Key takeaways
- The Information reports that Apple is working on a larger, robotic HomeView, possibly called HomeView Ultra or Max, with a 9-inch screen on a motorized arm that swivels to follow people, plus a camera and sensors so it can act on its own, like turning on lights when you walk in.
- It could cost around $1,000 or more and is planned for 2027, possibly 2028. The project started in 2019 as J595; the hardware has reportedly been done for about two years while software and AI features hold it back. Apple has not confirmed it.
- My view: $1,000 for a second display for your iPhone that just turns around. Amazon’s Echo Show 10 already does it for $249.99, and a tracking phone stand costs around $25. And a camera following you around your home is a spy I don’t want.
On November 2, The Information reported that Apple is developing a larger, robotic version of its HomeView smart display, possibly named HomeView Ultra or HomeView Max. It has a 9-inch screen on a motorized arm that, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, swivels a full 360 degrees and turns toward whoever is speaking; reports compare it to the iMac G4 and Pixar’s lamp. A camera and sensors are meant to make it “fully aware of its environment and act autonomously,” for example turning on the lights when someone enters a room and avoiding nearby objects.
The project began in 2019 under the code name J595, first as a video-call device that could follow a person around a room. The hardware has reportedly been largely finished for about two years, while software holds it back as executives kept adding AI features, and there have been internal debates about what goes into the first and second generations. Apple hopes to launch it in 2027 for around $1,000 in the US, possibly more depending on component costs, but it could slip to 2028. The regular HomeView, with a 7-inch screen, costs $299 and ships November 13. Apple has not confirmed any of this.
In this article: $1,000 for a display that turns around · Apple, you’re serious about robots? · What is worth $1,000 here? · First generation, and then silence · “The hardware has been ready for two years” · A spy in my home · After the App Store scandal, no thanks · Maybe it’s just a fairy tale · FAQ
$1,000 for a display that turns around
Good grief. A HomeView for $1,000, as a second display for your iPhone, just because it turns around. Amazon has something similar, the Echo Show 10, with a screen that turns to follow you, for $249.99.
And I’ll tell you what sells better: stands that turn to follow you, for the iPhone and for the iPad. A tracking stand like that costs maybe around $25, I’m not sure exactly, and on sale or on Black Friday probably even less.
Apple, you’re serious about robots?
Apple, with these robots, you can’t be serious. I think you see that the iPhone won’t pull the company forever, so you are looking for some other way. I understand that, fine.
But please, when you release something for $1,000, a kitchen display that turns after you, at least make it worth it.
What is worth $1,000 here?
And what do you have to put in there to make it cost $1,000? That it turns on the light bulbs in your apartment by itself and follows you as it turns? That’s the price that will be, at least for me, astronomical.
A motion sensor can turn on a light. A tracking stand can turn after you. A HomeView for $299 can show you the screen. So what exactly am I paying the other $700 for?
| Device | Screen that follows you | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple HomeView Ultra (rumored) | 9-inch on a swiveling arm, camera and sensors | Around $1,000 or more | Rumored for 2027 or 2028, not confirmed |
| Apple HomeView | No, fixed 7-inch screen | $299 | Ships November 13, 2026 |
| Amazon Echo Show 10 | Yes, 10.1-inch rotating screen | $249.99 | On sale |
| Face-tracking phone stand | Yes, with your iPhone or iPad | Around $25 | On sale |
| Amazon Astro | Robot on wheels | About $1,600 | Never caught on; business version shut down in 2024 |
| Samsung Ballie | Rolling robot with projector | Never announced | Shelved in January 2026 |
First generation, and then silence
We know well that you are arguing among yourselves about what goes into the first generation and what into the second. Here’s my bet: in my opinion, you will stay with the first one. As always, the first wave buys a few thousand units, and then the market goes quiet.
And it wouldn’t be the first time. Amazon’s Astro home robot never really caught on, and Amazon shut down its business version in 2024. Samsung showed its Ballie robot from 2020, promised it for summer 2025, and in January 2026 shelved it indefinitely. It never went on sale.
“The hardware has been ready for two years”
And that little poem about the hardware being ready for two years and waiting for AI is not even funny anymore. I can’t listen to it anymore. Every time, they talk as if they were building Siri themselves.
They talk about the AI part, but it is just someone else’s brain that you plug in and go. Why make such a drama out of it? My view is that the drama also covers the fact that people who are now getting the small HomeView have to wait for Siri too.
A spy in my home
And a camera that follows you around your home, that sounds way too weird to me. Why have a spy in your apartment? For me, that’s too much.
Today, for the price of one gadget from Apple, you can make almost your entire home smart. And from them you would buy a camera that spies on you and is on all the time. Privacy isn’t even part of the conversation.
After the App Store scandal, no thanks
And especially after the scandal we learned about today, with the deepfake apps that passed App Store review. After that, I definitely don’t want some app to later use photos from my home for deepfakes in all kinds of versions.
Maybe it’s just a fairy tale
Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself and stressing too much over everything happening around Apple. Hopefully it’s just a fairy tale, and by 2028 we will forget about it. Or Apple will show a true masterpiece that is worth that money.
Until then, I’ll stay with my iPhone, and if I want a screen that turns after me, I know where to buy one for $25.
Also on Evolt News: Apple’s HomeView sells Siri AI in beta · 400 hidden deepfake apps in the App Store · HomePod mini 2 and the Siri AI fine print
Featured image: Apple HomeView. Photo: Apple.
This article is opinion.
HomeView Ultra: FAQ
What is Apple HomeView Ultra?
A rumored larger, robotic version of Apple’s HomeView smart display, reported by The Information. It would have a 9-inch screen on a motorized arm that swivels to follow people, plus a camera and sensors to act on its own. The name could also be HomeView Max, and Apple has not confirmed the product.
How much will HomeView Ultra cost?
The Information reports Apple is targeting around $1,000 in the US, possibly more depending on component costs. The regular HomeView costs $299.
When will HomeView Ultra be released?
Apple reportedly hopes to launch it in 2027, but it could slip to 2028. The project began in 2019 under the code name J595.
Why is HomeView Ultra delayed?
According to the report, the hardware has been largely finished for about two years, but software is holding it back as Apple added more ambitious AI features, and there were internal debates over what goes into the first and second generations.
Is there a cheaper alternative to a display that follows you?
Amazon’s Echo Show 10 has a 10.1-inch screen that rotates to follow you and costs $249.99. Face-tracking stands for an iPhone or iPad sell for around $25.
Is a HomeView with a moving camera a privacy risk?
Any device with a camera that is always ready and can turn to follow people raises privacy questions. Apple has not said how a robotic HomeView would handle camera data.
Sources: The Information, Bloomberg (Mark Gurman), MacRumors, 9to5Mac, Digital Trends, Apple, Amazon, Samsung.
Our Take
A $1,000 HomeView that turns to follow you is, for me, a second iPhone display with a motor and an astronomical price. Amazon does it for $249.99, a tracking stand for about $25, and Amazon and Samsung already learned that home robots don’t sell.
Apple, fix Siri on the HomeView you are shipping now, and don’t ask us to put a camera that follows us into our homes. Maybe in 2028 you will surprise me with a masterpiece. Until then, it’s a fairy tale.
