Apple's new HomeView smart display, priced at $299, has faced a wave of user complaints shortly after its release, with many reporting glitches, missing features, and an "inferior AI" compared to competitors. The device, intended to compete with Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub, promises features like calls, messaging, music playback, smart home control, and AI-powered assistance through Siri.
Users have taken to social media platforms to voice their dissatisfaction. One X user described Siri as "schizophrenic" with multiple voices and an inability to perform basic commands like opening apps or playing music directly from Apple Music. The user also noted that the device failed to recognize updates and that Apple support seemed uninformed about the issues. Another user shared a video demonstrating the HomeView glitching while attempting to play a song, stating that for its price, the device should "just work."
Some users have experienced significant technical difficulties, including Siri issues, problems with picture display, and music playback failures. One user reported that a common troubleshooting suggestion, restarting the device, resulted in the Apple logo appearing for approximately 20 minutes. A workaround suggested online involved restarting a connected iPhone, which reportedly resolved some issues for users after multiple attempts to restart the HomeView itself.
The HomeView features a 7-inch Liquid Retina display and dual speakers with Spatial Audio. Apple highlighted its privacy features, stating that camera and microphone data are processed on the device's A18 chip and not shared with the company. The AI-powered Siri on supported devices is designed to understand follow-up questions, search messages and photos, interpret on-screen content, draft messages, answer complex web-based questions, and perform actions across multiple apps.
Despite these advertised capabilities, a significant number of early adopters are finding the HomeView experience to be less than satisfactory, with some labeling it "the worst piece of tech I’ve ever purchased."