Reviewers Love Apple’s $299 HomeView but Not Its Siri AI

Apple’s first smart home display went on sale in the US on November 13, and the first reviews are mixed. Reviewers like the hardware. Most do not like Siri AI, the voice helper at the core of the $299 HomeView.

The hub has a 7-inch square screen and an A18 chip. It comes as a tabletop model and a wall model, both at $299. It also sells in the UK, Canada, Australia, India and a few other markets. Apple does not sell it in the EU, since Siri AI is not out there yet.

Sites such as 9to5Mac, The Verge, PCMag and TechRadar praise the screen and the aluminum build. AppleInsider likes the lowest brightness setting. The screen dims to 0.3 nits, so it will not light up a bedroom at night. Apple’s hardware chief joked that it is the darkest product the company has made.

Siri is the weak spot. Reviewer Joanna Stern found that it failed at home tasks with many steps. It refused to open her front door, even though it knew her face. At one point it said it had no camera to see her. The display has one. Apple told her a December update should fix that.

Tom’s Guide tested it against Alexa+ and Gemini. Siri gave shorter answers and could not finish some tasks. A question about an Audrey Hepburn film set in Rome brought back a list of Christmas movies. Engadget found that Siri gets worse when your iPhone is out of range. It then falls back on general answers.

Some reports also raise privacy concerns. A screen with a camera and mics will sit in shared rooms. Apple says it keeps each person’s private messages off the shared screen. It also calls Siri AI’s use of personal data its privacy story.

The reviews I found focus on Siri, not on a clear privacy flaw. Apple’s support pages add one small quirk. The hub may not know you when you wear sunglasses.

At $299, HomeView costs less than many phones. But it leans on an iPhone or iPad for personal answers. If Siri AI is your reason to buy, the early reviews say to wait. Apple has promised fixes, and the December update will show how fast it can move.

Buyers who want a smart display today can look at Alexa+ and Gemini devices. Those are the rivals that Siri AI trails in the reviews. Apple still has time to close the gap, but only if the update works.