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Apple HomeView

609 points - today at 1:02 PM

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schmichael
today at 3:43 PM
The weird thing about this product is that its biggest competitor is "an old ipad." I feel like most of their target customer base already has an old ipad that's better suited for what this does in every way. Old ipads:
1. Have a battery so you're not tied to a cord. Even old poor batteries are better than no battery.
2. Have apps! How does this not support apps?!
3. Have a huge range of 3rd party products and hacks and 3D models to wall mount it or stands for it
4. Are kitchen-safe (splatter proof, far fewer holes than this product, movable out of the way)
5. Also support siri and facetime and everything this device does AFAICT
I'm guessing they realized this and made sure it's priced lower than the cheapest new iPad, but it will be interesting to see if the price difference can compete with the old iPads most of their customers have in drawers or already on walls.
Maybe the purpose-built nature will be a reasonable enough differentiator, but I'm not sure it's focused enough for that. It's both a passive information station and for calls? It's for recipes which implies you put it in the kitchen, but it looks like a nightmare to clean with all those holes? It's also a very small screen when you have to read the recipe from a distance because it has no battery. I can't move my stove to it, and I definitely don't want it too near a stove or sink!
The multiple users feature is a really neat trick, but I would kill to have this for all Apple devices. Let me hand my kid my phone and it automatically switches to kid mode!
Please Apple don't lock multiple users to stationary devices like HomeView!
fmarasho
today at 3:00 PM
> Secure Exclaves. The A18 chip inside HomeView contains Secure Exclaves that process the camera and microphone feeds in a secure compartment that cannot be accessed by the operating system or by Apple. This enables HomeView to recognize the face and voice of each user without exposing the audio and visual data used for recognition to the operating system.
This is interesting!
postalcoder
today at 1:44 PM
The overwhelming cynicism about this product I'm seeing here on HN tells me it's going to be a hit.
Brendinooo
today at 1:38 PM
Props to Apple for making this. Always cool to see them try stuff. That said:
I watched their video demo with the family getting ready in the morning: there are some interesting ideas here but imo if this doesn't get reasonably full access to the App Store then it's a no-go for me. Like: FaceTime while cooking, sure, but those calls tend to happen on Messenger and Snapchat for us. Music in the kitchen, sure, but I run Plexamp. My kids are always stealing my iPad to run the Toybox 3D printer; this would be a great thing for them to use.
And so on.
My house has a bunch of spots on the wall where an old intercom system used to live: it'd obviously be a budget buster to buy a bunch of these to fit in those slots but even if you did, you'd need Apple to provide an intercom solution (a la the Watch's Walkie-Talkie?) or you're...out of luck.
xd1936
today at 1:45 PM
Through the incredible power of Siri AI™, you can now get a "I didn't understand that. Do you want to search the web for 'turn on the kitchen lights'?" response faster than ever before.
waterheater
today at 4:21 PM
Separating the camera and microphone data processing functionality into a Secure Exclave should be seen as a genuinely important step forward to protecting privacy, not just implementing data control schemes which masquerade under the name of "privacy." This approach should be the norm moving forward, as cameras and microphones provide the biggest issues for privacy.
With this established, it becomes possible to envision a Secure Exclave which handles data from _all_ device sensors, not just cameras and microphones. The Secure Exclave will contain all sensor data processing functions, which will feed the information to the OS. With the processing capabilities of sensor data being unalterable by any web-connected actor, and by building a physical interface for processing capability updating, unwelcome perception becomes impossible, thereby solving the privacy problem.
mithr
today at 3:23 PM
I can't believe they haven't redesigned the Home app interface! I've always thought it was pretty terrible UX-wise and looked like they just threw together a very basic UI to have some support for home automation. I always expected they'd get around to formulating an actual design perspective for what a good-looking smart home control interface may look like, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity for that. I guess not.
That being said, I still think this is cool, and I'm glad Apple's spending more effort in this area. I won't replace my custom HA dashboard with it at this point, but may get my parents one.
timpera
today at 1:07 PM
> Apple HomeView is not available for sale in the European Union, as Siri AI is currently unavailable in iOS in the EU. Apple is working constructively with the EU in an attempt to find a path forward.
It's interesting that they consider that this product would be unusable without Siri AI. I've used a Google Nest Hub for years, and I don't think it needs AI to be useful?
lxgr
today at 3:01 PM
Looks nice, unfortunately I'll have to stick with however Google's alternative is currently called since Google Cast is the strictly better model for these types of devices in my view, compared to Airplay.
Google Cast runs the player on the cast target and only uses the device that initiates playback as an optional remote control that can be disconnected without interrupting streaming.
Airplay requires the controlling device to remain available throughout, in my experience; receiving a phone call, watching other media etc. on my phone isn't possible without interrupting playback. (This might have changed in one of the last versions, but that needs app support, and not knowing what to expect on a per app basis is at least as bad, if not worse.)
Darwins_Toffees
today at 1:14 PM
It's not even a very functional size. Honestly makes me go why not just get a phone charging mount by my HomePod in the kitchen and save $300. Plus add on a mount and charger and it's $400. No thanks
vessenes
today at 1:18 PM
This is a nice design, and a very aggressive price. I like the design enough I'm interpreting that price as a sign Apple's serious about getting these into a lot of homes.. I wasn't thinking I'd buy one of these, but I changed my mind looking at the pitch -- at this price it's sort of a 'hmm, I could imagine wanting one of those in X room'.
I'm curious if this is intended to act as a matter hub -- right now a lot of that load is shouldered by an Apple TV 4K if you've got one. Anyway, apple's home automation story has been terrible for ten years, but this device makes me think they will make another serious run in the next five.
paulpan
today at 3:30 PM
Feels like the wrong approach. Why not just create a docking station for the iPad and a software docking view? Identical to Google's approach with the Pixel Tablet but Apple's superior will be more refined. It even uses the A18 SoC!
