In partnership with
Two HUGE breakthroughs from Apple today.
Firstly, the new HomeView smart home hub finally puts to bed the infamous HomePod response that drives millions batty: “I found some web results, I can show them if you ask again from your iPhone.”
And, finally — finally! — the Siri Remote for Apple TV gets Find My, making the lost remote a thing of the past.
I must admit, I had worked myself into a state of very unrealistic expectations about the HomeView hub before this morning’s unveiling.
The hardware looks smashing, and it’s supposed to sound great, but after watching the introductory video (embedded above), which lays out several use cases, I found myself thinking: “That’s it?”
Yeah, we knew from the rumors that the device could help you check your video doorbell or make FaceTime calls, but I guess I was hoping for some as-yet-unthought-of use case that would blow me away. The things it can do seem a bit underwhelmingly pedestrian, tbh.
Still, it is easy to imagine this device in our family kitchen, where it would get used every day, perhaps all day.
We already have a pair of HomePod speakers in our kitchen. They are constantly playing songs and podcasts, or answering questions and setting timers.
I can definitely see us using it like the family in Apple’s video, and perhaps that’s enough. I’d be very happy with it, if so, and the introductory price of $299 is very reasonable.
Also in today’s newsletter:
Less reasonable is the newly jacked-up $299 price for the latest Apple TV 4K, which cost just $129 a few short months ago. However, it looks like a really good upgrade, and is maybe the home hub to get.
I love the HomePod mini, and it’s possible to get great sound from the smart speaker — especially in a stereo pair. Perhaps the coolest feature of the new model is making it part of a four-speaker surround sound system, but that means upgrading everything!
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: This 8-in-1 USB-C charging strip looks well-designed and packs four AC outlets and four USB ports (two USB-C). Clip the on-page coupon to drop it to just $20.
Apple’s new line of smart home accessories, called the Apple Home Collection, looks like a lot of me-too products. But the setup process alone might make them worth the price.
There are some really interesting caveats and restrictions buried in the HomeView’s fine print. Such as, some advanced Siri AI features rely on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad.
The new Siri Remote with Find My can be purchased separately. Ofc, it’s not cheap.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
A message from Dell
Built for the unstoppable.
The Dell Pro powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra with Intel vPro® adjusts power usage based on how you work, so your battery life never slows you down.
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
Cult of Mac’s buyback program
Tweets of the day
Wallpaper of the day
One more thing ...
Good PR educates people; that's all it is. You can't con people in this business. The products speak for themselves.
Today’s poll
What Apple "Welcome home" products are you getting?
Subscribe to The Weekender — Get the week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.