Apple HomeView’s square, rounded-corner display is a better fit for a low-interaction smart-home hub than the conventional rectangle. HomeView is intended for checking home technology, making a few taps, handling FaceTime and occasional tasks such as looking up a recipe—not for watching films, reading books, playing games or typing at length. That difference in purpose makes the unusual shape practical rather than gimmicky.
Macworld editor David Price’s central argument is simple: “A low-interaction screen should ideally be big enough for its information to be visible to the user at a convenient distance, and no bigger.” HomeView’s square, rounded-corner form—described as a “squircle”—follows that rule more closely than a screen designed around long viewing sessions.
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HomeView is a different kind of screen
Most consumer displays are rectangular because their primary jobs reward a longer horizontal or vertical dimension. Phones and laptops need room for documents, keyboards and websites. Televisions favor wide video. Tablets, ebooks, photographs and games commonly benefit from an extended aspect ratio.
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HomeView is presented for a narrower set of interactions. It can show the status of connected home technology, let users control it with a few taps, support FaceTime and provide occasional help such as displaying a recipe. Those activities need legibility and accessible controls, but they do not require a large canvas for sustained media or long-form input.
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Why a square footprint makes sense
Information remains visible at a useful distance
A control hub may sit across a room, on a kitchen surface or in another convenient location. The display therefore needs enough area for information to be readable without becoming a dominant piece of furniture. A square can provide a balanced field for status information and controls without extending far to either side.
It fits small spaces more efficiently
A wider display can be awkward on a narrow tabletop or wall section. A taller one can draw attention upward and occupy more visual space than the information requires. The square format keeps the footprint compact while preserving a display that is large enough to glance at.
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It works on a wall as well as a table
The design argument applies to both placement options discussed for HomeView. On a wall, a square panel can read as a contained control surface instead of a small television. On a tabletop, its proportions avoid the horizontal overhang associated with many rectangular displays. The result is a device that can be positioned where home controls are actually needed, rather than where a larger screen happens to fit.
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Breaking the mold does not make the rectangle obsolete. A conventional shape remains preferable when the device’s main purpose is extended viewing, reading, gaming, browsing photos or entering substantial amounts of text. These activities use the extra width or height directly; unused space is less likely to be a concern.
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| Use case | Square HomeView rationale | Why a rectangle may be better |
|---|---|---|
| Brief home-control checks | Balanced, compact surface for glanceable information and a few taps | Additional width or height may add little value |
| Small tabletop spaces | Less likely to extend awkwardly across a narrow surface | A wide display can be useful when space is available |
| Wall placement | Contained panel that is less visually imposing | Longer dimensions can suit dashboards designed around wide layouts |
| Films, television and games | Not the device’s stated emphasis | Rectangular proportions generally match widescreen and game content |
| Books, photos and long-form typing | Occasional tasks are the intended scenario | Taller pages, landscape images and keyboards benefit from a longer axis |
The real trade-off is familiarity
People are accustomed to seeing screens as rectangles, so HomeView’s silhouette may look strange at first. That is a presentation challenge, not necessarily a usability flaw. If the device is mainly approached for quick checks and controls, users may learn its proportions quickly because the shape remains consistent with its physical role: a dedicated home interface rather than a general-purpose computer.
The unusual outline also communicates a boundary. It signals that HomeView is not meant to replace a television, tablet or laptop. That could help set expectations before a user tries to use it for activities the design was not intended to support.
Rank #4
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What the available evidence does—and does not—show
The case for the square display is qualitative. It explains how footprint, viewing distance and interaction style align, but it does not establish measured brightness, viewing angles, dimensions, performance, price, release markets or accessory compatibility. Nor does it provide a product test comparing HomeView with a named rectangular smart display.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThat distinction matters when judging the design. The argument supports the form factor for a low-interaction smart-home hub; it does not prove that every user will prefer it or that HomeView will outperform a rectangle for media-heavy tasks. Buyers should verify final specifications and availability separately when those details are published.
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Bottom line for prospective users
If you want a screen that dominates a room, handles lengthy typing or makes video and reading its main event, a rectangle remains the safer format. If you want a compact surface for monitoring and controlling home technology, with occasional FaceTime or reference use, HomeView’s square “squircle” is a coherent choice. Its success depends less on following display convention than on matching the screen’s size and shape to how briefly—and where—you expect to use it.
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