Apple may unchain Siri to fight Amazon’s Echo and Google Home (Update)

By Kris Wouk Published May 27, 2016

Speakers with smarts have certainly caught on since the launch of Amazon’s Echo in 2014. Amazon itself followed up with its own Dot and Tap devices in March, and Google unveiled its Google Home speaker last week. Now it seems that not only is Apple planning a similar device of its own, but the company has been at work on it for some time.

The device doesn’t yet have a name, but would be powered by an enhanced version of Siri, according to a report from The Information. In addition to providing standalone Siri support, the rumored device would also feature deep HomeKit integration and likely AirPlay, allowing it to function as a standard wireless speaker. There’s also a rumor it could include a facial-recognition camera, according to CNET.

Recommended Videos

Key to the device’s functionality is a more open Siri platform, something Apple has been reportedly debating internally since 2011. The company is said to be working on a Siri SDK that allows third-party developers to add integration for their apps to the new device, which could debut at WWDC.

Siri already features integrations with services from companies like Google and Yelp, but these have been fairly limited. The new, more open system would seem to mirror Apple’s changes on the latest model of Apple TV, opening up to third-parties and taking the company mostly out of the equation — developers would be responsible for making sure their apps properly integrate.

While this could seem like Apple jumping on the bandwagon, Siri has obviously been around since the launch of the iPhone 4S, and The Information’s sources say that the company has been working on the device since before the launch of the Amazon Echo. Details are few, but the device would be fairly simple, featuring a speaker, microphone, and internet connectivity, relying on HomeKit for more advance smart-home functionality.

If Apple does plan to introduce this new device or at least the Siri SDK, we don’t have long to wait to find out. WWDC kicks off next month on June 17, with Apple expected to finally introduce Siri for the Mac, as well as a rumored new, improved user interface for Apple Music.

Updated 5/27/2016 to include the CNET rumor about facial-recognition cameras.

Former Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Topics

Mobile

The next iOS update might force you to upgrade Apple Home

Apple HomeKit app on smartphone.

If you're still using the old Home app to manage HomeKit, the upcoming iOS 18.4 update might force you to shift to its latest version. In most cases, upgrades are a good thing, but the latest Home app architecture isn't compatible with older versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

The news comes via a line of code found in iOS 18.4 that reads, "Support for your current version of Apple Home will end soon. Update now to avoid interruptions with your accessories and automations." The code was discovered by X user @aaronp613, an analyst for MacRumors.

Smart Home

Apple’s AI hiccups might have delayed its iPad-like smart home hub

Amazon Echo Hub against Apple background.

It was late in 2024 when we first heard rumors of a new HomeKit device that would essentially blend a HomePod and iPad, and serve it atop an AI software platter. It was later reported that Apple is developing two versions of this device, and one of them could arrive in 2025.

It seems those plans have been pushed further into the future, thanks in no part to Apple’s struggles with AI development. “At one point, the company had hoped to announce this product in March. But because the device, to an extent, relies on the delayed Siri capabilities, it has been postponed as well,” says a Bloomberg report.

Mobile

Apple confirms long delay for AI-boosted Siri assistant

Invoking Siri on iPhone.

Apple’s efforts with putting advanced AI capabilities across its ecosystem, the way Google has implemented them with Gemini, have a lot of ground left to cover. Among them is the Siri virtual assistant, which has remained a laggard and still hasn’t received the features Apple showcased at its developers conference last year.

Now, the company has officially confirmed that an overhauled Siri, one that can access locally stored user data and interact with apps, has been delayed until next year. Internally known as ”LLM Siri,” the next-gen makeover might not fully arrive until next year, but the delay could extend well into 2027.