Apple has unveiled a smart home hub that pairs the personal data stored on the iPhone with its voice assistant Siri, marking its return to the home device market after eight years. What the company is pitching as its differentiator is not a feature but the way data is handled: the device draws on personal data without that information passing to the company. Rather than flashy functions, Apple is leaning on simplicity to win share from Google and Amazon, which got there first.
At an event in New York on the 13th, Apple introduced HomeView, a $299 smart home hub, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company also rolled out an upgraded HomePod speaker, a thermostat developed with LG Electronics, a video doorbell, a door lock and indoor and outdoor security cameras. An Apple official said the company had also released privacy safeguards designed so that iPhone user data can be used without that information ending up in the company's hands.
HomeView runs its own operating system on Apple's A18 chip. Encrypted user data is processed in an isolated area inside the chip. To access personal data, an iPhone must be connected to the same home network as HomeView, and personal data is not stored on the HomeView device itself. Apple said no data, including for its own advertising, is used for marketing.
"We don't build customer profiles to use for marketing," said Kye-yan Drance, Apple's vice president of home product marketing. "We're trying to keep our commitments to simplicity, personalization, intelligence and privacy."
HomeView is an iPad-shaped device that can be mounted on a wall or set on a table. It recognizes the voices and faces of up to six people and switches to the personal data of whoever approaches. In a demonstration, the device pulled a recipe from a text message, pointed to a nearby farmers market where missing ingredients could be bought, and then updated a shopping list. HomeView draws on the personal search index stored on the iPhone to personalize its responses. "Because it comes from the iPhone, you get more relevant and timely information," Drance said.
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Apple released the HomePod once before, in 2018. It failed to make much of an impression on consumers, however, and its share stalled at around 6%. Voice assistants at the time were at a rudimentary stage, used for playing music and setting timers, and Google and Amazon took the market in the meantime. Rivals have hit limits of their own. Amazon's Echo Show displays ads that cannot be turned off, and Google has not released a new Nest Hub since 2021. Research firm IDC estimated global smart home display revenue fell to $2.3 billion last year from $2.5 billion in 2023.
The HomeView launch is the product of new Chief Executive John Ternus' strategy of broadening the product lineup. At last month's iPhone event, Ternus defined the iPhone as an "intelligent personal hub." Apple has already announced the iPhone Duo, which goes on sale in 10 days, and is expected to introduce new variants of other flagship products soon. The plan is to revive a stagnant market through the smart home while drawing consumers deeper into Apple's ecosystem.
The variable is what Siri can do. Apple has positioned Siri as HomeView's point of contact, but Siri is slower and less capable than OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude. It also falls short of personal assistant apps such as Meta's Muse and Instinct in completing tasks. According to the Journal, Siri's AI stalled even on basic requests such as playing a song or placing a call.
"Apple came late to this market," said Elizabeth Parks, president of Parks Associates, adding that "Apple's customers have a very strong loyalty effect." She stressed, however, that Apple would need to keep setup and recovery simple for the hub and the LG devices if it is to gain market share.