The iPad is already a great smart home display
Many Apple users had been eagerly awaiting the company’s first smart home hub. That’s no surprise, given the vast market for HomeKit accessories. But the thing is, iPads were already fulfilling that role for many users already in the Apple ecosystem without even realizing it.
Think about most of the things you’re most likely to do with a HomeView — check the weather, control the lights, send a message, play music. You can already do all of these things with an iPad without having to buy a new device. In fact, many Apple users have already turned an old iPad into a de facto smart home display just by placing it on a stand.
The new OLED iPad mini has a bigger screen and more capabilities than the HomeView.
Roman Loyola/Foundry
Granted, there are important differences between the two. The iPad wasn’t designed to be a smart hub and lacks some of HomeView’s really useful features, such as an always-on display and private multi-user support. Still, in other areas, the iPad ends up being much more versatile. The iPad can run pretty much any app from the App Store, while there’s no mechanism for installing apps on HomeView. And even the iPad mini has a larger canvas than the HomeView for widgets.
In terms of design, the iPad also has some advantages. The entry-level model features an 11-inch screen, compared to the HomeView’s 7-inch screen. Plus, the iPad has a built-in battery, so you can move it freely around your home. With HomeView, you have to think about where to place it and leave it there.
Not only that, but you need to decide whether you want HomeView with its base or wall mount — there’s no way to switch between the two. With the iPad, you can. Sure, the HomeView has better speakers and a design that looks nicer sitting on a kitchen counter. But is that really worth giving up everything else?
The things HomeView does best
To be fair, it’s not that HomeView doesn’t have any benefits over the iPad. The first is Apple Intelligence — if you buy the cheapest iPad available today, it lacks even the most basic of Apple’s native AI features. HomeView is powered by the A18 chip from the iPhone 16, so it works with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. It can answer more complex questions and even pull contextual information from your iPhone. The entry-level iPad, on the other hand, is still stuck with the old Siri. However, it’s only a matter of time before the base-model iPad gets a chip capable of running Siri AI.
