Too bad Apple didn't have a dedicated, always-on Siri appliance before I bought my three Amazon Echo devices. I've grown quite fond of them.
I still don't understand the benefit of an Echo.
Could you not do the same thing with your phone? I don't see the point of having something plugged into a wall, instead of your phone or watch.
IMO, the Echo seems like a move backwards
Echo doesn't require you to look at a screen. I still don't completely get the need but Apple makes most of its money selling hardware so I guess they feel they need another new hardware product to sell?
Can't you use Hey Siri without looking at the screen?
You can do everything with an iPhone and a bluetooth speaker that Echo does.
I don't get the point of Echo. Its a step backwards. A bulky, wired solution in a mobile and wireless world.
Siri can't set the temperature on my Nest thermostat. Echo does.
Siri can't operate my LIFX bulbs. Echo does.
wait...so because some hardware vendors are too lazy to implement HomeKit, thats apple's fault? seems to me you're faulting the wrong player...id be upset that google won't fix their Nest. many are. i won't be buying another one.
The purpose is to enhance the Amazon ecosystem and add value for its customers. It also has an up sell marketing component because you can order anything from Amazon and several other services with just your voice.
im an amazon customer and prime guy. yet...i see no value add by putting an amazon BT speaker in my living room. i already have an apple tv, a wireless receiver and various speakers i can beam music to and control via my phone, watch, or iPads. in no reality would i ask a speaker to read me the news. and i don't need or even want a speaker to buy crap from on amazon. so, like, what would Echo do for me?
Too bad Apple didn't have a dedicated, always-on Siri appliance before I bought my three Amazon Echo devices. I've grown quite fond of them.
I still don't understand the benefit of an Echo.
Could you not do the same thing with your phone? I don't see the point of having something plugged into a wall, instead of your phone or watch.
IMO, the Echo seems like a move backwards
Echo doesn't require you to look at a screen. I still don't completely get the need but Apple makes most of its money selling hardware so I guess they feel they need another new hardware product to sell?
Can't you use Hey Siri without looking at the screen?
You can do everything with an iPhone and a bluetooth speaker that Echo does.
I don't get the point of Echo. Its a step backwards. A bulky, wired solution in a mobile and wireless world.
Siri can't set the temperature on my Nest thermostat. Echo does.
Siri can't operate my LIFX bulbs. Echo does.
wait...so because some hardware vendors are too lazy to implement HomeKit, thats apple's fault? seems to me you're faulting the wrong player...id be upset that google won't fix their Nest. many are. i won't be buying another one.
But if it's because they're lazy then why does this stuff work with the Echo which came out AFTER HomeKit? Obviously Nest isn't too lazy to work with Amazon.
For you, probably nothing, but for the reasons I stated, that is the purpose of the Echo.
I was going to get one. I've been a prime member for a long time. After thinking about it for awhile, I just couldn't see a good enough reason to buy one. With acc Apple Watch right there, I can at any time just say hey Siri and ask whatever I want or do what I need it to do. The echo is kind of redundant at that point. My watch is with me everywhere, not just in a single room. I'd need a few Echo's. Looking at it like that, the Apple Watch is cheaper.
Will have to see what Apple brings to the table if anything. Apple works on and tests all kinds of things, doesn't mean it'll be a product they'll release.
For you, probably nothing, but for the reasons I stated, that is the purpose of the Echo.
Will have to see what Apple brings to the table if anything.
True, very interested to see what they offer and how it differs from Amazon. This isn't an anti-Amazon assessment (I'm a frequent Amazon purchaser), but their products are actually designed to be windows onto the Amazon shop, all of them, they're mostly sold at cost and the profit is made by Amazon on the after-initial-sale purchases by users. Apple's business model is profit up front, so it'll be very interesting to see what their focus of such a product might be and how it might be different from Amazon and their Echo product and whether it makes sense for people who already have one or more Apple products such as the AW or ATV or any other number of products of Apple's. Maybe this isn't intended for those who have Apple products already. Exciting, no matter what this product ends up being, to see them branching out in ever more directions.
