Apple yesterday launched a raft of smart products, including an iPad-like device dubbed the HomeView, in a bet that its AI-upgraded Siri virtual assistant can help it carve out a bigger share of the highly competitive connected home market.
The HomeView device, which starts at $299 and starts shipping next month, is Apple’s latest entry into a highly competitive market for home connected devices. It will feature a 7-inch screen and face recognition, will help users control doorbells, thermostats and smart locks in a market where Apple has tinkered for a decade without major success.
Apple is launching these products as it tries to fend off competition from rivals, including traditional competitors like Amazon.com, which has invested heavily in its Echo speakers and Ring doorbells and last week launched premium tablets, as well as newer AI upstarts like OpenAI that have hardware ambitions of their own.
“Apple needs to demonstrate that its AI capabilities can deliver meaningful benefits beyond basic voice commands, simplifying everyday tasks and bringing greater intelligence to the home,” said PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore.
“The opportunity is considerable, given its vast installed base, but reliability, trust and ease of use will ultimately determine whether consumers embrace these features,” he added. “AI alone will not be enough to convince households to invest in more devices.”
Investors are looking more closely at Apple’s hardware sales for growth as the company’s services revenue has come under regulatory pressure.
Apple this summer upgraded Siri’s capabilities with assistance from Google but analysts said it is unclear whether its AI assistant is competitive enough to lure consumers to a crowded connected home device space.
The launches also coincide with growing worries that connected devices, including refrigerators and smart TVs, could be vulnerable to hackers.
Apple’s HomeView launch was accompanied by updates to its HomePod smart speaker and Apple TV devices.
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