Tech Analysis

Apple HomeView: What It Does and Doesn't Replace

October 2026

On 13 October Apple announced HomeView, a $299 smart display for the home, with pre-orders open now and availability from 13 November. Nobody outside Apple has used one yet, and neither have we, so this is a reading of what Apple has said, plus a comparison with something we know well: a spare iPhone used as a home camera.

What Apple announced

The hardware. A 7-inch screen on a speaker base, in a tabletop version and a wall-mounted version, both $299 in the US. Apple's release lists US prices only, so we don't yet know what it will cost in the UK.
A shared device. It recognises up to six people by face and gives each their own home screen, with personal content shown only to the person it recognises.
Siri AI. A new version of Siri, listed as a beta at launch, available in English in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.
A home dashboard. A camera view can show up to nine feeds at once, alongside controls for lights, locks and thermostats. It works with HomeKit and Matter accessories.
Where and when. It goes on sale on 13 November in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and Singapore, with South Africa through resellers. It isn't sold in the European Union, because Siri AI isn't available there yet.

What you still need

An iPhone or iPad to set it up and for multi-person support.
An Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone or iPad for Siri AI to use your personal context.
A supported iCloud+ subscription and compatible cameras if you want the people, pet and package recognition and the video descriptions.
Cameras to watch. Apple's own new cameras, a doorbell and a lock, are due to start arriving in December, with some in early 2027.

So the display has no subscription of its own, but several of the smarter camera features do.

What Apple hasn't said

Apple describes a selection of its own apps plus compatible third-party audio and video apps, and notes that some apps need a paired iPhone nearby. Press reports say HomeView launches without an App Store. Apple's announcement doesn't say whether other kinds of app, camera apps included, will run on it, and we haven't seen that documented.

HomeView or a spare iPhone?

They do different jobs, and the comparison mostly shows where each fits:

Cost. A drawer iPhone costs nothing. HomeView is $299 plus whatever cameras you add, and perhaps an iCloud+ plan.
Role. HomeView is a display, speaker and hub, built to show things. A spare iPhone is a camera, built to see things. For most people it would sit on one side of the same setup.
Camera feeds. HomeView is designed to show feeds from HomeKit and Matter cameras. We haven't seen Apple say it will show a stream from another camera app, so don't plan around that.
Flexibility. A spare iPhone runs whatever apps it supports. HomeView appears to be a closed device at launch.

If you only want a camera for a pet, a baby or a hallway, a spare iPhone is still the cheapest route. We cover it in our home camera guide and the pet camera version.

Our read

HomeView looks aimed at people already living in Apple's home ecosystem, as a rival to the Echo Show and Nest Hub more than as a replacement for a repurposed phone. Its pitch is a shared screen that stays personal, plus Siri AI. How good that is will depend on the beta software and how many cameras and accessories work with it, and neither is clear yet.

What to watch

Independent reviews after 13 November, especially of Siri AI.
UK pricing and the EU outcome.
Any clarification on third-party apps.
Which cameras Apple's recognition features actually support.

Sources

For disclosure: we make iPhone apps, including OffgridCam, which turns a spare iPhone into a camera, so we have an interest in this comparison. We haven't used HomeView.

More from Offgrid Studio

How to Use an Old iPhone as a Pet Camera (No Subscription, No Cloud)
How to Turn an Old iPhone Into a Private Baby Monitor (No Cloud, No Subscription)

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