A shared screen that can show personal messages creates a sharp trade-off for Apple’s HomeView: the display is a capable smart-home hub and kitchen companion, but its links to an iPhone can expose private texts. The reviewer’s 15-year-old daughter reached a simple verdict: “I’ll just use my iPhone.”
HomeView handles the basics well. It offers speedy smart-home controls, guided cooking, sound that is strong for its size and customizable photo-frame faces. It is also Apple’s first smart speaker with Siri AI, which the reviewer found helpful around the home, though sometimes slow.
The device is designed for shared household use while also drawing on an iPhone or iPad on the same Wi-Fi network to access texts, calendars and reminders. Switching between those roles proved awkward: authentication checks and repeated prompts to use the iPhone interrupted the hands-free experience. More seriously, the reviewer could easily read the daughter’s messages, and she could read the reviewer’s.
The household’s reactions differed. The daughter preferred her phone, while the reviewer’s husband, described as largely tech-averse, immediately wanted a HomeView for his office. The review gave the device a score of 7. Its drawbacks included the privacy concern, slow Siri responses, an awkward app and widget setup, and wall mounts that cost extra. The listed price was $299, with a $290 price shown at Amazon.
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