At $299 this feels like a very niche product with limited functionality.
tkdb
today at 3:46 PM
Nice very Apple-esque thrust to unify and refine a chaotic field of tech into an elegant experience.
I cannot fathom how this will deliver on the vision when Siri, even the new gemini-under-the-hood Siri, is still maddeningly, bafflingly worthless. To be fair, Gemini, for a consumer of the google ecosystem, is also maddeningly, bafflingly worthless. So we use ChatGPT or Claude, with extremely limited access to the tiny little shortcuts that stack up and make absolute magic for the personal AI assistant.
cromka
today at 2:58 PM
The product ad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkrYiZ_g9tw) is amazing, honestly, and I can't think of any other brand that has this kind of "feeling". Most other just copy this style, like Google or Microsoft, but they just don't have the "coolness". And I am not saying Apple is the ultimate cool, just that from all big tech, they're consistently the best of them.
throw03172019
today at 1:08 PM
I don’t really understand why we need this. Why another screen? iPhones, iPads, Mac’s and now another one for the kitchen.
tencentshill
today at 8:29 PM
How does the wallmount work? It's powered by a USB C port on the back, is there even a wiring standard for in-wall 20W USB? It would need something like this to function on an existing PoE network. https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/uacc-adapter-poe-usbc but it only goes up to 10W. Can it even use the wired networking half of such a setup?
usernametaken29
today at 4:10 PM
> Private for all
Literally the first thing that I thought opening this was: “oh great even more spyware in my home” haha. Sure, let’s mount every centimetre with cameras and smart TVs. Even if we buy the premise that there’s no bad intentions, negligence, incompetence and malignant actors can use every iot device as another vector to bug you…
santah
today at 1:13 PM
It's shocking to me it doesn't support apps from the AppStore nor any kind of (video) media streaming.
Otherwise looks like an ideal kitchen TV/Movie playback device.
mleo
today at 2:12 PM
I’ve had one Echo device or multiple around the house since they launched. several years ago I whittled it down to one Echo Show in the kitchen. I like the screen just being there on the counter with timers and easily visible. I can finally retire this ad machine and be Alexa free.
I stopped using the smart home features of echo since it was too cumbersome to go in and readjust all devices for use by one thing or troubleshooting when there was problems. HomeKit is visible across 20 devices used by a family of 5 and made sense to expose all my devices through it.
I just vibe coded the UI and backend services for a 10 inch, soon to be wall mounted, raspberry pi panel integrated with HomeSeer and UniFi. It switches to the door camera automatically when motion is detected. I added a status screen with important items such as state of door locks, washer, dryer, dishwasher and litter boxes. Very bespoke to my house and family. I will have to see what the ongoing cost of maintenance is of my panel vs HomeView device.
Cort3z
today at 7:58 PM
This product seems great to me and my needs. Yes, I can do the same with an e-ink display, linux, claude subscription, and time. But I won't. I would much rather buy a product with minimal setup out of the box. I hope this can become my houses' stationary "land line phone".
bengoodger
today at 7:59 PM
Documentation lists integrations with "select partners" -- and that's why this isn't a serious play for the home. You need to work with everything, like HomeAssistant, Control4, etc. to be a serious contender. They have had years to do this, could have got it all lined up with HomeKit + existing iOS devices. People aren't going to rip out their security system just to integrate with your device. But that would require having a non-adversarial relationship with your developer ecosystem. It's frustrating because home integration software is a wasteland. Those that have succeeded in it have understood it's an ecosystem game.
cogogo
today at 1:19 PM
I kind of like the idea of this for a home phone replacement and a good way for our family to communicate as we get more comfortable with leaving the kids home alone. But it won’t be able to call 911 and I do not trust it.
Makes me even happier I just installed a red wall phone with an armored cable and signed up for ooma’s cheap plan. 911 access and we have no need for whitelisting. Always have outgoing and default to ringer off. Can turn it on (satisfying slider) if we are leaving the kids for a bit and they can have fun hanging up on any spam while we are out.
dylan-m
today at 1:16 PM
The thing on the stand is goofy, partly because it's like a large Apple Watch. Especially goofy when it's pictured with a hand, and it isn't actually all that big. But their wall mounted design looks interesting, kind of for the same reason? Aesthetically it immediately makes me think of a wall clock, which tells me exactly where it belongs. I kind of feel like they should lead with that one. (Although maybe they should be honest that it obviously needs a power cable).
yalogin
today at 8:43 PM
Wonder what the real use cases for this are. How often does this get used once the novelty wears off? If they have to resort to “find me a restaurant “ as part of the launch demo, I don’t have a lot of hope for it.
I know Apple will get the security right, no question. So I would use it but not sure it’s worth it. I don’t see a compelling use case personally
oldsklgdfth
today at 7:06 PM
The display is small for what it is.
The price is on par with the Amazon Echo Show devices[0]. Why anyone would shell out $300 buck for an Alexa with a screen is beyond me. With the appleHome, at least you can dump your phone and check in on things (not that I would do that either).
In conclusion, it doesn't seem like there's a huge apple premium on this device. Maybe the move is to cut into competing devices with the apple umbrella.
P.S. It would be dope if the display would follow you around in certain situations. Say you're cooking and moving left and right on the counter. With a fixed display, i would keep walking over to look at it, rather than an angle. Moving around the kitchen and looking up to see the thing you need would be dope. (not that I would use that either). But it would be the kind of polish that people dump cash on.
tantalor
today at 2:10 PM
Apple is pretty late to the smart display market. We have had these devices around for almost a decade now.
