Apple has launched preorders for its latest entry into the smart home arena – the HomeView, a 7-inch smart display and speaker priced at $299. The device aims to serve as a central hub for family members to access and control Apple’s ecosystem, with Siri now a beta feature.

Users can issue commands to HomeView, such as asking Siri to close the smart blinds or activate smart locks. It also offers a unique feature of showing a livestream of up to nine video feeds simultaneously. With an iCloud+ subscription, HomeView can recognize people, familiar faces, pets, packages, and vehicles, providing notifications upon arrival at the front door.

The device uses its integrated camera to identify users and display their personalized profiles, featuring their preferred apps and widgets. Users can connect their HomeView profiles to their Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, giving them access to Messages, Calendar, Reminders, and FaceTime.

Apple claims that with an Apple Intelligence-enabled device, Siri AI can take more personalized actions across apps, drawing on the user’s personal context to surface relevant information, from playlists on Apple Music to calendar entries.

While the HomeView competes with products like the Amazon Echo Show, this new offering may appeal to Apple loyalists looking to integrate their entire ecosystem more seamlessly. However, the price point might be a barrier for some.