Apple’s HomeView smart display has just been announced, and isn’t due to go on sale until November 13 – but you can already save some money on your pre-order. It’s not a huge amount of money, this is a brand new Apple product, but considering how expensive everything is these days, the option of a few dollars should not be ignored.
Amazon is currently offering the Apple HomeView for $290, which is $9 off the standard price. Oddly, the discount only seems to be available in three of the four color options, and anyone hoping to pick up the Starlight (cream) color will have to pay the full $299. But Space Grey, Rose Pink and Silver all get to enjoy the slight discount.
The Apple HomeView is not just an iPad with a stand, which is what many smart displays try to be. It’s specifically designed to fit into Apple’s emerging smart home ecosystem by providing an experience that doesn’t clone the things your iPhone or Apple Watch can already do.
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The most impressive thing is that the HomeView can actually recognize up to six individual people, and adjust the information presented on the screen. This means that the schedules and widgets you see may be different than what your partner or roommate might be presented with.
Siri AI’s personal context feature will also play a key role in this, offering a smarter and more personalized experience when interacting with HomeView. In fact, it’s even possible to ask the screen to find information from your iPhone and show it to you.
Of course, HomeView can do all the things you’d expect from a smart display. The screen can function as a digital photo frame, rotating images from your own Apple Photos albums to mix things up at home.
Similarly, the 12MP center stage camera means that the HomeView can also function as a FaceTime machine, allowing you to make up your calls from your usual device. Plus, like an Amazon Echo, it’s an intercom that can communicate with other Apple devices around the house.
That’s on top of the fact that this is a hub for all Matter-equipped smart home devices in your home. This includes, but is not limited to, the new Apple Home Collection designed in conjunction with LG and Schneider Electric.
So if you need a smart home hub, and think the Apple option is right for you, take advantage of this discount while you can – no matter how small it is.
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