```
  - Echo Show: 2017
  - Nest Hub: 2018
  - HomeView: 2026
```
The existing products have been through multiple generations and have differentiated into different sizes, features, and formats.
pelagicAustral
today at 1:17 PM
The only viable use-case I see for it is having one in every room of the house playing the Godfather part 1, 24/7 in a loop.
yesimahuman
today at 1:58 PM
Hmm. I'm currently looking to update my Alexa echo dot combined with a wall-mounted iPad connected to my Home Assistant instance. I don't really know if this thing is what I should get instead of waiting for a Home Pod update and using that for voice with my existing iPad display. Maybe it could be useful as a condensed UI for some important Home Assistant entities I link into HomeKit? Can it be powered through PoE which I already have set up for the iPad? (edit: yes, looks like a PoE adapter is coming for $130). But if I get the non-wall mounted version I can replace my bluetooth speaker for music. I just hope it supports more than just core Apple apps because I don't really use those. For $299 I might just pick it up for fun and see how it works for me (edit: I pre-ordered the regular non-wall mounted one)
azuanrb
today at 4:02 PM
Anything powered by Siri is pretty much a failed product to me right now. I’ve been using the new Siri for a while, and it’s okay, but it still fails on most of my requests.
Maybe it’s my accent? But ChatGPT and Claude have no trouble understanding what I’m saying, so I’m not sure what the issue is.
I saw some discussion about potentially being able to use ChatGPT or Claude as Siri’s backend instead of Apple Intelligence. That would be much more interesting to me.
agambrahma
today at 6:09 PM
Really like this, will get one
One annoyance that I anticipate though: can we have a "separate identity" for these 'home devices' ?
[note: this is not a concern if you live alone]
I.e. when used in a family environment, you have to pick one person's identity as the 'main' identity ... but we'd rather have a 'home' person with whom we share stuff, whom we add on calendars etc, and then view THAT info on the home devices.
This sidesteps the whole "WHOSE calendar/reminders are showing" issue.
This is a problem on the homepod, and will only be exacerbated on the HomeView.
Or ... how do other folks solve this?
today at 5:56 PM
worldsavior
today at 1:27 PM
They just ran out of ideas, or just looking for more ways to squeeze some money. What's wrong with an iPad??
ptmkenny
today at 4:21 PM
I have no need at all for a device like this, but I love the iMac G4 vibes. That was probably my favorite Mac of all time--the screen, which was mounted on an arm of the future that was anchored by the round base that housed DVD drive, moved so smoothly that you could adjust the display with your pinky.
pjbk
today at 1:13 PM
For a moment I thought I clicked on a parody web site.
sajithdilshan
today at 2:36 PM
I wonder if someone can just vibecode an app for iPad mini to do the same things as HomeView and just mount it on the wall or have a 3D printed stand for it.
Also the most unrealistic part about the intro video by apple for this was that not a single person in the kitchen was on their phone and was waiting their turn to use this thing. Do iPhones doesn't exists on the universe where they filmed that ad?
mmmlinux
today at 4:48 PM
A lot of people in the "just use an iPad" camp seem to not understand that this has enough speaker to actually fill a room with other noises going on. I'm not trying to listen to music blasted from an iPad while I'm cooking.
thegagne
today at 5:19 PM
So these are cool, especially for families and grandparents, but I think it may be a much better experience for fully Apple families.
Like can you do video calling with Google Meet with one of these? Probably not.
It pulls in CarPlay apps, but I’m sure not Android Auto.
That being said, I think this is a smart play and helps Apple ensure the “Apple Experience.”
My take is they should sell these at a loss for a while as it makes their ecosystem more sticky and also viral.
In order to use one properly you basically have to have an iPhone, and so people who buy these will never move to Android, and everyone in their household benefits from the integrations.
dangoodmanUT
today at 6:03 PM
Something like this was coming. Apple has the best distribution to put devices in someone's home, which allows them to capture the "SmartHome 2.0" wave from AI. Especially when people's calendars, communications, and contacts are already integrated
TBH the biggest tell was when they started doing fingerprinting for "Hey Siri", so they can make mutli-user devices that can tell apple accounts apart.
lynndotpy
today at 3:28 PM
Even in their cherry-picked examples on their site, Apple's Liquid Glass design language renders some of the text illegible.
It doesn't help that this only gets up to 500 nits...
> comfortable viewing in any light. Brightness ranges from 500 nits for sunny rooms to our lowest-ever 0.3 nits for the bedside
apparent
today at 4:14 PM
If it auto-rotated to face the person speaking, that would make it much more useful. Having to manually move the thing around (especially in the kitchen, where your hands are likely to be dirty) doesn't seem great.
HumblyTossed
today at 4:09 PM
I dunno. That's what an Ipad is for? Also, this push into home automation. I don't want some 4T lb gorilla in that space. That should remain as open as possible and Apple just isn't known for open.
rramon
today at 2:03 PM
Apple is literally cooking for non tech savvy seniors it seems. More or less a locked down foolproof iPad on a stand.
sdcfgy
today at 1:19 PM
So is this 1984 (surveillance) or Brave New World (distraction)?
vintagedave
today at 2:20 PM
I love the callout to the classic lampshade Mac. I would love them to bring that back one day. I use one as a music machine -- driving the classic clear acrylic Harmon Kardon column speakers, essentially using a machine I could never had had back in 2004.
CameronBanga
today at 3:39 PM
Most interesting part to me here is that the announcement notes that the A18 has "Secure Enclaves". Is this the first "plural" use of Secure Enclave? Is it needed for multi-user?
gizajob
today at 2:02 PM
So it’s an iPhone but it’s stuck to your kitchen table? Where everyone at the table has an iPhone?
