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Apple and Amazon have introduced new smart displays: Apple’s $299 HomeView and Amazon’s $499.99 Echo Show 16. A hands-on report says their stronger hardware and household-focused software could make shared screens more useful, but the devices have not been fully tested and differ in how they rely on phones and personal data.
Apple and Amazon have launched new smart displays that could give households a shared place to manage calendars, smart-home controls and everyday information, according to an early hands-on report. The $299 HomeView and $499.99 Echo Show 16 use more capable hardware and household-oriented features, though their suitability as family computers remains an assessment rather than a conclusion from full testing.
The Verge’s report describes Apple’s HomeView as the company’s first smart display and Amazon’s Echo Show 16 as a ground-up rebuild of its smart-display line. The writer said brief hands-on sessions suggested both products address longstanding weaknesses in the category, including underpowered hardware and limited usefulness beyond voice-assistant functions. Neither device has yet been fully tested, the report cautioned.
Apple’s device uses an A18 chip and a Liquid Retina display. Amazon’s uses a MediaTek processor and a Nanomatte display also used in its new Alexa Tablet, according to the report. Both are designed to keep household information and controls readily available on a shared screen, rather than serving primarily as tablets people carry around.
The products take different approaches to setup and personalization. The report says the Echo Show 16 can work as a household screen without a phone, though a phone can help with setup. HomeView is more closely tied to the iPhone: some features rely on the phone, and the strongest personal functions appear to depend on recognizing the user and having their phone nearby.
The products target a practical gap in many homes: household schedules, shopping lists, meal plans, chores and smart-home controls are often scattered across individual phones. A shared display could let several people check information or control devices without relying on one person to relay updates. The report points to the popularity of products such as the Skylight Calendar as evidence of demand for a communal household screen.
The devices also test whether smart displays can justify a higher price by doing more than playing media or answering spoken questions. The report compares the new prices with 2023 models, when the Echo Show 5 cost $85 and the Nest Hub cost $99. At $299 and $499.99, HomeView and Echo Show 16 cost considerably more, making their usefulness and software support important to whether households see value in them.
For connected homes, keeping a screen mounted or placed in a shared area may make basic actions—such as checking a door camera, adjusting a thermostat or changing lights—easier for different household members. Whether that convenience works reliably across users and services still needs testing.
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Why Smart Displays Stalled
Three years before this report, The Verge’s writer argued that smart displays had fallen short because the available devices tried to handle many tasks with limited hardware and software. The new launches are presented as a response to that criticism, with faster processors, improved displays and a more defined role as shared household interfaces.
The report also describes limits in using a tablet as a substitute. Tablets may offer a larger range of apps, but the writer says multiuser support can be limited and portable devices can be taken away from the shared space or left without power. The writer’s own experience with Google’s Pixel Tablet included concerns about its detachable screen and smart-home support; the report says Google reportedly canceled its successor 18 months later.
Apple and Amazon’s distinct product strategies reflect their wider ecosystems. HomeView is tied to the iPhone and can use personal context, while Amazon positions the Echo Show as a household device that can work without a phone and draw on its Omnisense technology. These are different models for who the screen is primarily designed to serve: an individual recognized by the system or the household as a whole.
Full Testing Still Needed
The report is based on brief hands-on demonstrations, so it does not establish how well either display performs in daily household use. Battery or power behavior, software reliability, responsiveness, multiuser support and long-term usefulness remain unverified in the source material.
It is also unclear how much of HomeView’s functionality will be available to people who do not use an iPhone, or how its recognition and phone-proximity requirements will work across different household members. For Amazon, the report describes Omnisense demonstrations involving presence, temperature and room acoustics, but does not establish the range, reliability or privacy controls of those features. The source does not provide independent comparisons, sales figures or a full review of either product.
Reviews Will Test Daily Use
The next useful milestone is full testing in ordinary homes, including how readily different household members can access calendars, control connected devices and use each system without repeatedly relying on one person’s phone. Reviews will also need to examine the accuracy and practical limits of the camera and sensing features shown in demonstrations.
Until those tests are available, the clearest confirmed development is that Apple and Amazon have brought new, more expensive smart displays to market with designs aimed at shared household use. Their long-term value will depend on whether the software works consistently and whether families find the extra convenience worth the price.
Key Questions
What are the HomeView and Echo Show 16?
They are new smart displays from Apple and Amazon. The report presents both as shared household screens for tasks such as checking calendars and managing smart-home devices.
How much do the two displays cost?
The report lists the HomeView at $299 and the Echo Show 16 at $499.99.
Do they work in the same way?
No. According to the report, the Echo Show 16 can be used without a phone, while HomeView is designed to work closely with the iPhone and uses phone-linked personal features.
Have the devices been fully tested?
No. The assessment is based on brief hands-on time. The report says the writer still needs to test the devices properly, so claims about their usefulness in everyday household routines remain provisional.
Why are they described as family computers?
The phrase refers to a shared screen for household information and controls—not a computer intended for homework or bill payments. The proposed role includes calendars, door-camera views and meal planning.
Source: theverge.com
