FabianApple HomeView, Apple’s first smart home display, launched yesterday. So far, however, it is only available in a few selected English-speaking countries, including the US and the UK. Apple is giving the EU a wide berth due to the issues with Siri AI. I asked myself a question: does Apple HomeView still work in Germany and other European countries?
I can now provide you with the answer, as yesterday I made my way to London and bought an Apple HomeView. I was able to set up the device without any problems using my German Apple account. It should work in exactly the same way for users from other countries, such as the Netherlands, Austria, France or Italy. There are a few limitations, however.
At present, Apple HomeView naturally only offers an English interface. And the classic Siri also only works in English. You’ll have to do without Siri AI, unless you’re using an iPhone on which the advanced Siri is already enabled.
First impressions of Apple HomeView in the video
As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s precisely why I took the trouble yesterday to record a detailed video about the Apple HomeView. In it, you’ll see the set-up, how to use it and the key features of the new device. The video was recorded in German, but you can enable the English subtitles on YouTube:
What I noticed after just a few minutes: the operation is absolutely smooth and fast. When you swipe your finger across the screen, there’s virtually no lag. That’s a big difference compared to cheaper smart home screens, such as the Echo Hub.
The interface is also very nice; I particularly like the way it displays the time using your own images. When it comes to controlling your smart home, you’re naturally limited to Apple Home. So HomeView is only really useful if you’ve linked most of your devices to Apple Home.
Feel free to post any questions you have about Apple HomeView in the comments. I’ll do my best to answer them as soon as possible.
