Apple HomeView: Leak reveals camera specs and features, hours before launch

Apple has already officially confirmed that a launch event will take place today at 09:00 a.m. ET, where, according to Bloomberg, HomeView is expected to be the main announcement. It is reportedly an alternative to the Amazon Echo Show 8 ($199 on Amazon) with an almost square 7-inch touchscreen, a camera, an Apple A18 ARM chip and either a speaker base or a wall mount. @itspdfu has now found specific clues about the smart home hub's camera in the code of the release candidate version of macOS 26.7.

According to these findings, the camera uses an 11.3-megapixel Sony IMX614 RGB sensor and can capture images at a resolution of 3,744 × 3,024 pixels. Videos can be recorded at either 30 or 60 frames per second. However, Apple apparently omits an infrared sensor for secure 3D facial recognition via Face ID. The code suggests that the camera cannot calculate the user's distance from the hub. However, the camera is reportedly capable of distinguishing between different faces, and object recognition for pets is also on board.

HomeView is expected to be able to detect the positions of up to four compatible devices nearby. An unusual feature allows the camera to detect light sources, including their brightness and color – this could simplify the control of smart lights. HomeView is primarily intended to serve as a hub for controlling smart home devices, but is also expected to support FaceTime video chats and Apple's Siri AI assistant.