Apple Unveils HomeView Smart Home Device with Personalized Interfaces
The new £299 device, available November 13, offers family-specific displays and integrates with compatible smart home accessories, but lacks Ring integration.
Apple has announced HomeView, a new smart home management device that recognizes individual family members and displays personalized content. Unveiled at an event in New York, the gadget is set to go on sale on November 13, priced at £299 in the UK and $299 in the US. Shivali Best, the Daily Mail's Science & Technology Editor, was among the first to test the device.
HomeView features a built-in camera capable of recognizing up to six users, tailoring the interface to each person's preferences and apps. For example, a user cooking could see recipe apps, while another family member could access messages. Apple asserts that personal content remains private and hidden from other users on the device.
The device is available in two designs: a countertop model with an adjustable screen atop a speaker base, and a wall-mounted version. The countertop model comes in four colors: space grey, silver, starlight, and rose pink, while the wall-mounted option is available in space grey and silver.
HomeView integrates Apple's Siri AI, which can answer a wide range of questions and pull information from multiple apps. For instance, a user could ask Siri to play a song sent via iMessage or to check a store's opening times while looking at a recipe. These interactions can sync across Apple devices.
Apple highlights HomeView's compatibility with thousands of smart home accessories, including lights and locks, identified by the 'Works with Apple Home' logo. However, a notable omission is integration with Ring devices, meaning users cannot view Ring doorbell or security camera feeds directly through HomeView.
In terms of pricing, HomeView is positioned competitively against similar devices from Amazon and Google. The Amazon Echo Show 11 is priced at $249.99, and the Google Nest Hub Max costs $229.
Whether HomeView is a worthwhile purchase depends largely on a household's existing smart device ecosystem. For those already invested in Apple products and compatible smart accessories, it is presented as a strong option. However, for users heavily reliant on Ring's security systems, the lack of integration may be a significant drawback, potentially undermining HomeView's core promise of consolidating smart home controls.