Apple Unveils $299 HomeView Hub for Its Smart-Home Push

Apple unveiled HomeView, a $299 smart-home hub designed to combine household controls, communication and entertainment in a single display-equipped device.

The announcement follows Apple’s Oct. 13 smart-home event, previewed in an earlier look at the company’s connected-home plans. Preorders for HomeView begin Oct. 13, and the device will go on sale Nov. 13.

HomeView resembles a larger, cuboid version of the HomePod with a screen attached to its front. The 7-inch-wide device is available in a countertop model and a wall-mounted version. It has one FaceTime camera on the front, along with microphones and speakers built into the base. No camera is placed on the back.

The hub can serve as a control point for smart-home devices while also supporting FaceTime calls, music, video playback and photo slideshows. Apple has included Calendar, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Notes, Reminders, Music and Podcasts, allowing users to check appointments, send messages and access media without reaching for an iPhone.

Apple is positioning HomeView for shared spaces such as kitchens. A user can pull up a recipe, watch a video, review a calendar or start a FaceTime call while preparing a meal.

The device also changes its display based on who is using it. HomeView runs Apple’s updated Siri AI assistant and can recognize individual household members. After identifying a person, it can show that user’s messages, contacts, calendar appointments, notes and preferred apps. The display changes automatically when another family member approaches.

HomeView places Apple in more direct competition with Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub, two established smart-display product lines. Apple has had a mixed record in smart-home hardware, including the HomePod, and the new device gives the company a chance to tie home controls more closely to its broader ecosystem.

HomeView will be available in four colors: silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray. Sales begin Nov. 13.