Apple's HomeView is $300 at a minimum, and it's not really clear who it's for

Apple's HomeView is trying to do a lot. So much, in fact, that it makes me wonder if there was a point where Apple ever thought to ask if it was doing too much.

When Apple announced the Apple HomeView, I was neither surprised nor impressed. I wasn't surprised because we've known it was coming for the better part of two or three years now.

I wasn't impressed because I'm clearly not the target market. I don't know if it makes me deeply uncool, but I genuinely do not care about home automation.

In fact, the only home automation I have is my upstairs window air conditioner. It automatically turns on at 10:00 pm if the room is above 75 degrees, and turns off again at 7:30 am.

But I don't need a smart home hub to set that up, either. I can do it straight from the app on my phone, or even from the remote that came with my air conditioner.

Which got me thinking: who is the HomeView actually for?

Stepping outside of the bubble

Working in tech journalism often makes me feel like an outsider. I don't share the unbridled love for technology and all things Apple that most of my compatriots here do.

My interest in technology has always been pretty boring. I like a product that doesn't bring any unnecessary friction into my life.

Technology should reduce friction, not make things harder.

I switched from a Windows phone to an iPhone ages ago, and I liked it because my iPhone worked well. I switched from Windows to macOS in 2019 and loved how many of those death-by-a-thousand-paper-cuts interactions it eradicated.

It was never because I thought an iPhone was inherently cooler than a Windows phone, or that a Mac seemed like a more obvious choice than a PC. I tried something, liked it better, and switched.

Compared to other AppleInsider staffers, you'll see a big difference. And I think that's probably a good thing.

After all, if we all shared the same level of enthusiasm for these products, I think it would be a more boring publication to read.

A few people on staff are very excited for HomeView, and I'm glad that they are. I am just not one of them.

Cost of entry

The HomeView is not an inexpensive device, though it's hard to define what is expensive in 2026. Either way, it starts at $300.

Assuming you're starting from square zero in your Smart Home journey, you're dropping at least $300 to get a device that can play some music, display text messages and calendars, and make FaceTime calls.

You know what else plays music, displays text messages and calendars, and does FaceTime calls? An iPhone or an iPad.

And lest we forget, you need an iPhone or iPad to own a HomeView. So really, the cost of a HomeView is $300 plus owning and maintaining an iPhone or iPad that can run the required software.

If you want to buy a wall-mounted Apple HomeView, the cost theoretically starts at $300. I say theoretically because that version doesn't include a power cord or a wall mount, which effectively renders the HomeView useless until you get both of those things.

And no, its not VESA-compatible.

If you opt for a wall-mount HomeView, you're in for at least $360. Truthfully, it's probably closer to $400 when you inevitably buy the optional 40W Dynamic Power Adapter.

If you want one that can be hardwired into your home's electrical system, that's $380. You know, before you hire an electrician, unless you're brave enough to hardwire it in yourself.

All of this money spent and for what? CarPlay for your house?

Pick your poison

As I said above, you've got two choices for HomeView: wall-mounted or standalone. Each costs a different amount of money, but each also sort of changes the context of how you'll use it.

The standalone HomeView is a tabletop device you toss on your kitchen counter, computer desk, or entryway table. It's portable enough, so you don't need to decide on a permanent home for it.

I think the standalone version makes the most sense for the widest audience. It's effectively a second screen for your iPhone with a built-in speaker.

You can use it to listen to music, to follow a recipe while cooking, or make a FaceTime call. Sure, it looks like a giant Apple Watch attached to a Y2K-era speaker, but it makes sense.

Where Apple loses me is the wall-mounted HomeView. And not because I don't think there's a use case for it, but because you're taking the same device off the table and giving it an entirely different job.

It is for a very specific person. Specifically, somebody that prizes home automation above all else.

A wall-mounted HomeView requires commitment. You have to pick a spot in your home to permanently attach it.

Maybe near your kitchen counter, where you presumably make your morning cup of coffee and cook your meals. Maybe it's in a central location where everyone walks by.

But picking a spot limits its usefulness. I were going to put one in my house, I'd probably put it in my dining room near my entryway.

I wouldn't FaceTime anyone there. I wouldn't use it to follow a recipe or listen to a podcast there, either.

Picking a location can be difficult if you've got a multi-floor home or a nonstandard layout. How do you pick the right location?

There are already AppleInsider staffers planning to get multiple HomeViews. I know this demographic exists, but need I remind you that you're already in for at least $300 per HomeView, before any mounts, power adapters, or electrician costs.

And after that upfront money is spent, then you spend the big bucks.

You work hard for your money

Converting your existing home to a smart home isn't cheap. Perhaps you've already done a fair bit of it, and instead of an iPad that you already have, the HomeView is the final puzzle piece to make everything work together the way you want.

If that is the case, I regret to inform you that this piece you're reading isn't for you. But also, it's probably safe to say you're in the minority.

But chances are, you probably have a few little bits and bobs of smart devices littered throughout your home. Maybe you've got a few Govee smart lights or an Ecobee thermostat.

Maybe you have zero smart home items. I don't know if you've ever looked at the cost of smart home accoutrements, but they're not cheap.

Apple is launching the Apple Home Collection in December, and many of those items are, to put it lightly, hella expensive.

• LG Video Doorbell Wired: $249.95
• LG Floodlight Cam: $399.95
• LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In: $299.95
• LG Indoor Cam Plug-In: $199.95
• LG Smart Deadbolt Lock: $349.95
• LG Smart Thermostat: $199.95
• LG Temperature Sensor: $39.95
• Schneider Home Smart Home Thermostat: $199.95
• Schneider Home Room Sensor: $39.95

And yes, you don't need to shop the Apple Home Collection. The HomeView will also work with any smart home object that works with the Apple Home app.

You know, the same app that is already on your iPhone or your iPad. The same iPhone or iPad that you already need to own if you want to use the HomeView in the first place.

So I must ask again...

Once again: who is the Apple HomeView for?

To use common parlance, I'm really not trying to "yuck anyone's yum," here. I'm just trying to understand who the HomeView is for.

I think it's trying to do too many things at once. Because of that, I think it ultimately is less useful.

If it were basically the Home app, but on your wall, and came in at $100 cheaper, it would make sense. You could put one per floor and use it to check your outdoor security cameras, tinker with your lights, and work as an intercom with your HomePods.

Apple's insistence on including apps like FaceTime, Messages, Music, and Safari — coupled with a $300 starting price and the requirement to own an iPhone or iPad — makes it a harder sell.

It feels like it's trying to be an iPad replacement, but it doesn't and can't replace an iPad. CarPlay makes sense in your car; you shouldn't strap an iPad in your line of sight while driving.

CarPlay makes far, far less sense at home, stationary, on a surface. Aside from the facial recognition and Thread integration, this doesn't do anything better than an iPad paired with a HomePod mini.

There will be an audience for HomeView. Several of them are AppleInsider staffers.

There's an audience. It's Apple, so there's always going to be an audience. It sold out of the polishing cloth the first time-around, and the $149 iPhone Pocket was gone in seconds.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe HomeView will be an enormous hit, and everyone will put one in their home somewhere.

But my gut feeling is that, at least for the first generation, I don't think this is going to land the way Apple wanted.