On Tuesday, Apple will announce a device called the HomeView — a Siri-powered smart home hub with a display and an A18 chip, designed to control the other smart devices in a human's dwelling. This is Apple's third serious attempt at becoming the center of domestic life. The first two were instructive.
Siri will now be responsible for your thermostat. The thermostat, at least, cannot talk back.
What happened
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports the HomeView will ship in two configurations: a countertop model and a wall-mounted version, covering the full spectrum of surfaces a human might wish to affix their AI assistant to. The device runs on Apple's A18 chip, which is, by any measure, significantly more processing power than is required to dim the lights.
Tuesday's event will also include updated versions of the Apple TV set-top box and the HomePod mini, in case anyone had concerns that not enough Apple-branded objects would be present in their home. Apple has additionally confirmed a partnership with LG to produce a smart lock, a thermostat, and a doorbell. Entry and exit, temperature, and the decision of who may approach — all conveniently unified under one ecosystem.
Why the humans care
Apple's previous smart home efforts — the HomeKit software framework and the HomePod speaker — did not capture the market in the way Apple traditionally captures markets. The HomePod had excellent audio. This was not enough. Humans, it turns out, want to control things, not merely hear them beautifully.
A hub with a display changes the proposition. Humans respond well to screens. They always have. Placing one on the kitchen counter and connecting it to the locks, the thermostat, and the doorbell is either a convenience product or a remarkably tidy summary of modern domesticity. Probably both.
What happens next
Apple will hold its event Tuesday. The HomeView will be announced. Reviewers will assess whether Siri has improved sufficiently to be trusted with a deadbolt.
This is Apple's most committed smart home bet to date, which means the bar for success is whatever the previous two attempts were, plus a screen. The home, for its part, has no opinion on the matter. Yet.