1-6
today at 6:16 PM
I suspect that this hardware is highly subsidized. Apple needs to quickly push AI (Apple Intelligence) and leapfrog SI (/s). It's unlike Apple to release a product like this so cheap. They're planning to make money through future AI services.
jgbuddy
today at 4:54 PM
I can't put my finger on why exactly, but HomeView, iphone duo, and vision pro all seem like areas where apple could've innovated further, but didn't, and end up looking the same as existing hardware with apple software being the differentiator. Maybe other companies just started making hardware the way apple does, who knows. but these products feel very bland.
nerdjon
today at 2:33 PM
Well, I have to say I expected this to cost more.
I would want to hear what the sound is like but it seems like it could be a good replacement for my OG HomePods while adding some new features, even if the screen is minimally useful.
I am a bit sad that it seems like it isnt using anything the video apple put out about https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/elegnt-expressive...
I would love to see them open up an app store for this, or even if it is apps tied to your phone like the Apple Watch.
nevi-me
today at 1:29 PM
Square screen is a no from me. I'm overall tired of the Google ecosystem, and I want to replace our Nest Hubs with something else. I was hoping Apple would come out with something large enough for wife and the kids to use when we're not in the tv room. :(
rambambram
today at 8:22 PM
When is Apple going to make an airgapped offline computer? They can call it iGap.
shwaj
today at 4:05 PM
“Meet the new heart of your home”. Move over, hearts of the actual people in your home, and the love between them: we’ve got a new gadget.
abc42
today at 7:09 PM
That's..... not a bad idea! Too bad I've exited the Apple ecosystem but if I hadn't I'd probably find plenty of uses for this.
gwbas1c
today at 4:05 PM
I think this is supposed to behave like HAL from 2001 or otherwise like 1960's sci-fi style AI where a house has a computer that people have conversations with.
Otherwise, I'm having trouble understanding why I would use something like this. Is it because it's too hard to pull my phone out of my pocket, so I just need to speak to an ever-present computer?
clickety_clack
today at 1:16 PM
I got an iPad mini a few years ago and tried to use it like this. There’s almost no actual utility to it that “Siri set a timer for 12 minutes” or “Siri what’s the weather like” doesn’t already do on my phone.
mkirsten
today at 1:59 PM
BTW - I was expecting a "Welcome Home" keynote/event where this would be presented. Is it just to me it is a surprise they updated the website ahead of the event?
proee
today at 7:49 PM
Imagine in your mind, that iPad was not created yet. Only HomeView exists and is in people's homes. Apple introduces the iPad as a great new device and it include the app store! People's minds would be blow away how they could fit all that functionality into such a small device. It would sell like hotcakes.
Now reverse the scenario.
bertili
today at 1:08 PM
Not clear if it can run iOS apps at all?
albert_e
today at 1:12 PM
Has anyone successfully jailbroken Amazon Echo and Google Home devices to make them Claude/ChatGPT assistants without any telemetry/dependency on Amazon/Google respectively.
JaneLovesDotNet
today at 2:35 PM
I kind of assumed it would rotate automatically based on where the person is speaking from? isn't that a missed trick? or too hard to get right?
rahimnathwani
today at 4:20 PM
When I read it was multi-user, I got excited, but then realized that it assumes each user already has an iPhone and/or iPad.
It's a shame that iPhoneOS, iPadOS and Omarchy are designed to be single-user devices.
Android phones (at least Pixels) support multiple users, each with their own apps and data.
atmosx
today at 8:22 PM
Hm, is it "private" for British citizens? I wonder.
nitin7
today at 3:06 PM
Looks nice. I wonder why Apple is so hung up on clear liquid glass - https://www.apple.com/v/apple-homeview/a/images/overview/hig...
rkagerer
today at 6:54 PM
Picture frames and dynamic faces? That's way more fluff than I'd expect from Apple.
(Those were the first two features mentioned)
kirykl
today at 4:08 PM
If they gave this a battery, removed the base, and allowed apps boy that would be a killer product
jawiggins
today at 3:32 PM
This seems like a really interesting view of the future of HCI. Imagine this device but with an LLM that dynamically generates interfaces from the voice/video input it gets. I think the future will be a bit like the movie Her but with devices like this as the common-area screen people look at.
mv4
today at 4:46 PM
I love Apple but I don't love this new device.
I recently got a 10in fire tablet for $73 and a metal stand for $7, and put it on the kitchen counter. Great household device, now running my own agent on it - fun for the whole family.
dhsysusbsjsi
today at 1:19 PM
Today I asked Siri a basic question hands free whilst driving and it said “I found these on the web”.
I’ve been with Apple since the first iPhone but I think I’m done. They have dropped the ball on AI. It’s late 2026 and my Opus 5.5 does all my coding and Siri still can’t find info and read back some basic info. Pathetic it’s like they’re not even trying any more.
great_wubwub
today at 5:28 PM
Cius but by Apple! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco_Cius
klemcijada
today at 5:52 PM
I find it weird it's not placed in a home on any image. Does it not fit into any aesthetic or they don't actually know where to place it?
comandillos
today at 4:13 PM
I was waiting for Apple to release something privacy-focused and instead they have decided not to release in Europe because 'it lacks AI'. You know what, all yours, I guess I will just buy an old Alexa and hack it.
taude
today at 3:27 PM
I'm curious how they settled on the square shape, instead of a traditional photo frame shape. I know they're differentiating. But If I were to replace my Aura frames (we have several), I'd want a different aspect ratio.
Maybe i just need a $300 iPad Mini....
juiceland
today at 1:14 PM
This device feels so late to the game that I’m not sure why Apple is bothering. Amazon entered this market segment 9 and a half years ago.
skhameneh
today at 5:31 PM
I find it so weird the wall mounted version is a different product, it seems like a lost opportunity to do more interesting things with a speaker base.
tyre
today at 5:44 PM
It would be great if this could also be a thermostat. For $300 you could get rid of Nest (etc) while adding all of these other use cases.
alistairSH
today at 5:05 PM
Bummer that this can't double as a security camera itself. Would have been neat to hang one on the wall near each exterior door as a control panel + camera.
donatj
today at 3:30 PM
> You can have up to six members of the household enrolled on Apple HomeView through the Home app. They each must have an Apple Account and an iPhone or iPad running the latest software.
