[DigitalToday reporter Jae-won Choi (최재원)] Apple’s first smart home display hub, HomeView, won praise for smart home control and kitchen assistant functions, but concerns were raised about exposure of personal information among family members and unstable performance by its AI assistant. Unexpected problems emerged from combining personal iPhone functions with a device used by multiple people.

On Nov. 12 (local time), IT media outlet The Verge reported that Apple HomeView is a smart home hub with a 7-inch square display that controls lighting, door locks, thermostats and security cameras. It sells in the United States for $299 (about 399,600 won) and goes on sale on Nov. 13.

The product’s biggest strength is its fast response. It supports HomeKit and Matter, and lighting control worked at a speed similar to pressing a regular light switch. When a video doorbell rings, it shows a live camera feed and can also open the front door remotely.

It was also useful in the kitchen. Users can move recipes viewed on an iPhone to HomeView for step-by-step guidance, and ask Siri questions about ingredient substitutions or cooking times. The screen brightness and sound quality also received positive reviews.

The problem is privacy protection. HomeView can distinguish up to 6 family members through facial and voice recognition and display items such as messages and schedules by person. In actual testing, however, another family member was able to view the previous user’s text messages immediately after the user changed. A similar issue appeared when family members sat close together.

Siri’s AI performance also disappointed. It processed smart home commands quickly, but responses were slow or errors occurred when searching personal schedules. In one case, it incorrectly inferred a location shown on the schedule and provided travel time guidance that differed from reality.

Its app ecosystem is also limited. It has no maps or notes app, and some apps and widgets require an iPhone connection. It also lacks physical volume buttons. For the wall-mounted version, the stand and power adapter must be purchased separately, lifting the actual cost to about $400 (about 534,600 won).

The outlet gave HomeView 7 out of 10. It said it is a useful smart home device for households using Apple’s ecosystem, but that privacy protection and software completeness need improvement for it to establish itself as a shared family AI assistant.