It’s a big year for Apple firsts. The company launched the first MacBook Neo, unveiled its first folding iPhone in September, and installed a new CEO for the first time in 15 years. Now comes the Apple HomeView, Apple’s first smart display.
\n\nRivals like Google and Amazon have made countless screen-enabled smart speakers since voice assistants invaded the home a decade ago. But Apple stuck with a smaller smart home ecosystem centered on its HomePod speakers, even removing the iPad as a hub device a few years ago, which forced users to buy an Apple TV or HomePod to get started. Maybe that’s why it hasn’t found much success in the home.
\n\nAnnounced Tuesday at an event in New York City, the 7-inch smart display arrives alongside several other new smart home devices as part of Apple’s bid to revitalize its lagging ecosystem. The HomeView costs $299 and comes in two versions—a speaker base and a wall-mounted display—both priced the same. Preorders are live, with sales kicking off on November 13.
\n\nThe first thing I thought of after seeing the Apple HomeView in action is that it looks like a blown-up Apple Watch. The 7-inch square screen has multiple “faces”…
Original source: https://www.wired.com/