An iPhone won't match the HomeView experience alone, however. When you surround your iPhone with the right devices, you end up with an experience surprisingly similar to using a smart display like Apple's HomeView. If you have just one of these four devices to pair with your iPhone, you can safely skip HomeView and keep that $299 in your pocket.
Tablet
If you have an old tablet, you already have a smart display
Apple's smart display doesn't ship with an app store, and that means you're limited as to what apps you can install and use on the HomeView. If you already own an old iPad, you don't just have a HomeView alternative — you might have something better.
The iPad has a fantastic Apple Home app that can be used for controlling HomeKit and Matter smart home gadgets. You can use touch control, voice control, and automations to manage your accessories.
The iPad's app store and web browser unlock nearly infinite possibilities, whereas the HomeView dashboard is more limited. For instance, you could install third-party smart home apps, like Google Home, and turn your iPad into a cross-platform dashboard. If you own niche smart home gadgets that require individual apps or web clients, you could access those from an old iPad too.
A household full of people could have their own iPhones and a shared iPad working as a smart home dashboard. That setup is as good, or better, than a dedicated smart display.
Smartwatch
Control your smart home straight from your wrist
Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf
An underrated alternative to a smart display is the smartwatch that always lives on your wrist. Think about the primary benefit of owning a dedicated smart display, which is being able to control your home and see visual updates from anywhere. If you have an Apple Watch, you already have a way to do just that.
The Apple Watch has a robust Apple Home app that lets you view camera feeds, control thermostats, and control media. It also has a Shortcuts app of its own that can be used to create smart home shortcuts and automations that run on your wrist.
For voice control, there are numerous ways to engage Siri, like by holding the digital crown or using the "Hey Siri" wake word. The better way is with Raise to Speak, the feature that lets you say a command to your Apple Watch without mentioning Siri by name. Just raise your Apple Watch close to your mouth, state your command, and wait for it to process — it's that simple.
Unless you're going to put a HomeView display or HomePod speaker in every room, the Apple Watch could be a more convenient way to trigger smart home requests. It follows you around your home on your wrist, giving you a way to initiate smart home actions and Siri commands from anywhere.
Streaming box
Turn your TV into the smart home dashboard you want
Those with an active smart home probably have a streaming box or smart speaker already serving as a smart home hub. The Apple TV, for example, is one of the few devices that can be set up as an Apple Home hub. It works with Matter devices and has a Thread border router, creating a local mesh network for quick and reliable smart home connectivity.
An Apple TV 4K box doesn't just have to be the invisible link between your smart home gadgets, it can also be the primary way you control them. Every Apple TV 4K includes a Siri Remote that you can use to state voice commands, and the 2026 model has far-field microphones to enable the "Hey Siri" wake word. More importantly, video events recorded by HomeKit cameras and doorbells can appear in real time on your Apple TV.
As a dashboard, the Apple TV supports smart home shortcuts via the control center. You can access it by long-pressing the Apple TV button on your remote. Or, you can use third-party apps like Itsyhome for HomeKit to get a more traditional Apple Home dashboard on an Apple TV. Apple TV supports multiple users, just like the HomeView display.
Smart speaker
Voice control, just without the connected display
The most obvious alternative to a smart display is a smart speaker. Apple's HomeView only offers a square 7-inch screen, and it won't be conducive to media watching or content consumption. In fact, the operating system makes HomeView feel more akin to a big Apple Watch than a small iPad. Before buying HomeView, you should ask yourself how often you'll really use that square touchscreen. If the answer is not much, stick with a smart speaker.
If you already have an iPhone and a HomePod or HomePod Mini, you have a combination that will rival the Apple HomeView. Apple's smart speakers have multi-user support, and use voice recognition to personalize experiences tailored to the person that's speaking. Starting at just $149 for a HomePod Mini 2, they're cheaper to place in multiple rooms than the $299 HomeView. And if you ask a question that requires a visual answer, you can open your iPhone to view it.
Why you might want a smart display anyway
The killer HomeView feature that most people miss when skimming the spec sheet is multi-user support. Apple's HomeView display supports up to six user profiles, and uses facial recognition to personalize the experience for each person. If you're in a large household with multiple people who need personalized Siri AI help, HomeView starts to make sense. Since the iPad and Apple Watch lack multi-user support, buying one for each member of your household gets expensive, fast.
If you're fine with sharing an iPad, you can still skip the HomeView. The Apple TV has multi-user support, and HomePods can recognize multiple users with voice recognition. So, large households can still get by with iPhones and a shared device. I still think the HomeView display makes sense for someone, but consider whether the devices you already own could provide the same utility.
Chipset
Apple A18
Display
7-inch touchscreen
Camera
12MP Center Stage
HomeView is the first-ever smart home display from Apple. It combines a 7-inch touchscreen display with the Apple A18 chip and Siri AI. Plus, you get a 12MP Center Stage camera for FaceTime and a multi-speaker array. Apple HomeView is available with a built-in speaker stand or as a wall-mounted version (mount sold separately).
Auto 
1 week ago
2 
Credit: Apple
