原文标题:Apple makes another push into the smart home market with HomeView

Apple is taking a big swing at the smart home market.该公司周二推出了传闻已久的智能家居中心,名为 HomeView,它可以充当智能家居设备的中央控制点,用于 FaceTime 通话、播放音乐、观看视频、显示照片幻灯片等。

The new $299 device looks like a cuboid version of the HomePod, but with a display added to the front. The HomeView comes in two versions: one can sit on a countertop and the other can be mounted on a wall. Measuring 7 inches wide, the hub features a single FaceTime camera on the front, and has microphones and speakers built into its base.背面没有摄像头。

Apple has preloaded the device with several of its apps, including Calendar, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Notes, Reminders, Music, and Podcasts.这意味着,如果用户想要查看日历约会、发送消息、播放音乐或查看照片,则无需拿起 iPhone。

Apple sees the device being particularly useful in places such as the kitchen.例如,做饭的人可以调出菜谱、观看视频、查看日历或发起 FaceTime 通话,而无需求助于他们的设备。

电话。

该设备比较有趣的一个方面是它如何与家庭中的不同成员协同工作。

The hub runs Apple’s updated Siri AI assistant, and can recognize individual people in the house.一旦识别出某人,屏幕就可以显示该人的信息,例如他们的消息、联系人、日历约会、笔记和首选应用程序。 The experience changes automatically when another family member walks up to the device.

HomeView 让苹果与亚马逊和谷歌展开了更直接的竞争,这两家公司都已经推出了智能显示产品:亚马逊拥有 Echo Show 系列,而谷歌则提供 Nest Hub。

然而,苹果在智能家居领域的历史好坏参半,HomePod 等产品难以达到与竞争对手设备相同的受欢迎程度。 The new hub is an opportunity for Apple to change that by combining home controls with the company’s wider ecosystem.

这款设备已经传闻了相当长一段时间,有报道指出延迟的部分原因是Siri AI的问题。据报道,这些问题也影响了苹果更广泛的智能家居计划。

这可能只是第一步

苹果在智能家居领域的计划。彭博社的马克·古尔曼此前曾报道称,苹果最终可能会推出配备机械臂的更高级版本,进一步推进这一概念。这样的设备可以移动其显示器并以更物理的方式进行交互。

该设备今天开始预订,从 11 月 13 日开始发售。它有四种颜色:银色、星光、玫瑰粉色和深空灰色。