While Amazon and Google are enjoying the lime light with their own smart home speakers, one particular assistant has been laying a low profile for quite some time. Siri has always been one of the greatest personal assistants one could want, and in as soon as next week, users will get to see Apple’s rendition of the very first Siri Speaker at the WWDC.
According to a report from Digital Trends, Apple has already started manufacturing the device and have hinted that the device will be showcased at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California on June 5. While sources have revealed that the device will be shown to the public on that date, those who plan to avail one will have to wait until later in the year to get their hands on one. It was already previously reported that the speaker was undergoing some tests, being undertaken by the Apple engineers in their own homes and smoothing out the design and interface. All of this happened sometime late last year. This means that the crowd at the WWDC will most likely be seeing a finished product rather than a prototype or a concept.
The Siri Speaker will put the company’s offering into direct competition with the current smart home stalwarts, Amazon Echo and Google Home. All of these devices provide voice control, with the only difference lying in their software and AI. What will make Siri different as a speaker, compared to Amazon and Google’s offerings, is that Siri will allow for integration with other products by the company such as the iPad and the iPhone.
The company is also reportedly building loud speakers in order to make for a better entertainment set up compared to the competition. The speaker is further said to be compatible with third-party apps, control home gadgets and also play music, which is common with all smart speakers. It was also hinted by Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller, that the Siri speaker will most probably come with a display, which will make it more interactive than the current competition speakers which lack one. What operating system will be used and how Apple plans on adding new features to it will be exciting to look forward to in the near future.
A new report also suggests that the Siri speaker will be a similar affair to what was found on the Sonos PLAYBASE and PLAYBAR, which offer virtual surround sound that fills the room. This means that the device could also pair with the Apple TV and allow for a more immersive and integrative TV viewing experience. Of course, the speaker itself will be priced much higher than the competition, as is the case with all Apple products. But nevertheless, buyers will be willing and ready to churn out the money for the next new innovation that Apple intends on “revolutionizing”.