Apple unveils HomeView, a $299 smart home hub with a display

Apple used a Tuesday event to introduce HomeView, its long-rumored smart home hub, positioning it as a central control point for connected devices as well as a screen for FaceTime calls, music, video, and photo slideshows. The $299 device looks like a cuboid version of the HomePod with a display added to the front, and comes in countertop and wall-mounted versions. It measures 7 inches wide and includes a single FaceTime camera along with microphones and speakers built into its base.

HomeView ships preloaded with apps including Calendar, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Notes, Reminders, Music, and Podcasts, letting users check a calendar, send a message, play music, or view photos without reaching for an iPhone — a use case Apple is pitching for spaces like the kitchen. It also functions as a smart home dashboard: users can ask Siri to view camera feeds, adjust the thermostat, turn on lights, and lock doors, and the hub will chime when someone rings a connected doorbell. The launch coincides with Apple’s new lineup of smart home accessories, including a smart deadbolt lock, security cameras, and a doorbell.

A notable feature is how HomeView adapts to different household members: the hub runs Apple’s updated Siri AI assistant and can recognize up to six people, showing each person their own messages, contacts, calendar appointments, notes, and preferred apps once identified, and switching automatically when someone else approaches.

The hub puts Apple in more direct competition with Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub, both established smart-display products. Apple has had a mixed record in smart home hardware, with the original HomePod struggling to match the popularity of rival devices; HomeView gives the company a chance to tie home controls more closely to its broader ecosystem. The device had been rumored for some time, with reports pointing to delays tied in part to problems with the Siri AI overhaul, which has reportedly also affected Apple’s broader smart home plans.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple could eventually extend the concept further with a more advanced version featuring a robotic arm that could move its display and interact more physically. Preorders for HomeView start today, with the device shipping November 13 in silver, starlight, rose pink, and space gray.

Why it matters

HomeView is Apple’s most direct attempt yet to anchor its ecosystem in the home against Amazon and Google’s established smart-display lines, using Siri’s household-recognition feature to differentiate on personalization rather than price.