Whatever it is, Apple is going to do it right. However, the damn Echo Dot is cheap. Can Apple beat it at $49 for this new device if it turns out Echo Competitor? I'm getting Amazon Echo Dot for free for buying it with Ecobee3. Ecobee3 itself costs $249 and I ordered the Dot with it at $249...Oct 20 delivery, baby!
Just this morning I asked Siri "when is the World Series" and Siri replied "sorry I couldn't find any games or schedules matching your request". For a device like this to be useful and successful voice assistant has to be top notch. Siri has a long way to go.
Does Echo give you the right answer?
I don't have an Echo so I wouldn't know. But Google Now does give the right answer.
All voice assistants have gaps. Questions they don't understand or can't answer. Maybe the type of questions you ask fits Google Now's algo's better.
But to say Siri is miles behind Google now or Echo is silly. Just one comparison of many:
And now that Siri is opened to 3rd parties it will only get better.
Siri is miles behind Google Now wrt internationalization. Siri in Dutch, my mothertongue, is just a piece of crap. It does not understand 80% of my questions, and for the questions it does understand, the answers are worse than the Google Now. When I switch Siri to English on my iPhone, Siri does a better job in understanding and answering, but it is unaware of local content and it does not understand Dutch names of persons, cities, ...
i can see how Echo can be beneficial for a very small portion of the population who has smart home features
My smart home functions perfectly well with Siri. People should buy smart devices to fit their voice assistant technology, not the other way round (IMO). Hue rather than LIFX for example.
Siri is definitely behind the curve compared to Echo. I try to use Siri a lot but there is a lot that he/she/it can't parse. Echo may have gaps but from what little I've seen they're fewer and smaller.
Apple has been buying up AI-ish companies, investing apparently somewhat heavily in machine learning resources. Maybe for vehicles, maybe for home automation.
Tim doesn't think Apple is behind the curve, but I do. To me, products like Echo and Dot that are working as well as they do put Amazon out front. How Google Home will stack up remains to be seen.
HomeKit will be the issue for Apple. Will it's rumored device work with non-HomeKit devices? Or will these manufacturers need to rely on their apps working with Siri from a phone. I haven't invested in any home automation beyond X-10 devices that I bought 20 years ago. My first venture will be Siri controllable light switches but it looks like I'll have to get a Home-Kit compatible hub.
Just the ability for an Apple box to control my music as well and granularly as the Echo will be enough for me to start with.
Comments
wait...so because some hardware vendors are too lazy to implement HomeKit, thats apple's fault? seems to me you're faulting the wrong player...id be upset that google won't fix their Nest. many are. i won't be buying another one.
im an amazon customer and prime guy. yet...i see no value add by putting an amazon BT speaker in my living room. i already have an apple tv, a wireless receiver and various speakers i can beam music to and control via my phone, watch, or iPads. in no reality would i ask a speaker to read me the news. and i don't need or even want a speaker to buy crap from on amazon. so, like, what would Echo do for me?
Will have to see what Apple brings to the table if anything. Apple works on and tests all kinds of things, doesn't mean it'll be a product they'll release.
Apple has been buying up AI-ish companies, investing apparently somewhat heavily in machine learning resources. Maybe for vehicles, maybe for home automation.
Tim doesn't think Apple is behind the curve, but I do. To me, products like Echo and Dot that are working as well as they do put Amazon out front. How Google Home will stack up remains to be seen.
HomeKit will be the issue for Apple. Will it's rumored device work with non-HomeKit devices? Or will these manufacturers need to rely on their apps working with Siri from a phone. I haven't invested in any home automation beyond X-10 devices that I bought 20 years ago. My first venture will be Siri controllable light switches but it looks like I'll have to get a Home-Kit compatible hub.
Just the ability for an Apple box to control my music as well and granularly as the Echo will be enough for me to start with.