Apple calls HomeView “the perfect way” to enjoy its audio and video entertainment apps. There’s a small catch: some of Apple’s own services, including Apple TV, aren’t natively supported. To use them, you’ll need to AirPlay from a nearby iPhone. Apparently, the perfect way comes with a phone-shaped footnote.
Apple’s HomeView specifications also list Apple Books audiobooks, Apple Music Classical and Apple News Plus as unsupported natively. You can still operate those services using your phone, but HomeView won’t run them independently. Apple TV appears in at least one promotional image for the smart home hub; the announcement page’s small print says some apps require a paired, compatible iPhone nearby.
That distinction matters if you’re imagining HomeView as a little screen that can handle Apple’s entertainment services on its own. It’s primarily designed to manage smart home gadgets, not replace an Apple TV or act as a general-purpose tablet. But Apple’s promise of an easy way to enjoy its entertainment apps naturally raises the question of why some of the company’s own offerings need a second device to get going.
The omission doesn’t appear to be about raw processing power. HomeView runs on Apple’s A18 chip, the same processor that powers the iPhone 16. Its software is instead described as working more like CarPlay than iOS, iPadOS or Apple TV: a number of functions depend on a connected iPhone. Unlike those Apple platforms, HomeView also has no App Store, which is typical for smart home hubs.
That phone connection could make a difference for third-party developers. Apps that support projecting video or audio through the platform are expected to work through that connection from day one, rather than being installed directly on HomeView. In plain English: the hub can be a useful screen for compatible phone apps, but it isn’t an open-ended streaming device where you can simply download whatever you want.
There’s a contrast with competing smart displays. Amazon’s Echo Show devices can natively stream Prime Video, while Google’s Nest Hub devices can play YouTube without requiring a phone connection. Those products aren’t identical to HomeView, and a smart-home controller doesn’t need to be a full entertainment center. Still, Apple is asking customers to accept an extra step for Apple services on Apple hardware—a bit of friction that a nearby iPhone can solve, but shouldn’t be mistaken for native support.
The Verge says it asked Apple why HomeView doesn’t natively support Apple TV, Apple Books audiobooks, Apple Music Classical and Apple News Plus, and whether that might change. No answer was included in the report. For now, anyone considering HomeView mainly as a way to watch Apple TV or use those other services should factor in the iPhone requirement. The A18 chip may be ready; the apps, apparently, have other plans.
Sources: Glitch Please! and The Verge — https://www.theverge.com/tech/1011062/apple-homeview-airplay-apps-streaming — Jess Weatherbed
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