TL;DR
CNET’s review of Apple’s $299 HomeView found a polished, compact smart display with a vivid screen, strong audio and useful Apple HomeKit integration. The reviewer also found limits: the screen can feel small, Apple’s ecosystem may restrict some apps, and the device cannot resolve a household’s mixed smart-home setup by itself.
CNET’s review of Apple’s $299 HomeView found an attractive, capable smart display for households already using Apple devices and HomeKit, but not a fix for a fragmented smart home. After about two weeks of testing, reviewer Ajay Kumar praised its screen, sound and support for household profiles, while pointing to its price, smaller display and Apple-focused software as potential drawbacks.
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The HomeView is Apple’s first display designed specifically for its HomeKit smart-home ecosystem. Kumar used it to manage calendars, play music, control connected devices, create grocery lists and set reminders. The review says the display also supports Matter devices and personalized profiles for up to six family members using facial authentication.
The review describes a compact, premium-feeling device with a tiltable 7-inch, 1,088-by-1,088-pixel Liquid Retina IPS display and an Apple A18 chip. Kumar found the screen bright and responsive. A 12-megapixel Center Stage camera and a speaker system with two full-range drivers, a down-firing woofer and dual force-canceling passive radiators delivered audio the reviewer considered strong enough to fill a large living room.
The reviewer also found the display useful as a desk or bedside companion, with customizable clock faces, widgets and family photos. The price is $299. CNET’s review cautions that the wall-mounted version costs the same but has a different speaker setup: it lacks the desktop model’s woofer and passive radiators. Kumar also found the screen could feel small for some tasks.
A Display for Apple Households
The HomeView’s appeal depends less on the idea of a smart display—which is already familiar—and more on how well it fits an existing Apple-centered household. Calendar and Home controls in one place, along with individualized profiles, could make it a convenient shared device for families already using iCloud and HomeKit.
For households with a mix of Apple, Android and other smart-home products, the same integration may not be enough to justify the cost. CNET says Apple’s ecosystem can restrict which apps users rely on, and the review does not present the HomeView as a way to make every connected device or service work together. Its strongest case is as a polished addition to a compatible setup, not a universal remedy for disorganized devices.
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How It Fits the Smart Display Market
Smart displays with voice assistants, cameras, speakers and video calling were already available before HomeView. CNET names Amazon’s Echo Show models and Google’s Nest Hub products among established alternatives. The reviewer compared Apple’s device with a 2023 Echo Show 8, but noted that this older model was not a like-for-like match for newer hardware.
CNET contributor Tyler Lacoma pointed to a redesigned 8.7-inch Echo Show 8 with an HD display, faster chip, spatial audio, a 13-megapixel camera and Alexa Plus as a closer comparison. The review’s judgment is therefore based on the HomeView experience and the reviewer’s older Echo, not a direct test against that newer model.
““Apple’s debut display is impressive, but you should know a few things before making HomeView your smart home centerpiece.””
— Ajay Kumar, CNET reviewer
Compatibility and Comparison Limits
The review does not establish how the HomeView performs with every combination of third-party device, app or household platform. While CNET says it works with HomeKit and Matter devices, the report does not detail the full limits of that compatibility or show that it can simplify a mixed smart-home setup in every case.
The comparison also has limits: Kumar tested the HomeView alongside a 2023 Echo Show 8, not the newer 8.7-inch model cited by CNET. The review does not provide a direct test against that newer Echo or a comparable current Nest device. Buyers should treat the review’s performance comparisons accordingly.
Check Your Setup Before Buying
For prospective buyers, the practical next step is to check whether the household’s calendars, smart-home devices and preferred apps fit Apple’s ecosystem, then compare the $299 price with current Echo and Nest alternatives. Buyers considering a wall-mounted HomeView should also weigh its different audio configuration against the desktop version.
The source material describes a completed hands-on review, not a product launch announcement or a promised software change. It does not identify a future update that would address the reviewer’s concerns about screen size, app restrictions or mixed-device homes. How useful HomeView proves over time will depend on compatibility with each buyer’s actual setup.
Key Questions
What did CNET’s HomeView review find?
CNET reviewer Ajay Kumar tested the display for about two weeks and praised its design, responsive screen, sound and Apple HomeKit integration. The review also flagged its $299 price, smaller screen and Apple-focused ecosystem.
How much does Apple HomeView cost?
The review lists the HomeView at $299. It says the wall-mounted version costs the same as the desktop version but has a different speaker setup.
Does HomeView work with non-Apple smart-home devices?
CNET says HomeView works with Matter smart-home devices as well as HomeKit devices. The review does not give a full compatibility list or establish that every third-party device and app will work.
Is HomeView a good fit for Android or mixed-device households?
CNET says Android users and households split across device platforms may prefer Echo or Nest displays. That is the reviewer’s assessment, based on HomeView’s Apple-centered ecosystem.
What is different about the wall-mounted HomeView?
According to the review, the wall-mounted version uses two custom drivers tuned for wall placement and does not include the desktop model’s woofer or passive radiators. It has the same listed price.
Source: cnet.com
