Amazon Echo Show 16 vs Apple HomeView: Is Amazon’s $500 screen worth it?
As a tech journalist, I never thought I’d type these words, but in the Amazon Echo Show 16 vs Apple HomeView comparison, Apple is the budget choice. Yep, that’s right—fancy Apple is the workin’ person’s smart home display here. I’m surprised by the price difference. And I’m guessing Amazon would rather we didn’t dwell on it.
Amazon revealed its new Echo Show 16 on October 28, with preorders starting at $499.99 (or $569.99 with a Nanomatte display). Apple announced the HomeView on October 13, with preorders starting at $299.
Is Amazon’s latest Echo Show worth the extra $200? Amazon has been making Echo Show devices for nearly 10 years, while HomeView is Apple’s first dedicated smart home display. So should homeowners stick with the established (but more expensive) option or take a chance on Apple’s newcomer?
Let’s put them head-to-head.
Amazon Echo Show 16 price vs Apple HomeView price: Is the bigger screen worth $200 more?
If you’re thinking about the new Amazon Echo Show 16, you’ll want to bring out your measuring tape. The 16-inch screen is gonna take up some space. Yep, at 16 inches in Full HD, the Echo Show’s screen is more than twice the size of Apple’s. The bigger screen could make sense in a large kitchen where multiple people want to check the family schedule or control appliances without pulling out their phone.
Apple’s 7-inch display is the smaller, less intrusive option. It fits easily on a countertop or desk, and it has the same features you use on your other Apple devices. Only with HomeView, they’re all in one place and always accessible.
My verdict: The Echo Show 16 has the bigger, better display, no contest. But for most homes, I don’t think it’s worth $200 more.
Alexa vs. Siri smart home: What can each assistant do?
Can you talk to your house like a roommate yet? Both assistants handle the basics, like lights and locks. The differences show up in three situations.
When you want a new routine
With Alexa+, you can create routines entirely by voice. In the New York Times’ real-home test, Brian X. Chen’s 10 p.m. porch light routine worked, though Alexa+ skipped a dimming fade he asked for. Apple promises “hands-free automations with voice control,” and TechRadar started routines with Siri at Apple’s demo. But Apple never shows Siri AI building a new one from a sentence, so I’d expect to set those up in the same Home app our team wanted fixed first. I’d give this one to Amazon.
When something happens outside
Did the package come? Did anyone drop by the house today? Those are Amazon’s own examples of what Alexa+ can answer from Ring cameras. With a subscription, Ring’s search reaches back 180 days.
HomeView streams up to nine feeds with encrypted recognition, but Apple’s AI video search reportedly requires the 2TB iCloud+ plan ($9.99 a month). I’d pick Amazon if you already pay for Ring, though Apple’s version is more private.
When someone walks into the room
The Echo Show 16’s Omnisense turns on lights when someone enters and raises the thermostat when a room gets cold.
HomeView’s temperature and humidity sensors feed Apple’s new thermostats, and it alerts your iPhone if it hears a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm.
These features don’t come with the device, however. Alexa+ is free with Prime, or $19.99 a month without it. Meanwhile, Siri AI is a free beta for now. Apple says it will charge for expanded access later, and didn’t mention a price.
My verdict: Siri AI handles the basics more privately, so HomeView is the best choice for an Apple Home household. But on capability alone, Amazon wins.
Amazon Echo Show 16 vs Apple HomeView: Family features
This happens to us practically every weeknight: I’m cooking a recipe on my phone, but my oldest wants to look up something for a research project (her tablet’s out of batteries, again). So my phone becomes the default family hub. So, Echo Show 16 vs HomeView, which is better suited to this all-too-common scenario?
The Echo Show 16 is actually pretty good here. Its family organizer displays color-coded calendars, chores, and meal plans on a screen you can read from across the room. Alexa + can fill that calendar for you, too. Amazon says you can forward emails from your kids’ school to Alexa, then ask it to “Add all early dismissals to my calendar.” It can also book a table at a restaurant through OpenTable or order groceries from Amazon Fresh.
HomeView goes more personal. It recognizes up to six people by face and gives each one their own Home Screen. Siri AI also draws on your paired iPhone, so in Engadget‘s demo, you could ask it to “play that song Jeff texted me about.” Your messages and Calendar only appear when HomeView sees you and your iPhone is nearby and recently unlocked. MKBHD called this one “actually pretty clever”
My verdict: The Echo Show 16 wins this one. It reads the school emails and updates one shared calendar. That saves more time than 6 private screens.
Amazon Echo Show 16 vs Apple HomeView: Privacy
Smart home hubs with mics will hear some stuff. Stuff most families would probably like to keep private. Apple has a stellar privacy record; Amazon not so much.
This time, though, Amazon has some real controls. A button turns off the mics and camera, and Amazon says its devices detect the wake word locally before streaming audio to the cloud. Still, humans review an “extremely small sample” of interactions, unless you opt out.
As early as 2023, Amazon paid a $25 million penalty in an FTC case for keeping transcripts after users deleted recordings—good to keep in mind.
Privacy has always been central to Amazon’s pitch. And HomeView’s secure Exclaves process camera and mic data in places Apple says even Apple can’t reach. Meanwhile, compatible cameras get end-to-end encryption with iCloud+. It’s all pretty locked down, which is great for consumer trust.
My verdict: I’d trust HomeView more, because Apple’s privacy design starts on the chip. Amazon gives good controls, but you have to find them.
Where Amazon Echo Show 16 wins
Amazon Echo Show 16
I’d get the Echo Show 16 if you’re already deep in the Alexa ecosystem and want one screen to serve as your family’s whiteboard, TV, and photo frame. If you’re coming from an Echo Show 15, you’ll get 10% more screen and a 13MP camera with night vision.
- Alexa-centric smart home
- Ring cameras
- Busy family calendars
- Spare wall space
My verdict: For Alexa homes that will use its big screen as a shared hub, the Echo Show 16 is the better buy.
Where Apple HomeView wins
Apple HomeView
I’d pick HomeView if nearly everyone in your home has an iPhone. It’s the cheapest way to get a screen into Apple Home, and it serves as your home hub. That was always a job meant for HomePod mini. And the $200 you save? It nearly covers an LG smart thermostat ($199.95) from Apple’s Home Collection.
- iPhone and iPad users
- Privacy-first buyers
- Countertops and desks
My verdict: For Apple users who want an affordable, personal smart home display, HomeView is the better buy.
Final verdict on Echo Show 16 vs. HomeView: I’d still choose Apple
Amazon has built a compelling family hub. Alexa+ can do more in the smart home than Siri AI. Tom’s Guide even called the Echo Show 16 “the most complete smart display yet” after a hands-on.
But I don’t think most families need a 16-inch smart display, especially at $500. Though the preorder price is currently $100 off, presumably for a limited time. If your home runs on Apple devices, HomeView gives you smart home controls, personal profiles, and stronger privacy promises for $299.
If Alexa runs your home and you’ll use every inch of that screen, go with Amazon. As a tech journalist, I just can’t justify spending an extra $200 for a bigger screen.
