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Apple has announced HomeView, a $299 smart-home display with a 7-inch touchscreen, Siri AI and controls for compatible home devices. A Verge hands-on found the screen responsive and demonstrated features including camera feeds, FaceTime and recipe handoff, but some Siri functions were shown in demos rather than tested independently. Preorders are open, with shipping set to begin Nov. 13.
Apple has announced HomeView, its first smart-home display, and The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has tried the $299 device ahead of its scheduled Nov. 13 shipping date. The 7-inch screen is designed for controlling connected home devices and using Siri, but several of the product’s more advanced personal-assistant features were demonstrated rather than tested by the reporter.
The HomeView has a 7-inch square Liquid Retina touchscreen and a small aluminum base that also functions as a speaker. Tuohy described the display as bright and responsive, and noted that its size was smaller than she expected. Apple is offering tabletop and wall-mounted versions. The display can show photos and a selection of customizable faces, many resembling Apple Watch faces.
A dedicated Home Widget presents controls from Apple’s Home app on a larger screen. In her hands-on, Tuohy used it to control a thermostat, activate a scene and access a door lock. The device required authentication by face or iPhone when she tried to unlock the door. Swiping to another view brought up live feeds from HomeKit Secure Video cameras, with shortcuts to nearby accessories such as a garage door.
The interface also includes widgets and apps, a Control Center accessed by swiping down, and a 12-megapixel camera that can be enabled from the controls. Tuohy saw a FaceTime demonstration in which Center Stage kept callers framed. Apple’s guided cooking feature can receive a recipe from an iPhone using Handoff and display it with step-by-step instructions and inline timers. Apple says most recipes using Google formatting should work, though the report did not establish how well other recipe sources are supported.
A New Screen for Apple Home
HomeView gives Apple customers a dedicated place to manage smart-home devices without relying on a phone screen for every interaction. Its walk-up controls, camera views and wall-mount option position it as a shared household interface, while the tabletop model is aimed at rooms such as kitchens.
The larger proposition is Siri’s connection to personal information and home actions. In an Apple demonstration, Siri used a message about a traveler’s arrival, estimated transit time and set a coffee-maker routine. If that capability works reliably in everyday use, it could link household planning with device control. The hands-on account, however, does not independently confirm that performance beyond the demo.
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From Home App to Household Hub
Apple describes HomeView as a smart-home controller, personal assistant and home hub. The Home Widget is based on the company’s existing Home app, bringing its controls to a dedicated display rather than introducing an entirely separate device-control system, according to The Verge’s report.
The product also ties into other Apple devices. In addition to recipe handoff from an iPhone, Siri was shown finding a song mentioned in a friend’s text message. The reporter saw the song appear after about eight seconds. These demonstrations illustrate the intended connection among messages, apps and smart-home routines, but the report reflects a short preview, not a full review of day-to-day use.
““The first thing that struck me about the HomeView was its size. It’s much smaller than I expected.””
— Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge
What the Preview Did Not Test
The hands-on covered only some HomeView features, and the account does not provide a full assessment of real-world Siri accuracy, response consistency or privacy controls for personal information. The message, travel and routine sequence was shown in a demo; Tuohy said she did not try that feature herself.
Other open questions include how well the device works with different smart-home setups, how many recipe formats beyond those using Google formatting are supported, and whether the eight-second song lookup is typical. The report also does not give battery details, connectivity requirements or a comparison of the wall-mounted and tabletop versions’ setup and capabilities.
Preorders Before November Shipping
HomeView is available for preorder at $299, with shipments scheduled to start Nov. 13, according to the source report. More information on availability, setup and performance may emerge as customers and reviewers spend longer with the device. The Verge’s reporter said she had tested only a few features and planned to examine more, leaving independent assessment of the Siri and smart-home experience for later.
Key Questions
What is Apple HomeView?
HomeView is Apple’s first smart-home display, with a 7-inch touchscreen, Siri, a speaker base and controls for devices managed through Apple’s Home app.
How much does HomeView cost, and when does it ship?
The reported price is $299. Preorders are open, and shipping is scheduled to begin Nov. 13.
What smart-home features were tried?
The Verge reporter used the Home Widget to control a thermostat, activate a scene and access a door lock. The report also describes live HomeKit Secure Video feeds and a request to authenticate before unlocking the door.
Did the hands-on verify Siri’s personal-context features?
No. The reporter watched a demonstration in which Siri used a message and travel details to schedule a coffee-maker routine, but said she did not test that feature herself.
Can HomeView display recipes from an iPhone?
Apple’s guided cooking feature uses Handoff to move a recipe from an iPhone to the display, where it is reformatted with steps and inline timers. Apple says most recipes using Google formatting will work; support for other sources remains unclear.
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