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The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy tried Apple’s newly announced HomeView, a $299 smart display with a 7-inch screen, Siri and Apple Home controls. The hands-on covered selected features, including camera feeds, FaceTime and guided cooking; the reporter did not independently test every Siri capability. Preorders are open, with shipping scheduled to begin Nov. 13.
Apple has announced the HomeView, its first smart home display, and The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has tried the $299 device ahead of its planned November 13 shipping date. The 7-inch touchscreen is designed to bring Apple Home controls, Siri, video calling and household features such as guided cooking to a shared screen.
In her hands-on report, Tuohy described the HomeView as smaller than she expected, with a bright, responsive Liquid Retina display and a compact aluminum base that also serves as a speaker. Apple is offering tabletop and wall-mounted versions. The screen can show photos and selectable “faces,” many of which resemble Apple Watch interfaces.
A dedicated Home Widget brings controls from Apple’s Home app onto the display. Tuohy used it to control a thermostat, activate a scene and view feeds from HomeKit Secure Video cameras. The report says an attempt to unlock a door prompted authentication using a face or iPhone. The interface relies on swipes and taps to move between faces, widgets, apps and a control center.
Tuohy also saw demonstrations of Siri using personal information from messages and calendars to answer questions and set a home routine. She did not test that feature herself. Other demonstrations included transferring a recipe from an iPhone to an onscreen cooking guide with step-by-step instructions and timers, playing a song mentioned in a text, and FaceTime with Center Stage. Apple says HomeView costs $299; preorders are open and shipping is scheduled to start November 13.
HomeView puts Apple’s smart-home controls on a dedicated, walk-up display rather than requiring someone to find and unlock a phone. For households already using Apple Home, the wall-mounted option could make controls and camera feeds easier to reach in a central location. The tabletop version adds a screen for calls, photos and cooking instructions.
The wider pitch is the combination of home controls with personal information and Siri. In the demonstration Tuohy watched, Siri connected a message about a flight with travel time and a coffee-maker routine. That could make voice assistance more useful for household tasks, but the report’s author did not verify the feature in hands-on use. The product’s everyday value will depend on how reliably these functions work and how well they fit into different homes.
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Apple’s First Home Display
HomeView is Apple’s first smart home display, according to the supplied Verge report. Its software draws on familiar Apple products: the Home Widget is described as a larger-screen version of controls available in the Home app, while the faces borrow visual cues from Apple Watch. The device also works with an iPhone, including for authentication and transferring recipes through Handoff.
The report presents the device as a smart-home controller and household assistant, not just a screen for media. It covers camera access, accessory controls, Siri requests, cooking and FaceTime. The hands-on took place before general shipping, so it reflects a limited preview rather than a full review of long-term 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
Features Still Need Testing
The hands-on report covers only selected functions, and Tuohy said she did not personally test Siri’s ability to use personal context from messages and calendar appointments. The demonstration does not establish how accurately or consistently HomeView will handle those requests in ordinary use. The report also does not provide independent testing of privacy settings, software performance over time, or compatibility across a range of smart-home setups.
Apple’s stated November 13 shipping date is the planned schedule in the source report. The supplied material does not give further details about availability by region, the precise differences between tabletop and wall-mounted configurations, or whether every recipe format will transfer cleanly. Tuohy specifically wondered how the guided cooking feature would handle recipes from TikTok; that was not answered in the report.
Preorders Before November Shipping
Apple has opened preorders at $299, with shipping due to begin November 13, according to the report. A broader review after the device becomes available could test the features that were only demonstrated, including Siri’s use of personal context, the reliability of smart-home controls and the recipe transfer experience.
For now, the hands-on offers an early look rather than a complete assessment. Readers considering the display will have to wait for wider testing and availability details to learn how the device performs in daily use and which functions work best across different homes.
Key Questions
What is Apple HomeView?
HomeView is Apple’s first smart home display, with a 7-inch touchscreen intended for Apple Home controls, Siri, video calls and other household tasks.
How much does HomeView cost?
The supplied report lists a price of $299.
When is HomeView expected to ship?
The report says shipping is scheduled to begin on November 13. It does not provide additional regional availability details.
What smart-home features did the hands-on report describe?
The reporter used the Home Widget to control a thermostat and activate a scene, and viewed HomeKit Secure Video camera feeds. A door-unlock attempt required authentication with a face or iPhone.
Did the reporter test Siri’s personal-context features?
No. Tuohy watched a demonstration in which Siri used a message about a flight to help set a coffee-maker routine, but said she did not personally test that capability.
Source: rss
