Apple's new HomeView smart home device and its fourth-generation Apple TV 4K now both start at $299, and first impressions suggest the hardware is stronger than the Siri AI running on it.
The verdict comes from a hands-on discussion after a week with HomeView. The reviewers liked its build quality and sound. They were less sure it earns a spot in a household that already owns a HomePod mini or a full-sized HomePod. The wall-mounted version raises the same question: it costs $299 before mounting accessories and lacks the larger speaker base.
The kitchen is where HomeView makes the most sense. Timers, music, questions and smart home controls work there, and the software turns web recipes into step-by-step instructions with ingredient checklists. Face recognition also switches between household members, pulling up the right person's apps and information even with two people standing side by side. At a desk surrounded by screens, the purpose is less obvious. There is no App Store. Third-party audio and video apps run through a connected iPhone or iPad, much like CarPlay, and widescreen video fills only a small part of the square display.
The Apple TV gets a clearer upgrade. The A19 chip brings noticeably faster navigation and animations, built-in microphones allow hands-free Siri even while TV audio plays, and the new remote's speaker helps locate it. It also supports four-speaker HomePod surround sound, which matters mostly to people who already own the speakers. Whether that justifies the higher starting price is a question the reviewers left open.
Siri AI is the weak point. Complex requests involving personal context can work, but long waits and inconsistent results interrupt the experience, and simple tasks like adding reminders proved less dependable than expected.
That matters because both products lean on the assistant as a selling point. Apple has set the same price for a speaker-and-screen hub and a streaming box, so the assistant has to carry much of the value. For now it sounds like the polish is in the hardware and the promise is in the software.