Apple's Siri Speaker Reportedly Enters Production
Apple’s rumored Siri speaker has entered production. That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The speaker will reportedly feature design cues from the current-generation Mac Pro.
While the device won’t hit the market until later in 2017, Apple could unveil the device next week during the WWDC keynote:
The device will differ from Amazon.com Inc.’s Echo and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Home speakers by offering virtual surround sound technology and deep integration with Apple’s product lineup, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss products that aren’t yet public.
Even though the report says that the device won’t offer a touchscreen, Apple is hoping to differentiate the product from the Amazon Echo and others:
Apple hopes that more advanced acoustics technology will give the speaker an edge over competitors, according to people with knowledge of the product’s development. Along with generating virtual surround sound, the speakers being tested are louder and reproduce sound more crisply than rival offerings, the people said. Apple has also considered including sensors that measure a room’s acoustics and automatically adjust audio levels during use, one of the people said.
Apple will also likely let third-party services build products for the speaker. Last year, Apple opened up Siri on the iPhone to the likes of Uber Technologies Inc. and Facebook Inc., allowing a user to order a ride or send a WhatsApp message with a voice command.
Other tidbits from the report include that the device will be able to act as a HomeKit hub and will be manufactured by Inventec Corp., the same manufacturer of Apple’s AirPods.