hand in hand with your iPhone 18 Pro Max or any compatible iPhone.

HomeView's price, design and release date

As we reported earlier based on the leaks, HomeView will be available in two models. The countertop version has a 7-inch Liquid Retina display on a domed speaker base. Its tilting mechanism works off a stainless steel hinge. It comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray.





The wall-mounted version comes in space gray and silver only. Pre-orders start today with availability on November 13 in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand. Both models will retail for $299.

Unfortunately, it will not be coming to the EU because of Siri AI availability in that region, which Apple says it is "working constructively with the EU" to mitigate.

Additional wall mounts from Schneider Home are available to purchase separately. The Power Mount USB-C Wall Connector ($59.95) and Power Mount AC Wired ($79.95) mounts are available now, and the Power Mount PoE Wired ($129.95) will be available in early 2027.

Siri AI makes it personal

HomeView recognizes up to six people by their face. Each person that walks up to it gets their own Home Screen with their corresponding apps and widgets, and that person's personal content stays private from prying eyes. Everyone in the household can enjoy shared photo albums and music.



It runs on the all-new and more conversational Siri AI, even though it is technically still in beta. The benefit here is that when a recognized person's paired Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone or iPad is nearby and was recently unlocked, Siri can pull info from Messages and Calendar to display it on HomeView.

Apple says that camera and mic data is processed in "Secure Exclaves" on the A18 chip, which even Apple cannot access. However, without an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, you would still get world knowledge, natural conversation and music discovery.

Your Apple Music, FaceTime and Home app hub

HomeView functions as a home hub with all the features below:

• Smart home: you can control lights, locks, thermostats and blinds by touch or voice. For those who have cameras at home, the Home Camera face can stream up to nine feeds at once.
• Audio: it has two full-range drivers with Spatial Audio. It also has a down-firing woofer and two passive radiators in its base. The wall model gets two drivers tuned for wall placement.
• Entertainment: it runs Apple Music with lyrics displayed, Apple Podcasts, Apple News, Apple TV and compatible third-party apps. You can also use Handoff from your iPhone and stream multiroom audio with HomePods.
• Staying connected: you can use FaceTime with Center Stage, Messages by voice or keyboard, Intercom to other HomeViews, HomePods and personal devices. It also supports Find My and Live Activities.

The HomeView display adjusts in brightness from 500 nits down to 0.3 nits with True Tone. When you are across the room, a simplified version of the interface shows, which changes into a detailed one once you get up close.

HomeView vs. Echo Show 11 and Nest Hub

HomeView competes directly with Amazon's Echo Show 8 ($179.99, 8.7-inch) and Echo Show 11 ($219.99, 10.95-inch), which were launched last fall and built for Alexa+ with AZ3 Pro chips and 13MP cameras. In comparison, HomeView costs more than both of these and has a smaller screen.

Google hasn't released a new Nest Hub since the second-gen model that came out in 2021 for $99.99, though it did bring Gemini for Home to older Nest Hubs.

Considering this, existing Echo Show owners don't have a reason to switch to HomeView unless they have an iPhone-centric household. Google, however, is under pressure, since its display lineup is now the oldest of the bunch.

HomeView's iPhone requirements and the wait

HomeView setup and multi-user support will need a compatible iPhone or iPad running the latest version of iOS/iPadOS. HomeView also works in conjunction with the newly announced Apple Home Collection, which is a lineup of cameras, thermostats and a lock built with LG and Schneider Electric. The Apple Home Collection arrives starting in December, with some accessories in early 2027.



Apple also announced a new HomePod mini and a new Apple TV 4K today.

Curious, but not in full FOMO mode

I'm currently deep in the Google Home ecosystem, so I don't personally see myself switching to HomeView any time soon. That said, I am curious how a mix of Google Home and HomeView devices spread throughout my home would behave.

What I do love is the design nod to the classic iMac G4. Regardless of how I feel about the device, I'm guessing these will sell well. I've heard plenty of Apple users ask for something like this for years, and it's genuinely great that Apple is finally coming through.

More on Apple HomeView and the smart displays it's up against:

• Read our Amazon Echo Plus smart speaker review
• Read our Google Home Hub smart display review
• Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max specs

• Follow me on X and Threads

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