HomeView does a lot well, but it has compromises, and an old iPad can often do better. Apple was right that a smart home controller can be a focal point in the kitchen or den, yet a static 6-inch square screen is not enough for the job. The author already uses a 13-inch iPad Pro to display recipes while cooking, and its large screen lets him check ingredient lists from across the room. Its speakers also hold up over the noise of boiling pots and an extractor fan.
The iPad can also do things a HomeView cannot easily do. The author can watch TV while his oven preheats, which on HomeView would require AirPlaying video from an iPad or iPhone. If he is already watching TV on the iPad, he may as well use it for everything else.
Using an iPad in place of a HomeView takes some setup. The author uses cheap plastic corner mounts held to the wall with adhesive strips, so the iPad slots in and out and can still be used away from the kitchen. The mounts have never dropped the device, but the adhesive has torn wallpaper, and aligning the two struts evenly is tricky.
There is also a key constraint. A smart home needs an Apple home hub, and since iPadOS 16 an iPad cannot serve as one. Anyone attempting this should plan for a separate hub, a spare iPad, a suitable mounting system, power, and the right apps, such as the subscription app Controller, which can act as a single control point for the whole smart home.
Source: AppleInsider · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing