This Week: Details Emerge About a New Apple Speaker Powered by Siri

Has the next iPhone been finalized?

As May is set to begin, it looks like Apple may have finally decided on its 2017 iPhone lineup. Instead of three new handsets being released this fall as has long been rumored, it looks like Apple will reveal two models.

Recent supply checks now show that we’ll probably see a 4.7-inch and 5.8-inch “iPhone 8” or “iPhone Edition.” Both of these handsets are likely to feature an OLED display, with the following key components:

• Could be called iPhone Edition
• Available with 64GB and 256GB of storage
• All glass design; possibly a wrap-around design
• Water resistance improved to IP68
• 10-nanometer A11 chip
• Wireless Charging, probably using Qi protocol
• Iris scanning for authentication
• Edge-to-edge display from Samsung; 92 million panels ordered?
• True Tone
• Camera and Touch ID integrated with the display
• Long-range wireless charging
• First new iPhone design since iPhone 6 launched in 2014
• “Unprecedented” sales numbers expected, though the price could exceed $1,000 for the first time.
• The end of the Home button could be near. It could be replaced by facial recognition or a “function area.”

For more on the next iPhone, be sure to bookmark our 2017 iPhone page.

The long-rumored Siri-powered speaker looked dead … until it wasn’t.

This week, Apple blogger Sonny Dickson said that Cupertino was “finalising designs for their Alexa competitor, expected to be marketed as a Siri/AirPlay device.” That speaker may feature a Mac Pro-like concave top with built-in controls and be announced during the June 5 keynote at the 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

Rumors about a Siri-powered speaker being developed started spreading in 2016. In February 2017, however, Time’s Tim Bajarin said that Apple was no longer interested in developing a speaker. Instead, Cupertino was “more interested in turning Siri into an omnipresent AI assistant across devices, rather than designing a single device specifically to serve as a Siri machine.”

Here are other headlines from the past week:

• Apple Cash? Cupertino Said to Be Working on Venmo Competitor
• Apple Delays the Release of ‘Carpool Karaoke’ Until Later in 2017
• Spotify is Reportedly Planning its Own Hardware Device
• First Look: Sling TV DVR Finally Arrives on Apple TV

An Encore

One of the most popular iOS games of all-time is about to get a significant update. Developer Hemisphere Games is making sure the classic Osmos game will be playable for many years to come by adding 64-bit support and official support for all screen sizes.

And that won’t be the only improvement. Other new features will include background matchmaking so gamers can play single-player levels while waiting for a multiplayer game, multiplayer support over a cellular connection, and in-game recording.

Apple plans on ending support for 32-bit apps and games with the arrival of “iOS 11” this fall.

In the past week, Christine Chan has added four new reviews to our App Review library, including:

• Your Brain Will Flip for the Challenging Puzzles of Invert
• Blast As Many Aliens as You Can in Get Me Outta Here
• BAIKOH is Not Your Grandma’s Word Game
• Decipher Opposite Word Pairs in Antitype

We published a lot of accessory reviews recently, including the following:

•  The DODOCase Leather CardCase for iPhone Offers Personalized Protection
• MW60B-95 Wireless Headphones: Iconic Leica Look, Same Great Sound
• The Fugoo Go Bluetooth Speaker: Two Are Better Than One
• The DreamWave Genie Brings Apple’s Siri to Your Living Room

For more accessories coverage, including gadget deals, visit our GearAdvice page.

GamesBeat is being held from May 1-2 from Berkeley, California. From May 1-3, you can visit JiveWorld in Las Vegas, California.

Microsoft unveils new goodies on May 2.

The Collision Conference arrives in New Orleans, Louisana on May 3.