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Apple has announced HomeView, its first smart home display, with a Nov. 13 release date. A CNET hands-on comparison says its design and Apple Home controls are appealing, but its 7-inch screen is smaller than competing displays, while Siri’s support for third-party services remains unclear.
Apple has announced HomeView, its first smart home display, which is scheduled to go on sale Nov. 13. In a hands-on report, CNET compared the 7-inch device with Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub, finding that HomeView’s design and Apple Home controls could appeal to Apple households, while its small screen and unanswered questions about Siri’s app support leave it facing established rivals.
CNET’s reporter, who said they had tested Echo Show devices since their 2017 launch and Google Nest Hubs since 2018, described HomeView as a stationary display with a low, domed speaker base. The report compared its appearance with Amazon’s Echo Show 11 and said the HomeView looked stylish during an in-person demonstration. Unlike Amazon’s discontinued Echo Show 10, which used a motorized base to turn toward people, HomeView does not rotate.
The main concern in the comparison was the 7-inch screen. CNET said the display appeared smaller than screens on competing smart displays used in similar spaces, and argued that the size could make video calls, cooking instructions and watching shows less practical from across a kitchen. The report noted that Apple showed video playing on HomeView, but its author questioned how useful that would be on a screen viewed from a distance.
HomeView will also have a wall-mount option. CNET Smart Home and Robotics Editor Ajay Kumar, who tried the device at a press briefing, said the mounted version looked good. The report said Apple’s least expensive wall mount costs an additional $60 and that concealing the wired power connection would require professional installation, adding to the total cost. CNET contrasted the display with Amazon’s 21-inch Echo Show 21, which includes a built-in Fire TV platform; the source lists that model at $500.
Screen Size Shapes HomeView’s Appeal
The comparison puts the trade-off at the center of Apple’s entry into a market where Amazon and Google already have established devices. A smaller screen may suit a bedside table or a close-up control point for lights and other smart-home devices, but it could be less useful for shared activities such as following a recipe, making video calls or watching video from across a room.
For buyers, the choice may turn on more than the display itself. HomeView is presented as a way to control smart-home devices and interact with Siri, while Echo Show and Nest Hub models compete through their own combinations of screen size, assistant features and services. CNET’s findings are a hands-on assessment, not a controlled performance test, and the report does not establish that one device is best for every household.
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Apple Enters an Established Market
Amazon launched its Echo Show smart displays in 2017, according to the CNET reporter, who said they had tested the line from its early models. The reporter began trying Google’s Home Hub, later called the Nest Hub, in 2018. Both companies have since released multiple smart speaker and display models, changing features and product lines over time.
Apple’s announcement makes HomeView its first smart home display, but the source material gives limited product specifications beyond its 7-inch screen, design, wall-mount option and stated smart-home and Siri functions. CNET’s comparison reflects an in-person look and the reporter’s experience with rival products; it is not a full review of a retail HomeView unit.
“The wall-mounted version of the HomeView looks good.”
— CNET Smart Home and Robotics Editor Ajay Kumar
Siri Features Still Need Detail
Apple has not specified, in the material cited by CNET, which third-party apps HomeView will support or whether Siri will handle services such as food orders, ride bookings, ticket purchases or restaurant reservations. CNET said it had seen no indication that HomeView would offer the kinds of integrations available through Alexa Plus. That is an absence of information in the report, not confirmation that those features will never be added.
The source also does not provide a full list of HomeView specifications, a complete price breakdown, or independent testing of its performance and image quality in a home. Although Apple described the compatible audio and video apps available through an iPhone, the extent of that support remains unspecified. The scheduled Nov. 13 availability is reported, but the source does not identify the year.
Retail Reviews Will Test the Claims
HomeView is scheduled to become available on Nov. 13. A full assessment will depend on testing a retail model, including how well its 7-inch screen works at typical viewing distances, how reliably Siri handles smart-home commands and what services and apps are supported at launch.
Buyers considering the wall-mounted version will also need to factor in the mount’s added cost and the expense of professional work to conceal the wired power connection, as described by CNET. Until Apple provides fuller compatibility details and reviewers can test the product in everyday use, comparisons with Echo Show and Nest Hub remain based on the announced features and limited hands-on impressions.
Key Questions
What is Apple HomeView?
HomeView is Apple’s first smart home display. Apple announced it as a device for controlling smart-home products and interacting with Siri.
When is HomeView scheduled to be available?
The source report says HomeView is scheduled to go on sale Nov. 13, but it does not specify the year.
How large is the HomeView screen?
HomeView has a 7-inch screen. CNET’s comparison says that size may be limiting for video calls, cooking guidance and watching video from across a room.
Will HomeView support third-party apps?
Apple said HomeView supports compatible third-party audio and video apps from an iPhone. The source does not give a full list or confirm support for services such as food ordering, rides or reservations.
What does the wall-mounted version cost?
CNET reports that Apple’s least expensive wall mount costs an additional $60. The report says concealing the wired power connection requires professional installation, which would add to the total cost.
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