I assume my kids will be able to use it without an iPhone?
unsupp0rted
today at 5:38 PM
Did you see the ad they released for this?
It’s a toxic family, where the dad is a useless weak loser (whose wife won’t touch him, much less show any physical affection when heading off to work, so they’re platonic roommates at best), the son is a toxic male idiot who imposes his will on others, and the mom has OCD.
It’s the most pro childfree ad that’s ever been “aired” at this level of distribution.
Whatever Apple was… it no longer is that. Their tech may be fine, we’ll see, but their values, err what was left of them, are not merely gone but inverted
cj00
today at 2:57 PM
I built a generative UI app for Apple TV over the weekend. It lets any agent send notifications, questions and media to any of my Apple TVs. Putting it on this device would be perfect, hopefully they let developers start doing third part apps soon.
harrouet
today at 2:34 PM
HomeView does two things:
- a Home Hub to connect and drive the accessories and Airplay devices in your house
- a UI to support the user experience
I believe that e.g. an AppleTV is already a Home Hub, and the Home app on your iPhone / iPad gives you control over it.
So the value is in the integration and the multi-user support.
andsoitis
today at 6:23 PM
Watch Apple TV+ on your Apple TV 4K device, connected to your HomePods and controllable via HomeView.
locusofself
today at 3:41 PM
I wonder how good it sounds. I could see my kid using this for Spotify, I current have to keep reminding her to AirPlay her iPad to our old homepods so she isn't always listening to tiny, shrill audio.
chromatin
today at 2:10 PM
Yes but can my younger children without Apple IDs (or personal devices) also access it / use it?
subpixel
today at 3:22 PM
The video that purports to depict how this device would be used is not an advertisement as much as a warning of how mad things can get. Any curiosity I had about this product has been eradicated from my mind.
gyomu
today at 1:44 PM
So weird. A brand new product category, and it gets dropped with the HomePod Mini/Apple TV, aka Apple’s most neglected products (besides the zombified Vision Pro). Apple has a history of being so proud of their new form factors, of wanting to show them with pomp and highlighting every little detail. Not so much here.
Also completely locked out for 3rd party developers, needs your iPhone to do anything while offering very little reason to do things on it rather than on your phone… (the teenage girl texting on it rather than her phone in the intro video is totally unbelievable)
Hmm, really hard to figure out what they’re thinking on this besides “throw it on the wall and see if it sticks”, aka the HomePod & Apple TV strategy, which is not reassuring. I bought a couple HomePods early on, excited by the potential given how reliable my AirPods were, and they’ve been one of my most hated tech purchases. Super buggy, completely lagging behind in terms of basic features, and of course no fallback to use them as “dumb” wired speakers.
amelius
today at 3:35 PM
This is more a thing for hobbyists to build using their RPi's etc. and post as "Show HN".
Sad to see this space now taken over by Apple too.
Oh well, I now have something to buy for my mom for Christmas, I guess.
bluegatty
today at 7:41 PM
This is only going to work with proper AI interfaces.
eugenekolo
today at 1:09 PM
No mention of the RAM size.
Thinking if the RAM is good, this is a great jailbreak target with an A18 chip for only $299.
balozi
today at 3:37 PM
It has that "version 1" aesthetic of anything Apple makes. Now that they have shown it to the world, we should all agree that Apple can skip to their version 4 design.
summermusic
today at 1:23 PM
Why not just make an iPad dock to use the device you already have? The Pixel Tablet with its magnetic docking station was the perfect form factor for this. Home control tablet when docked, and simply lift it off the dock and take it around the house for whatever.
deweywsu
today at 3:39 PM
Weird that Amazon was said to have planned to cut back it's hardware development recently (Alexa devices), and here Apple is rolling out a new product in the same space.
geuis
today at 2:11 PM
Passing opinion, but I hope this isn't indicating a lean in direction to 90's era Apple now that Tim retired. Too many overpriced skews and non-core products that diluted the brand and led to their market shrinking.
JaxonZhou
today at 1:18 PM
Although I really like past Apple products, the appearance of this one strikes me as a bit odd.
noja
today at 1:17 PM
Note the positioning for this is different: imperfect family, non-pristine home, dirty clothes.
m4tthumphrey
today at 3:28 PM
I like the idea of this but what can we actually use it for? Doesn't look like it will support Spotify or YouTube? Does it worth with Hive (British Gas smart heating) ?
schainks
today at 5:13 PM
Quick show of hands: who would use this to help with cooking hands free or FaceTiming people while doing dishes?
fhn
today at 3:53 PM
Here's their biggest competitor: 3d print a stand, place iphone or ipad on it - greater functionality plus it's mobile! You're welcome.
bigblind
today at 3:32 PM
So, it's not launching in the EU, again because of DMA rules and Apple not giving access to the same tools to 3rd-party AI companies.
I get this, but I find the difference in application of the DMA pretty weird. In august, the EU came to an agreement with Apple on their developer policy in a way that still really feels like it goes against the spirit of the law, and still puts an insane tax on thousands of European developers.
Yet they seem to play hardball on enforcing a rule that currently just negatively impacts a handful of AI companies but leaves consumers waiting for features. The prioritization feels weird.
hypfer
today at 3:22 PM
I've been quite happy with used Amazon Echo Shows running Lineage.
