Now, as Apple expands its AI ambitions to compete with Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub, consumers face a familiar question: Should they pay for another Apple device with its major selling point being AI?
Here’s what to know about the new AI-powered tech, the ongoing lawsuit and how to claim your share of the pending settlement before it’s too late.
What is Apple HomeView?
Apple HomeView, which will retail at $299, is a smart home-management device that features a seven-inch Liquid Retina display touchscreen, a built-in speaker and a camera that recognizes individual household members, allowing it to personalize the experience for up to six people. Users can make FaceTime calls, play music, view security camera feeds and control connected devices such as thermostats, lights and smart locks, according to Apple’s announcement.
But HomeView’s biggest selling point is its integration with Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI platform that also powers newer Siri capabilities. Apple’s upgraded Siri is designed to do more than respond to basic voice commands. The assistant is expected to understand personal context, provide more conversational responses and use information from apps to help users complete tasks.
For example, users can ask questions that require information from their personal schedules rather than relying solely on general internet knowledge. When paired with a compatible Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, HomeView can draw on information from apps such as iMessage and Calendar to deliver more personalized responses.
“Apple HomeView is designed to be shared by everyone in the home yet feel completely personal to each user,” Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of worldwide marketing, said in a statement. “It’s powered by Apple Intelligence with Siri AI at its core, drawing on personal context from your iPhone to help you find what you need and get more done, all while keeping everyone’s information private and secure.”
A new product, the same technology
Apple HomeView, releasing on Nov. 13, leverages the same broader technology at the center of Apple’s pending $250 million settlement.
While Apple denies all of the allegations made in the class-action lawsuit — customer claims centered on the company’s 2024 unveiling of new AI-powered capabilities for Siri, including the ability to understand a user’s personal context, recognize what’s displayed on their screen and perform more actions across apps.
“Powered by Apple Intelligence, Siri becomes more deeply integrated into the system experience,” the company wrote in a June 2024 press release introducing Apple Intelligence. “With richer language-understanding capabilities, Siri is more natural, more contextually relevant and more personal, with the ability to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks.”
