Apple HomeView Is Here: $299, No App Store, and in My Opinion It Needs Your iPhone for Too Much

I wrote it before the event: no App Store, no purchase from me. Today Apple confirmed it. HomeView is official, it costs $299, and there is no App Store. So what I expected happened.

In my opinion, the presentation was mainly there so people come and look. The marketing team did everything possible to make it look strong. But when you read the details, as 9to5Mac, MacRumors, AppleInsider and Wired reported them, it is a different story.

In this article: What Apple announced · A handful of apps through CarPlay · YouTube, Netflix? Better on your TV · Made to push us to a new iPhone? · “Paired iPhone nearby”: nobody knows what that means · Siri AI? Please, no · The wall version: $299 plus a mount · $299 vs Echo Show 8 for $199 · Face recognition: how, exactly? · Which chip? Buy it and find out · Who will buy it? · My prediction: 85% flop · FAQ

What Apple announced

HomeView has a 7-inch square Liquid Retina display with True Tone, from 0.3 to 500 nits. The tabletop model sits on a domed speaker base with two full-range drivers, a woofer and two passive radiators. It comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space gray.

It recognizes the faces of up to six people and gives each one a personal Home Screen. It can show up to nine cameras at once, turns web recipes into step-by-step instructions, and has FaceTime with Center Stage and Intercom. Apple did not say which chip is inside.

If you want the background, I wrote about the leaks before the event in my Apple HomeView: no App Store, no thanks article.

A handful of apps through CarPlay

Apple apps on HomeView are Music, Podcasts and Safari. Apple TV, audiobooks, Apple Music Classical and News come from your iPhone. According to Wired, a handful of third-party media apps like Spotify are available, because developers can bring over existing CarPlay apps.

Now please, Apple lovers and gadget lovers, do not take this badly. But I am completely broken. I waited so long for a smart hub for the home, and we got a big watch with a speaker. In my opinion, without an iPhone it feels like it is good for little more than showing you the time. For $299. Couldn’t they find some older parts and make at least something autonomous, so it would not be so expensive? What is this, Apple? What do you want to compete with?

YouTube, Netflix? Better on your TV

According to AppleInsider, HomeView cannot play Apple TV or other video apps on its own, without an iPhone or iPad streaming to it.

In my opinion, that is mega arrogance. What is it even for? I did not really understand it. A second screen for the iPhone, and even that without real third-party apps? If I have to stream YouTube or Netflix from my iPhone anyway, I would rather put it on a big screen, a TV or a projector.

Made to push us to a new iPhone?

Some Siri AI features, like information from Messages and Calendar, need a paired iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence. Changing Siri’s voice even needs an iPhone 17 Pro or newer, or an M4 iPad with 12GB of memory.

So if you want HomeView, first buy a new iPhone. In my opinion, this is to force us to go for a new iPhone. I am angry about how much this is mega greed. What does it mean? At home we have an iPad, we have a Mac. Isn’t that the ecosystem? And you cannot even pair it with a Mac. For the first time, we get a gadget that does not feel connected with the whole ecosystem, and nobody talks about it.

“Paired iPhone nearby”: nobody knows what that means

Apple has not explained how the iPhone requirement works. Does the iPhone have to be next to HomeView, or is it enough to be on the same Wi-Fi? They do not say. 9to5Mac asked Apple and is still waiting for an answer.

It is a presentation. I am not saying the product is useless, but we do not even know how it will work. In my opinion, that is an epic fail.

Siri AI? Please, no

Please, do not get on my nerves with Siri AI. Maybe it will change soon, if Apple brings in people and models from Google. But right now, in my opinion, it is a disaster. I would be ashamed to call Siri AI right now. Leave it just Siri, at least that is the truth. And that the “AI” works with Messages and Calendar only through your iPhone? That is really a big power of AI.

