ⓘ Jan Antonin Kolar
Just hours before the launch of Apple HomeView, a reliable source reveals the key specs and features of the smart home hub's camera. The camera reportedly won't support Face ID, but will automatically wake the hub from standby mode when someone approaches.
Hannes Brecher (translated by Hannes Brecher), Published 🇩🇪
Apple has already officially confirmed that a launch event will take place today at 09:00 a.m. ET, where, according to Bloomberg, HomeView is expected to be the main announcement. It is reportedly an alternative to the Amazon Echo Show 8 ($199 on Amazon) with an almost square 7-inch touchscreen, a camera, an Apple A18 ARM chip and either a speaker base or a wall mount. @itspdfu has now found specific clues about the smart home hub's camera in the code of the release candidate version of macOS 26.7.
According to these findings, the camera uses an 11.3-megapixel Sony IMX614 RGB sensor and can capture images at a resolution of 3,744 × 3,024 pixels. Videos can be recorded at either 30 or 60 frames per second. However, Apple apparently omits an infrared sensor for secure 3D facial recognition via Face ID. The code suggests that the camera cannot calculate the user's distance from the hub. However, the camera is reportedly capable of distinguishing between different faces, and object recognition for pets is also on board.
HomeView is expected to be able to detect the positions of up to four compatible devices nearby. An unusual feature allows the camera to detect light sources, including their brightness and color – this could simplify the control of smart lights. HomeView is primarily intended to serve as a hub for controlling smart home devices, but is also expected to support FaceTime video chats and Apple's Siri AI assistant.
Editor of the original article: Hannes Brecher - Senior Tech Writer - 22530 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2018
Since 2009 I have written for different publications with a focus on consumer electronics. I joined the Notebookcheck news team in 2018 and have combined my many years of experience with laptops and smartphones with my lifelong passion for technology to create informative content for our readers about new developments in this sphere. In addition, my design background as an art director at an ad agency has allowed me to have deeper insights into the peculiarities of this industry.