Apple has unveiled HomeView, a smart home hub with a 7-inch display, at its “Welcome home” event in New York on October 13. The device starts at $299 and ships on November 13.
HomeView comes in two versions: a countertop model with a speaker base, available in silver, starlight, rose pink and space grey, and a wall-mountable model in silver and space grey. It acts as a control center for connected devices and supports the Matter and Thread smart home standards, so it should work with accessories from many brands.
The hub runs Apple’s Siri AI, recognizes members of the household by face, includes a FaceTime camera, and can act as an intercom in homes with more than one unit. Apple introduced it alongside a fourth-generation Apple TV 4K and a second-generation HomePod mini.
The competition
HomeView takes Apple directly into a category long led by Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub. For buyers, it is also a reminder to review camera and face-recognition privacy settings before installing any connected screen in a shared space.
Sources: CNBC, MacRumors, TechCrunch.
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