The wall version: $299 plus a mount

The wall-mounted HomeView also costs $299, but it has only two speakers. The mount is sold separately: $59.95 or $79.95 from Schneider Home, and $129.95 for a PoE mount in early 2027. Readers on MacRumors noted that there is no USB cable or power adapter in the box either.

In my opinion, this is nonsense, but that is only my opinion. Maybe somebody wants it, and I do not want to discourage anyone. But what is the price for? For a speaker and a display? Apple, aren’t you ashamed to put this on sale and even make a presentation about it?

$299 vs Echo Show 8 for $199

Amazon’s Echo Show 8 costs $199 and supports more devices, but it shows ads. Some Apple fans say HomeView is worth more because it has no ads.

People, how do you see this? No ads, but only Apple apps, and others do not work. What about those who do not want or do not use these apps? And do not forget the monthly subscription: the AI features for cameras need iCloud+. Wake up, you are looking at Apple through pink glasses. I would rather look at an ad than have somebody push which apps I must use, with my own money.

Yes, I can mirror what I have on my iPhone. But it is still not practical. The good old Apple, we probably saw it for the last time with Tim Cook. In my opinion, they now go only for the money. They push us to have the newest and most expensive phones, and then make new gadgets work best only with a new iPhone.

Face recognition: how, exactly?

HomeView recognizes up to six people. But Apple did not say how it will work for a family. Does everyone have to walk around the house with their phone? They showed a feature, but said nothing about how it works. Most important, pre-orders are open, so buy it.

I really do not trust it. What Apple did here, I am out of it. So get ready, it will get even more interesting.

Which chip? Buy it and find out

Apple did not say which chip is inside. In my opinion, Apple did it cleverly: here is the thing, it works like this, pre-orders are open. A presentation only halfway. The rest, you will learn yourself after you buy it: which chip, how it works, whether you need your iPhone next to it or not.

Who will buy it?

I would rather buy a real smart hub from the competition. Even if it is not as fast, it still gives us more options.

And who will buy HomeView? In my opinion, mostly people who want something with the bitten apple at home, more like decoration, to show they can afford it. For me, it is money thrown away. And with an expensive iPhone Duo on the way, then HomeView next to it, a new gadget you forget in a week, plus a mount, plus no charger. People, wake up.

My prediction: 85% flop

In my opinion, there is an 85% chance HomeView flops. I leave the rest as hope, only if Apple lets other apps in. But it will still not be an autonomous station. It is a gadget for an expensive iPhone, maybe for the biggest fans.

Will it last a year? I say it will end even faster. It is desperation, selling things just because the Apple logo is on them.

Featured image: Apple

Apple HomeView: FAQ

How much does Apple HomeView cost?

Apple HomeView costs $299. Pre-orders opened October 13, 2026, and deliveries start November 13. The wall-mounted model also costs $299, and its mounts are sold separately from $59.95.

Does Apple HomeView have an App Store?

No. HomeView has Apple apps like Music, Podcasts and Safari, plus a handful of third-party media apps like Spotify that come over through CarPlay. Some apps require a paired iPhone nearby.

Can HomeView play Netflix or YouTube?

According to AppleInsider, HomeView cannot play Apple TV or other video apps on its own. Video has to be streamed from an iPhone or iPad.

Does HomeView need an iPhone?

Basic Siri questions and music work without one. Personal Siri AI features like Messages and Calendar need a paired iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence, and Siri voice settings need an iPhone 17 Pro or newer, or an M4 iPad with 12GB of memory.

What chip is in Apple HomeView?

Apple has not said which chip HomeView uses.

Sources: Apple, 9to5Mac, MacRumors, AppleInsider, Wired.

Our Take

I said no App Store, no purchase, and Apple confirmed no App Store.

HomeView is a beautiful screen that, in my opinion, needs your iPhone for too much, plays video only from your phone, and comes with too many open questions.

My bet: 85% flop. I hope Apple proves me wrong, but I will not pay $299 to find out.