Technology1 min read

Apple’s HomeView is my new favorite smart display — but not my daughter’s

By · Via The Verge · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The device functions as both a responsive smart home controller and an extension of personal iPhones or iPads over local Wi-Fi. It delivers impressive sound quality that outperforms rivals like the Echo Show 15 while matching a HomePod Mini 2, and it includes a Center Stage camera for video calls. However, blending personal data with a communal screen allows household members to see each other's text messages and sometimes forces users back to their phones.

Key points

  • Sharing a communal screen creates household privacy concerns because family members can e…: Sharing a communal screen creates household privacy concerns because family members can easily view each other's personal text messages.
  • The unit functions well for smart home management and kitchen tasks, though its Siri AI o…: The unit functions well for smart home management and kitchen tasks, though its Siri AI occasionally experiences sluggish response times.
  • Users face clunky authentication checks and may have to pay significant extra costs for d…: Users face clunky authentication checks and may have to pay significant extra costs for dedicated wall-mounting accessories.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The HomeView nails everything I want from a smart display. It’s superb at controlling my smart home; it’s an excellent hands-free kitchen companion, a good speaker, and a gorgeous digital photo frame. It’s also the first Apple smart speaker with Siri AI, which is an improvement, if still slow at times. But Apple has fallen into the trap that hampers other smart displays I’ve tested: not content with doing its core functions well, it tries to do more, and that’s where the friction creeps in.

.

Apple’s HomeView is my new favorite smart display — but not my daughter’s

Apple’s first smart display is a gorgeous, speedy smart home hub and a great kitchen companion. It’s when it tries to be the family iPhone that things get awkward.

If you buy something from a link, The Verge may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

HomeView is both a smart display everyone in your home can use and an extension of your iPhone

The special Apple sauce here is that HomeView is both a smart display everyone in your home…

Technology