They offer more or less this, but do so at a fraction of the price and a lot more "hacker-native".
gizmodo59
today at 5:06 PM
I'd totally buy this if it supports other AI providers and apps! I trust Apple for the hardware quality
JSR_FDED
today at 4:24 PM
The locked down nature of this makes it perfect for my dad. If there’s a way to connect it to WhatsApp that would be brilliant.
ogkarlin
today at 3:29 PM
Idk, I would avoid vendor lock in for my family. Apple’s closed ecosystem just won’t work. Its AI integrations are disappointing at the very least.
My money is with Fambot.
hnburnsy
today at 8:36 PM
Wall Mount PoE $129.95
seemaze
today at 2:46 PM
As someone who's been in the home automation scene for decades, the only thing that excites me from this release is first party recipe scraping in Safari.
LoganDark
today at 9:25 PM
Not happy to learn that the cameras are running LG software. I am not looking forward to whatever "LG Shield" is. "real-time protection from hacking and intrusions" -- needing this is a sign of something very wrong!!
profsummergig
today at 3:12 PM
Have they solved the problem where a cheating husband's texts with his mistress on his iPhone used to show up on his wife's iPad?
SomeonesAccount
today at 2:00 PM
I wonder if this works as a screen mirroring device, so you could mirror your iPad to this device. Wouldn't work very well, but that might be a way to watch media
operaopera
today at 8:33 PM
Did they really use a lock icon to describe the product?
Yes, they did:
https://www.apple.com/v/apple-homeview/a/images/overview/hig...
insane_dreamer
today at 9:20 PM
OK but I want it with a (rechargeable) battery so I can easily move it around to different kitchen counters, etc.
small_model
today at 1:11 PM
Siri though, why not allow Claude, openai or Grok as the assistant.
quantumwannabe
today at 2:04 PM
This would be an awesome product if Siri AI wasn't terrible. At least this will force Google to reinvest in the Nest Hub; Gemini is a far nicer model.
amelius
today at 6:35 PM
How much DRAM is in it, and can it be repurposed? :)
peesem
today at 2:11 PM
apple's usb-c port placement strikes again. the port for the wall-mounted one is apparently in the middle of the back, so you'll have to take it off the wall or risk damaging your usb-c cables by trying to keep them between the device and the wall. if it was just on the bottom (like an iphone or ipad) you could leave it hanging there while plugged in to a nearby outlet
wopwops
today at 4:00 PM
I'm slipping further and further away from what "normal" people consider acceptable.
pokstad
today at 5:09 PM
Wish this came with MagSafe so my toddler doesn’t rip this off our island.
goosejuice
today at 3:55 PM
Man, that speaker dock is hideous. If it rotated to follow you though... Your own little telescreen
Shalomboy
today at 4:23 PM
Oh no, John Apple has committed the classic IoT blunder of building the Facebook Portal.
duxup
today at 3:45 PM
I bought it.
Low enough price for me to be speculative. I go hunting for my iPad to frag it in the kitchen… often.
today at 3:24 PM
karim79
today at 7:52 PM
I see this as a very niche thing which will be discontinued by next year.
Maybe it has some value but seriously, home automation is solved already. Pretty interfaces are solved. This is just a more constrained and more expensive version of what already exists, that neat little rig we can hack up from the Drawer Of Shame which we all have. Maybe it's just an experiment but to me it looks like e-waste.
at1as
today at 5:06 PM
Better Siri AI is one month away (... and seemingly always will be)
today at 3:20 PM
alanwreath
today at 4:28 PM
Change that ugly base - wall mounts are nice but dangling cords are not.
today at 1:39 PM
evekayser
today at 7:30 PM
I build websites, always inspiring to check Apple's releases.
fusslo
today at 2:58 PM
can iphones or ipads already 'recognize up to 6 people' like this thing can??
THe video has the girl check her messages and her brother trying to read them, and the mother checking her calendar. Without logging in or switching users.
That's really cool.
esskay
today at 1:26 PM
what a weird product. I'm all in on the Apple ecosystem but this seems like an obvious miss. Presumably the low price point is because its internals are incredibly basic, i mean its just not got a lot to do really has it so doesnt need anything other than probably a bunch of old binned chips.
ElFitz
today at 1:26 PM
I fail to see why I should care.
But maybe that’s just me?
infinia2
today at 5:29 PM
Its an iPad with a cord and larger microphone
today at 1:52 PM
adithyassekhar
today at 2:59 PM
The screen is a bit small. One has to hunch down and really want to use it.
speedgoose
today at 1:08 PM
> The privacy every home and everyone deserves.
Sure.
tqi
today at 3:18 PM
None of these use cases are better on a device with a fixed location.
wpwpwpw
today at 3:09 PM
Still don't get what can these devices do that a phone can't.
elohimus
today at 2:31 PM
Smart Home devices feel somewhat antithetical to Apple's Philosophy. Aren't they all about a smoothly integrating, tightly controlled ecosystem? Offering something that connects a potentially large amount of third party devices, protocols and homecooked solutions feels odd for apple.
uptown
today at 1:49 PM
The Skylight market is ripe for an Apple replacement. This looks like it falls way short.
alicelik1980
today at 2:25 PM
It's very stylish. The design is beautiful, but does it meet any need?
cfontes
today at 3:28 PM
I am not the public for this.
I have no reason to own this, neither my family.
I am also not into smart watches, rings, alexa dot and other stuff like that, I like a dump house for the most part.
I am a dev and this looks like another Smartphone I don't want to own.
haritha-j
today at 5:31 PM
I watched their demo video of a family getting ready, and it just makes me feel liek this device is an intrusion into my life. If you take a second to think about each of the use cases they demonstrate, you start to realise they pretty much add nothing to your life. Maybe it'll save you a few seconds in the morning by not having to get the door or find a paper recipe, but all of those things make the activity more enjoyable IMO. I'd wanna watch that kid at the door squirm in real life, not spy on him with a camera. Meh, maybe I'm old fashioned.
albert_e
today at 1:11 PM
First impressions -- i do not quite like the physical product's shape and look.
lqcfcjx
today at 4:58 PM
i feel this could be a good fit for grandmas. not for audience here. i can imagine my mom would love it.
imranhossainemi
today at 3:31 PM
Facebook/meta had similar product few years ago.
pmkary
today at 3:37 PM
I thought this would be their big announcement...
fis
today at 3:40 PM
This sounds a lot like the Telescreen from 1984.
