The rumor mill has been gushing over reports that Apple is working on a standalone Siri-enabled speaker device, which would go head-to-head with similar offerings like the Alexa-powered Echo from Amazon, and the Google Home.
What We Know So Far
While it’s somewhat difficult to fit the pieces of the puzzle together at this point, several reports and leaks have emerged in the last few weeks pointing to Apple’s ongoing effort to create the device, which is being built by Apple’s Taiwan-based AirPods manufacturing partner, Inventec.
Just last week, historically-reliable KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, suggested in a research note that there’s “a greater than 50% chance” Apple will unveil its Echo competitor at next month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which kicks off with a keynote address on the morning of June 5th.
Piecing together the bits-and-pieces we do know about the device, while, of course, throwing in a few of our own wishes for good measure, iDrop News has compiled a list of all the magical and innovative things we hope to see in Apple’s forthcoming Siri-only speaker system.
What We’re Hoping For
5. Gorgeous Design
Apple’s penchant for unique and minimalist design likely came in handy when the team sat down to design Siri speaker. And that’s a good thing considering there’s not a lot one can do to innovate the design of a speaker, right? Nevertheless, famed Apple leaker Sonny Dickson, in a recent post to his Twitter account suggested that the Siri speaker will feature a design theme largely embodying Apple’s tall, cylindrical-shaped Mac Pro computer — which is a good-looking machine, so we’re certainly hoping this turns out to be true.
4. Quality Hardware
Based on points Kuo outlined in his research note, we get the general idea that Siri speaker will be a premium device, possibly geared and priced towards customers in the higher-end of the market. It’s rumored to boast one dedicated subwoofer and at least seven individual tweeters in order to create an audiophile’s dream-come-true. It’s important to note that the advanced audio functionality won’t just be limited to issuing commands and responding to inquiries, either, since the Siri speaker will more than likely feature basic audio playback and volume control, making it an ideal device for the living room, bedroom, or any other room in the house where it can easily be accessed.
Kuo also believes that the device will hum along on an A8 — but possibly even an A9 — SoC, which debuted as the central processing unit in Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, respectively. An A-series chip would entail that the Siri-only device is poised to boast processing power similar to iPhone, albeit without the inclusion of iOS, of course. Another rumor spearheaded by Dickson, and hinted at in a recent interview featuring Apple’s SVP of Worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, is that the Siri speaker will ship with a touchscreen display of some unknown size or resolution. As Schiller noted in his interview, a touchscreen would allow for much greater utility than a standalone, screen-free device like the Amazon Echo. So we would definitely hope for a screen of some sort to help manually carry out certain activities when or if we can’t use the sound of our voice.
3. HomeKit Integration
We also hope that Siri speaker features some extent of HomeKit integration. HomeKit compatible devices are becoming incredibly popular, and customers are turning to Apple products as a means of automating their lives at home. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just say something like, “Hey Siri, play my favorite song over the speakers in the family room,” and she automatically starts playing it? That’s sort of what we’re envisioning: a device that’s not so “standalone,” but that can integrate with Apple’s other services and Kits to provide a truly unique and immersive experience. This would also be ideal for other HomeKit needs, such as controlling the lights or locking the doors, for example.
2. User Profiles
We also think it would be great if the Siri speaker came with the ability to switch profiles. Think about this: if Tom, Terri, Tina, and Travis are all living under the same roof — yet all have different tastes in music or needs to fulfill — wouldn’t it be great if the Siri speaker had a profile logged for each user? “Hey Siri, it’s Tina. Play my favorite workout mix,” or “Hey Siri, it’s Tom. Play my favorite Rolling Stones album.” In any instance, based on pre-programmed or learned input, Siri speaker would house a database of requests and user-specific information that would custom tailor her responses to each member in the home, respectively. Now that’s innovation.
1. Reasonable Price
Pricing for the Siri speaker is currently a wild card. While similar offerings from Amazon and Google retail for quite a bit less than $200, we can almost rest assured that Apple’s system will cost a bit more — we’re hoping, realistically, that it falls somewhere in between the $299-$399 range. And while that price point may seem a bit steep, one needs to realize that if Apple actually delivers a high-end product along the lines of what we’ve been hearing, $299 seems like a reasonable starting price for another wildly successful product from Apple.
What are you hoping to see in the Siri speaker? Let us know in the comments!
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