HomeView: 5 weird decisions on Apple’s new smart screen
It makes a lot of sense in principle, and fills a glaring hole in Apple’s smart home lineup, allowing it to directly compete with Amazon’s Echo Show line.
However, for every great decision Apple has made on the HomeView, there’s another that feels equally baffling. Here are the five strangest things about it that struck me immediately.
It’s hip to be square – until it isn’t
Until now, basically every smart display has agreed on the same rough form factor: a rectangle. It matches tablet and laptop screens, making it useful for displaying key information and consuming content – it’s the best of both worlds.
But for some reason, Apple has decided it wants to be different. The HomeView has a rounded square design that makes it look just like a massive Apple Watch. From a pure looks perspective, the symmetry is gorgeous, but it feels like a compromise every time you actually want to do something.
Apple
In a group FaceTime call? Someone will probably be squashed in awkwardly. Following a recipe? Be prepared for a lot of scrolling. Viewing literally any kind of video? It’s a straight choice between cropped or heavily distorted content. Unless Apple has performed miracles, the user experience on the HomeView will almost certainly be worse than a traditional wide screen.
Also, while I praised Apple for the HomeView’s premium, symmetrical aesthetic, that doesn’t extend to the colour selection.