Apple HomeView Enters the Smart Display Market Against Established Hardware
In a column for Android Authority, tech writer Andy Boxall argues that Apple’s new HomeView smart home hub lacks the fundamental versatility of the Google Pixel Tablet, despite the Google device’s age and acknowledged flaws. The Apple HomeView arrives as a $299 smart display equipped with a 7-inch Liquid Retina display, custom Spatial Audio speakers, and Apple Intelligence with conversational Siri AI, designed to function as a central smart home command hub with multi-user facial recognition.
Why the Google Pixel Tablet Retains Its Edge in the Kitchen
Boxall writes that the Google Pixel Tablet has served as his home hub of choice in the kitchen for years. He points out that Google nailed the smart home hub design with the Pixel Tablet and Dock accessory, noting that Google marketed it primarily as a premium tablet rather than a lowly kitchen appliance. By allowing the tablet section to detach from the dock without requiring external power, the device offers a level of physical versatility that the HomeView cannot match.
The magnets on the back of the tablet are strong enough to hold the device upright on metal surfaces like a refrigerator without falling off. Unlike the HomeView, the Pixel Tablet features native video app support for watching content while cooking, alongside an internal battery that frees it from being tethered to a wall plug.
Hardware Shortcomings of the Pixel Tablet
Despite praising its physical design, Boxall details several hardware limitations of the three-year-old Google device. He reports that the screen quality is mediocre, the processor is slow, and the fingerprint sensor is difficult to locate and sluggish to respond. Furthermore, when tested alongside a standalone Google Home Speaker, the Pixel Tablet proved noticeably slower at processing voice commands through Gemini and featured weaker microphones that required users to raise their voices or move closer.
Limitations of Apple HomeView and Market Alternatives
Boxall notes that the Apple HomeView features a square display reminiscent of the Apple Watch and the central screen in the Ferrari Luce electric car, alongside FaceTime integration and a constant massive watch face. However, its fixed screen and reliance on an electrical outlet place it in the same category as the Amazon Echo Show 11 and traditional smart displays.
Because the HomeView screen is fixed in place and tethered to a plug, it cannot offer the portable, detachable convenience of the Pixel Tablet. Boxall expresses frustration that Amazon has not explored similar detachable form factors, that Google has not released an updated version of the Pixel Tablet, and that Apple’s first smart home hub follows an established design path rather than innovating further.
In a reader poll accompanying the column, 62% of respondents voted yes to using a Google Pixel Tablet in 2026, 23% voted no, and 15% indicated they use one and would buy an updated version if Google released one. Boxall also notes that touch-based Google Home control on the tablet is frustratingly clunky, with both the lock screen Home Panel and the outdated widget feeling like bare-bones afterthoughts, making it fortunate that users can rely on Gemini for voice control.