Aboutplants
today at 1:42 PM
Well this was not what I was expecting, and that is not a good thing
mindwork
today at 2:15 PM
How come wall-mounted version costs the same as domed version?
browningstreet
today at 2:32 PM
It’d be nice if the AppleTV had some of these features.
amelius
today at 4:02 PM
Yes this is easy to build using AI now.
xd1936
today at 1:16 PM
Some chonky bezel. Not hard to imagine how gen 2 will look.
pbrum
today at 2:43 PM
Nonstarter without YouTube and WhatsApp access
russellbeattie
today at 7:37 PM
It's Apple - they know more than you or I about their products and what their customers will buy, and they know how to market them.
That said, I think the screen is a tad small. My guess is that they felt the need to differentiate the HomeView with a smallish square screen in an effort to avoid comparisons to an iPad on a stand and to invite comparisons to the Apple Watch.
Version 2 will undoubtedly have a new larger screen launched with great fanfare.
misterboo72
today at 3:53 PM
What would I do with this thing?
altern8
today at 7:34 PM
WHY
gedasss
today at 2:07 PM
That pace shown in their video... no thanks.
ogkarlin
today at 3:30 PM
Apple has really missed the mark lately. I would avoid mediocre AI and skip the vendor lockin. My money is with Fambot.
neillyons
today at 2:53 PM
Just speculating, but I suspect Apple are releasing this because Jony Ive and OpenAI are working on something similar.
forbiddenvoid
today at 9:16 PM
Seven inch screen.
Why even have a screen at that point?
alanwreath
today at 4:39 PM
so this doesn't function as a security camera too?
Mindwipe
today at 3:21 PM
The main thing this makes me feel is "why doesn't the iPad recognise the user by FaceID and give my five year old the appropriate experience and block my apps if this can?"
Which is perhaps not the feeling Apple intended.
tomaskafka
today at 2:09 PM
Isn’t is amazing how Apple’s answer to having five kids is consistently “pick the one to single out”, without having any process at all for making an exception?
They somehow missed the memo that Sophia’s choice wasn’t an operating manual.
I mean, I’m single indie developer and I have a process to give a lifetime membership to people’s significant others (as Apple has nothing between “a single person” vs “a whole family”, and no option to give eg. discounted bundles for couples), so it doesn’t seem like a rocket science.
joshstrange
today at 1:21 PM
Meh.
An incredibly locked down device from a manufacturer with terrible track record for this category of device. Their Homepod line has been completely neglected, even with the Mini 2 announcement today it's clear Apple's heart's not in it.
Couple that with the LG trash they are pushing (again, because Apple doesn't care) and it's clear Apple's HomeKit endeavors are still just as dead as they were yesterday. They ceded the home wifi space at the worst possible time and instead of trying to rectify any of that, they ignored that space for over a decade.
mmmlinux
today at 2:16 PM
I'm honestly tempted to replace the HomePod Mini that lives in my kitchen with one of these. I wouldn't have to stick my phone to the magnetic knife holder to watch videos while I cook.
carlosjobim
today at 2:09 PM
Clever marketing video with the whole "family" interacting around the device.
A video with how customers will use this in real life, alone in a room talking to a machine - would just look like somebody who needs to be taken to a mental asylum.
busymom0
today at 1:37 PM
Looks like a huge Apple Watch to me.
nsxwolf
today at 1:36 PM
This is the return of the 1980s kitchen TV.
vcryan
today at 6:00 PM
I always wanted an immovable laptop that is closer to phone size. I'm just a worst of both worlds kids of guy.
allarm
today at 1:09 PM
Can I run HomeAssistant in Kiosk mode on this thing? The only use case I can think of.
carlosjobim
today at 5:37 PM
Could Apple sell this as a cash register for businesses such as cafés, small hotels, and such?
The format is right, it is stuck to a power cord, it would integrate with iPhones that waiters use to take orders, it apparently has a USB-C connector perhaps for a receipt printer, it has Bluetooth and WiFi of course. It can control the music and security systems and lights in a business locale.
Most importantly it has easy separate login for different employees.
And the price is just right.
Is there any important detail I haven't thought about?
EDC9599190
today at 2:42 PM
Who else is just happy to see modern homage to the iMac G4?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_G4
But seriously, how cool would it be if V2 of this product had mesh wifi and/or could be used in bridge mode?
crooked-v
today at 4:54 PM
I already tried having more than one HomePod and ran into constant issues with the wrong one answer. How it is supposed to work having both this and the new acts-like-a-HomePod Apple TV?
XCSme
today at 3:33 PM
So, a tablet?
bubbluppugus
today at 5:02 PM
Hey look it's the half-basketball iMac without the cool arm which a gadget like this should have
Dropped the ball on the usability there with no arm. Could have also marketed a table game function; placed at center of table, arm could allow screen to swivel 360 for everyone to use as needed
The iOS-ification of hardware while they keep part prices high to get people hooked on networked AI over a dumb terminal
manoDev
today at 3:15 PM
Nice try NSA.
artemonster
today at 7:30 PM
where is my zigbee
jonplackett
today at 6:21 PM
So it’s an iPad with no battery / smart home powered by what is still a terrible voice assistant.
