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Hi there! My name is Janko Roettgers, and this is Lowpass. This Tuesday, a first look at Appple’s new HomeView device.
Image courtesy of Apple
Apple’s new HomeView device has a video problem
Apple unveiled its first-ever smart display today: The Apple HomeView is a $299 7-inch square display that heavily relies on Siri and personalization to help you control your smart home, give you access to core Apple apps, and serve up the kind of info one might want in the kitchen: Recipes, music playlists, podcasts, family photos.
It’s not too dissimilar from what Google and Amazon have been offering with their respective smart displays for years, but the timing is arguably right for Apple: Google in particular hasn’t released a new smart display in five years, and its recent push to replace Google Assistant with Gemini on existing devices has left a lot of customers frustrated (ask me how I know 😶).
If Apple can get the basics right while also providing a solid integration with its own device ecosystem, then the HomeView hub could easily become a smart home success story. Entertainment companies, on the other hand, shouldn’t expect too much from the device. Ultimately, the HomeView just wasn’t built for them.