- HomeView recognises up to six people and gives each user their own apps and widgets.
- The device combines Siri AI, FaceTime, music playback and smart home controls in one hub.
- UK preorders have opened at £299, with availability scheduled to begin November 13.
Apple has unveiled HomeView, a new smart home hub designed to bring voice-controlled assistance, entertainment and connected devices together in one place, as the technology company expands its presence in the smart home market.
The device features a 7-inch Liquid Retina touchscreen and uses facial recognition to identify up to six members of a household. Each recognised user can access a personalised home screen, including their own apps and widgets, while shared photo albums and music remain available to everyone.
Powered by Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, HomeView is designed to respond to voice commands and provide a more personalised experience across the home. Apple says the device can help users manage everyday tasks, make FaceTime calls, play music and control compatible smart home accessories.
The hub is available to preorder in the UK for £299, with sales scheduled to begin November 13, according to Apple.
How does Apple HomeView work?
HomeView has a display attached to a domed speaker base by a stainless steel hinge, allowing the screen to tilt for tabletop viewing. A separate wall-mounted version offers the same display and core features, with mounting options designed for spaces such as hallways and entryways.
The screen uses True Tone technology to adapt to changing lighting conditions, while automatic brightness can adjust from 500 nits to as low as 0.3 nits. Apple says the interface can also adapt to how close a person is to the device, showing simpler information from a distance and more detail when they approach.
Siri AI sits at the centre of the experience. Users can ask questions, manage calendars, send messages and access music, while compatible Apple devices can help the assistant draw on personal context to provide more relevant responses.
HomeView also supports FaceTime, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and compatible third-party audio and video apps. Users can customise its display with different screen designs, including a Photos face that turns shared albums into a digital photo frame.
What can HomeView do for a smart home?
The device is designed to act as a central dashboard for connected household equipment. Users can adjust lights and thermostats, lock doors, close blinds and view compatible security camera feeds using touch controls or Siri AI.
HomeView can display up to nine camera feeds simultaneously. With compatible cameras and an eligible iCloud+ subscription, it can also recognise people, familiar faces, pets, packages and vehicles. Apple says the device can provide descriptions of supported HomeKit Secure Video footage and detect smoke or carbon monoxide alarm sounds, sending alerts to users’ Apple devices.
The hub works with Apple Home Collection, a new range of smart home accessories developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The collection includes cameras, thermostats, temperature sensors, a video doorbell and a door lock. HomeView also supports compatible Apple Home and Matter accessories.
Privacy is another part of the product’s design. Apple says HomeView and its A18 chip use Secure Exclaves, which isolate the processing of camera and microphone data from the rest of the system. Personal information, including messages and calendar details, is shown to an enrolled user only when facial recognition requirements are met and their paired device is present and has been recently unlocked.
The launch gives Apple a more direct hardware presence in a market already served by Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub. Whether HomeView can attract households beyond existing Apple users will depend on how useful its personalised features prove in everyday life, as well as how well it works with the wider range of connected devices consumers already own.