Hard pass
gigel82
today at 4:08 PM
They're getting desperate for more user data... and the funny thing is folks will likely line up to buy and install this TeleScreen 84 in their home like they did for the original Alexa... we're all doomed.
ex-aws-dude
today at 4:04 PM
Guys apple didn't invent this form factor, Alexa had Echo Show 10 at least 5 years ago and alexa with a screen way before that
jonstewart
today at 3:42 PM
The product film is triggering.
m3kw9
today at 3:37 PM
For those worred about no apps, they 99.99% likely will have apps(I don't work there but I work enough in the ecosystem), but must be specifically designed to fit that form factor like Apple TV/Vision pro/Apple Watch, with their own shared and exclusive API. Tightly controlled UI/privacy/UX. I'd imagine there is a quick path from going from AppleWatch to this.
Is iffy if they will allow a run it like on iPad but you see iphone form factor on it. The UX likely suck bad if they go ahead and takes away from the form factor. Plus companies like FB may just leave it at that like how they did with instagram for ipad for a decade.
m3kw9
today at 3:25 PM
How are they pricing both versions the same while charging extra 80$ for the mount for the wall mounted version? I thought it was a pricing error and some needs their head checked either way
scotty79
today at 3:09 PM
That could have been a phone/tablet dock.
anianroid
today at 5:47 PM
osborne effect
shantara
today at 1:40 PM
“Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future”
BonoboIO
today at 2:17 PM
This will get the same attention from apple as the HomePods … zero
Invictus0
today at 2:11 PM
Looks so soulless. I really prefer Google's approach with the fabric textures.
Vaslo
today at 2:06 PM
Wonder if there will be a way to hack it in the future with Home Assistant or some Linux distro to get HA onto it.
esafak
today at 2:05 PM
Finally, something I can drop kick my Googles for the next time they say Sorry, I'm still learning.
baggy_trough
today at 1:40 PM
I wonder what 'Apps Available from iPhone' means on their tech specs page. For example, the Apple TV app.
blondie9x
today at 1:32 PM
Can they just iterate on the HomePod? I want less screen time. Not more.
embedding-shape
today at 1:12 PM
> Siri AI. A personal assistant that helps you find what you need and get more done.1
> Usage limits may apply.
What a great way to start out, to openly flag that people shouldn't rely on it, as it can be pulled away from you without notice. Feels very atypical of Apple, are they starting to get short on cash or what's going on?
lotsofpulp
today at 1:11 PM
iPhone 13 mini, ios 27.0.1, and Siri turned on the ceiling fan along with the lights when I asked Siri to turn on the bedroom lights. Don’t see any reason to believe Siri claims.
diath
today at 2:02 PM
So it's like a worse iPad with a mount?
blahblah437
today at 3:44 PM
Can we load Muse into it? There is no way I'm buying this to use Siri.
mattmaroon
today at 3:49 PM
Oh great, now Siri can fail to help me in any room in my house!
dominotw
today at 3:37 PM
i thought the ipad rotates by itself on the gimbal. video was so lame with ppl turning it akwards and device flopping around. wow what piece of garbage.
today at 2:14 PM
maddmann
today at 4:32 PM
lol what the heck is this apple?! Crazy that they investing in something like this internally :/
zach_moore
today at 7:58 PM
Terrible execution
nor0x
today at 3:04 PM
is it just me - or are the glasses of the mother in the ad very prominently featured
ulfw
today at 3:48 PM
Who are these fake ad people who live "the Apple life"?
Seriously?
I know nobody who has only friends on Facetime (instead of Whatsapp, Wechat, LINE, Zoom, etc etc you name it)
No Youtube, really?!
I mean who lives like this?
bdcravens
today at 2:59 PM
Despite the typical snark on HN, I know there are still plenty who are bought in to Apple. Is anyone here using the HomePod and/or using Homekit? I'm mostly on board with the Apple ecosystem, and in my assessment when trying to outfit my home, I couldn't find a reason (maybe the privacy store is better) to choose them over Alexa or Google Home or any of the other options, including DIY.
aslkalska
today at 1:12 PM
wait what? why is Apple doing what google and amazon did 10 years ago ?!
xyst
today at 5:19 PM
It’s an iPad mini with an always listening microphone.
Apple really wants their own "own the glass" moment.
On the product itself, why?
Apple Home.app has an awful UX. Have any more than 10+ IoT devices and it’s a shit show. This will not improve the walled in system created by Apple. Even if I was Apple-pilled or Apple-maxxing, why wouldn’t I just buy a last gen iPad mini and use that to control home. Has all the features of "HomeView" plus acts as a regular device that can browse web, video chat, and games.
Plus any home automation enthusiast will use home assistant and integrate it with their existing thread border router and Zigbee/Matter/Thread enabled device. Who are they trying to target?
naravara
today at 3:39 PM
The copy on this page doesn’t feel “Apple” to me.
“Apple HomeView is designed to bring more joy and convenience to everyone in your household. Siri AI comes built in for personalized AI assistance that’s truly useful in your everyday life. And with a vibrant display and powerful acoustics, your music, videos, and calls look and sound amazing. Meet the new heart of your home.”
Is “designed to” lacks confidence. Does it do it or not? I don’t care what your intention was. And the Siri AI sentence is vacuous, including the pointless modifiers (truly useful in your everyday life). You can’t convince me you care or put effort into the little things when your ad copy is slop. Apple used to put more thought into this sort of thing.
drcongo
today at 1:30 PM
If only the Home app wasn't complete shit.
2OEH8eoCRo0
today at 1:06 PM
Another surveillance ad billboard! Think different!
jostmey
today at 5:29 PM
[dead]
iharnoor
today at 7:16 PM
[flagged]
theroo
today at 3:37 PM
This comment section is full of vibes akin to Dropnbox "this can be built easily with fUSE/ftp sync". "It's just an iPad". This'll be a hit.

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