Apple’s new HomeView: £299 smart hub learns your face and your habits
Apple’s new HomeView uses facial recognition and Siri AI to deliver a personalised smart home experience.
Apple has unveiled the HomeView, a £299 smart home hub designed to recognise up to six family members by face and deliver a tailored experience for each [1]. The device, announced at a New York event, features a 7-inch display with a 12MP Centre Stage camera that detects who’s standing in front of it, automatically switching between user profiles [2]. When a user approaches, it pulls up their Calendar, Messages, favourite apps like Spotify and Instagram, and even reformatting recipes from text messages into step-by-step guides with embedded timers.
The HomeView comes in two models: a free-standing version with a domed aluminium base in silver, starlight, rose pink, or space grey, and a wall-mounted option in space grey or silver [1]. Both support Siri AI, which can answer questions on any topic and sync with other Apple devices, allowing users to continue conversations started on their iPhone or iPad.
Beyond personalisation, the device acts as a central control hub for smart home accessories. It can display live video feeds from up to nine cameras simultaneously, adjust thermostats, lock smart doors, and even detect smoke or carbon monoxide alarms while the user is away, sending alerts to their iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch [1].
Privacy is central to the design: personal content is only accessible when the enrolled user is recognised and their iPhone or iPad is present and recently unlocked [1]. The screen also automatically locks if someone else approaches, preventing snooping [2].
Apple also launched the HomePod Mini 2, now priced at £149 with Siri AI and a new SoundGlow feature that matches the speaker’s lights to album art [2]. The new Apple TV 4K, priced at £299, includes far-field microphones for hands-free Siri commands [1].
The HomeView is available for pre-order now, with sales starting 13 November in the UK and 13 November in the US [1]. Initial reviews from The Independent praise its seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem and its potential to simplify smart home use for hesitant users [2].
What happens next? Apple’s upcoming December launch of compatible accessories, including an LG indoor camera and a dual-lens video doorbell, could make the HomeView a central piece of the Apple Home Collection [2].
Sources
This article is based on reporting by the outlets below.
- Daily Mail: Apple launches the HomeView: £299 smart home device can recognise six family members and brings up a personalised experience for each
- The Independent: I got the first look at the new Apple HomeView – these are my initial impressions
