Amazon has recently revealed the Echo Time, a smart alarm clock that’s designed specifically to sit on your bedside table.
But how does the Amazon Echo Time compare to the HomeView, Apple’s latest smart home hub?
Though we’re yet to review either, we’ve compared the specs of the Echo Time to the HomeView and have highlighted the most noteworthy differences between the two. Read on to decide which hub will likely suit your needs best.
Make sure you also visit our best Amazon Echo and best smart speaker guides too.
Price and Availability
The Amazon Echo Time is available to buy now and has an RRP of £184.99/$199.99. In its standard iteration, the Echo Time is available in three colours: Graphite, Glacier White and Coral Pink, though it also comes as a Kids model that sports an either Galactic Grape or Cosmic Lime finish.
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At the time of writing, the Apple HomeView is available for pre-orders across Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, the UK and US and will launch globally on November 13th. It’s also, surprisingly, cheaper than the Echo Show 16, with an RRP of £299/$299.
HomeView has a seven-inch touchscreen display
Though both have touchscreen displays, they differ considerably with their exact offerings. So, while the Echo Time sports a circular, 3.2-inch touchscreen, the HomeView benefits from a larger seven-inch Liquid Retina display.
The size difference here is unsurprising when you consider the Echo Time and HomeView both have fundamentally different uses. While the Echo Time is designed to act as a smart alarm clock, and sit on a bedside table, the HomeView promises to act as an entertainment and smart home management system.
Apple HomeView. Image Credit (Apple)
Having said that, it’s worth noting that although you obviously can’t stream series on the Echo Time, you can use the smart speaker to play audio and control your smart home with the help of Alexa. In addition, at the time of writing Apple is yet to confirm which third-party apps the HomeView will actually support. While we know the likes of Safari, Apple Music and Calendar will work, it’s unclear whether there will be native support for video streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video or even Apple TV.
Amazon Echo Time can detect your sleep
The Echo Time promises to help ease you into waking up. Essentially, Alexa within the Echo Time will detect when you’re in a lighter sleep stage between 10 and 60 minutes before your set alarm, and wake you up then. The idea of this is to help avoid you being jolted awake.
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Amazon explains that this feature is powered by the brand’s sensor fusion technology. Coined Omnisense, the tech uses room temperature sensors and presence detection, while an ultrasound detects breathing and proximity too.
It’s worth noting that if you opt for the Amazon Kids Echo Time, then it will not be fitted with Omnisense technology.
Amazon Kids Echo Time. Image Credit (Amazon)
Amazon Echo Time can mimic a sunrise
Sleep detection technology isn’t the only thing the only wake-up tool the Echo Time has up its sleeve. In fact, as your alarm in the morning approaches, the Echo Time’s display will mimic a natural sunrise and gradually brighten. That’s a useful tool, especially in the winter when the mornings are darker.
Echo Time alarm. Image Credit (Amazon)
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After the morning, the Echo Time will then go on to automatically adjust its display throughout the day and will eventually shift to night mode in the evening. Doing so will reduce blue light emission too, which should help you fall asleep faster too.
Though the HomeView doesn’t quite mimic a sunrise, it does feature True Tone which reacts to changing light throughout the day. It also has automatic brightness that can reach up to 500 nits or drop down to just 0.3 nits – making it a good choice for a bedside table too.
Alexa+ or Siri AI?
Both the Echo Time and HomeView are built with their respective voice assistants in mind. While the Echo Time is equipped with Alexa+, the HomeView sports Siri AI – and both promise more natural and free-flowing conversations compared to their predecessors.
You can use both Alexa+ and Siri AI to set timers and alarms, enable reminders and control paired smart home products, all with just your voice. Both assistants also allow you to see your conversation history via their respective smartphone apps too.
Siri AI app. Image Credit (Apple)
Although we haven’t specifically reviewed either the Echo Time or HomeView, we have tried Alexa+ and awarded the assistant with a five-star rating. We praised Alexa+ as being “light years ahead of the competition”, which means Siri AI has a lot to live up to. Speaking of which, while we’re yet to conclusively review Siri AI, our Home Tech Editor has praised it for showing signs of promise.
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Apple Homeview has a 12MP front-facing camera
The Apple HomeView is equipped with a 12MP, Center Stage camera that keeps users in frame during video calls. In addition, the camera identifies individuals and can open up their own dedicated profile – with the HomeView able to see up to six.
In comparison, the Echo Time is completely free of a camera.
Early Verdict
Deciding between the Amazon Echo Time and Apple HomeView will likely boil down to how you plan on using the device. If you want more of a general smart home/entertainment hub, then the Apple HomeView is clearly the better choice thanks to its seven-inch display. On the other hand, if you want a more compact alarm clock that also doubles as a smart speaker, then the Echo Time will suit you best.
We’ll update this versus once we review both the Amazon Echo Time and Apple HomeView.