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The Verge reports that Apple announced HomeView, a $299 smart-home display with a 7-inch touchscreen, Siri and Apple Home controls, and demonstrated several features during a hands-on session. The reviewer tried basic device controls and saw demonstrations of Siri’s personal-context features, recipe handoff and FaceTime, but did not independently test every capability.
Apple has announced HomeView, its first smart-home display, and The Verge has published a hands-on report on the $299 device, which pairs a 7-inch touchscreen with Siri and Apple Home controls. The reviewer tested basic home-device interactions and saw demonstrations of features that combine personal information with smart-home actions, though several of those capabilities were not independently tested.
The HomeView has a square Liquid Retina display above a small aluminum base that functions as a speaker. The Verge reviewer described the screen as bright and responsive, and said it displays photos and selectable “faces” well. Apple offers tabletop and wall-mounted versions; the report said the wall-mounted model could work as a household control point, while the device also fit on a kitchen counter.
A dedicated Home Widget face brings controls from Apple’s Home app onto the larger screen. During the hands-on, the reviewer used it to control a thermostat, activate a scene and access a door lock. When attempting to unlock the door, HomeView required authentication using the reviewer’s face or iPhone. The display can also show live feeds from HomeKit Secure Video cameras, with access to nearby accessories from the camera view.
The interface relies heavily on swipes: users can move between faces, open widgets and apps, return to the main screen, or bring up a Control Center. Apps on the device populate from the user’s phone, according to the report. The reviewer also saw demonstrations of Siri answering a question by drawing on a message and a calendar-related arrival time, then setting a coffee-maker routine, as well as playing a song identified from a friend’s text. Those were demonstrations, not features the reviewer fully tested.
HomeView puts Apple’s smart-home controls on a dedicated screen meant for walk-up use, rather than requiring a household member to find a phone and open the Home app. In the reviewer’s test, the display brought together controls for a thermostat, lock, scenes and camera feeds; that could make routine tasks more accessible in shared spaces such as a kitchen.
The more ambitious proposition is Siri connecting household controls with personal context. In Apple’s demonstration, Siri used information from a message to estimate a visitor’s arrival and schedule a coffee maker. If those interactions work reliably beyond staged demonstrations, HomeView could make the display more than a touchscreen remote. The report does not establish how well that capability performs in everyday use, so its practical value remains to be tested.
At $299, HomeView also enters a market where customers may already use a phone, tablet or other smart-home display. The hands-on offers an early look at Apple’s approach, but it does not provide a long-term assessment of responsiveness, reliability or whether the screen’s features justify its price.
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From Home App to Countertop
The Home Widget is described in the report as a version of the Apple Home app adapted for the display. The controls available there match those in the iPhone app, but the larger screen is intended for tapping while standing nearby. Camera feeds and access to connected accessories extend that approach beyond switches and thermostats.
HomeView also connects with an iPhone for tasks that start elsewhere. For guided cooking, the reviewer brought an iPhone recipe to the display using Handoff; HomeView reformatted it into an onscreen sequence with timers for individual steps. Apple said most recipes using Google formatting should work. The report did not test how the feature handles recipes from every source, including social video platforms.
The device includes a 12-megapixel camera that can be enabled through Control Center, and the reviewer saw a FaceTime call using Center Stage to keep participants framed. Together, these features position HomeView as a home controller, assistant and calling screen, although the hands-on covered only a selection of its functions.
“The display feels like a giant Apple Watch paired with the functionality of an iPhone and the room to breathe of an iPad.”
— The Verge reviewer
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Everyday Performance Still Untested
The report is an early hands-on, not a full review. The reviewer said they had tried only a few features, and did not personally test Siri’s ability to combine messages, travel estimates and home routines. It is not yet clear how reliably those requests will work in ordinary use, or what information Siri can access in different settings.
Apple’s statement that most recipes using Google formatting will work does not specify the full range of supported recipe sites. The reviewer specifically wondered how HomeView would handle TikTok recipes; the report provides no answer. It also does not assess long-term performance, privacy settings in detail, compatibility beyond the Apple Home ecosystem, or how the display holds up as a shared household device.
The source says preorders are open and shipping begins November 13, but does not specify the year. It also does not provide further availability details for the wall-mounted and tabletop models.
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Shipping and Full Review Ahead
According to The Verge, preorders are open at $299, with shipping scheduled to begin November 13. The source does not state the year, so the timing should be checked against Apple’s current product listing before ordering.
The reviewer said they expected to test more HomeView features. A fuller assessment will need to check Siri’s personal-context requests in regular use, recipe compatibility, smart-home response times, camera and FaceTime performance, and how the device works for people who share a home. Those results could clarify whether HomeView’s main advantage is convenient access to existing Home controls or its newer Siri features.
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Key Questions
What is Apple HomeView?
HomeView is Apple’s first smart-home display, according to the report. It has a 7-inch touchscreen, Siri, controls for Apple Home devices, camera feeds and other features including recipe guidance and FaceTime.
How much does HomeView cost?
The source lists the price as $299 and says preorders are open. It does not give separate prices for the tabletop and wall-mounted versions.
What smart-home controls did the reviewer test?
The reviewer used the Home Widget to control a thermostat, activate a scene and access a door lock. When they tried to unlock the door, HomeView requested authentication with their face or iPhone. The reviewer also described access to HomeKit Secure Video feeds.
Did the reviewer test Siri’s personal-context features?
No. The reviewer said they saw a demonstration of Siri using a message to answer when a visitor would arrive and then schedule a coffee maker. The report does not verify how the feature performs in routine use.
When does HomeView ship?
The report says shipping begins November 13, but does not specify the year. Check Apple’s current listing for the applicable date and availability.
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