Apple's Siri home speaker said to complement voice controls with physical touch panel
Whether it has a dynamic screen or simple buttons, Apple's anticipated Siri home speaker will likely offer physical controls with some kind of dedicated touch panel, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities revealed on Saturday.
Kuo offered new details on the rumored Apple competitor to Amazon Echo in a note to investors, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider. The leak comes only days after Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller argued that voice assistant devices should have screens to complement the audible input.
"[There are] many moments where a voice assistant is really beneficial, but that doesn't mean you'd never want a screen," Schiller said. "So the idea of not having a screen, I don't think it suits many situations."
Kuo's note simply referred to the physical input on the Siri home speaker as a "touch panel," so it is unclear whether the device will boast a dynamic screen or something much simpler. Separate rumors, not from Kuo, suggested the hardware will feature a design akin to the Mac Pro, with a concave top where physical controls could be included.
As for when the accessory could be released, Kuo gives it 50-50 odds for an announcement at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference, which will kick off with a keynote on June 5. He said Saturday he believes it is more likely that Apple's anticipated 10.5-inch iPad Pro, with a larger display achieved with a thinner bezel, will be unveiled at the conference.
Given that Apple does not currently sell a dedicated Siri speaker, it's possible that the company could pre-announce the hardware for launch later this fall. Doing so could give developers time to prepare for the new platform, and could also stifle sales of competing devices, namely Amazon's forthcoming $230 Echo Show and other Alexa-powered devices, in the interim.
In terms of suppliers, Kuo believes Inventec and Longwell will be the main beneficiaries from Apple's new Siri speaker. Inventec is a key supplier of acoustic products for the company, while Longwell is believed to provide the power cord for the new device.
Kuo offered new details on the rumored Apple competitor to Amazon Echo in a note to investors, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider. The leak comes only days after Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller argued that voice assistant devices should have screens to complement the audible input.
"[There are] many moments where a voice assistant is really beneficial, but that doesn't mean you'd never want a screen," Schiller said. "So the idea of not having a screen, I don't think it suits many situations."
Kuo's note simply referred to the physical input on the Siri home speaker as a "touch panel," so it is unclear whether the device will boast a dynamic screen or something much simpler. Separate rumors, not from Kuo, suggested the hardware will feature a design akin to the Mac Pro, with a concave top where physical controls could be included.
As for when the accessory could be released, Kuo gives it 50-50 odds for an announcement at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference, which will kick off with a keynote on June 5. He said Saturday he believes it is more likely that Apple's anticipated 10.5-inch iPad Pro, with a larger display achieved with a thinner bezel, will be unveiled at the conference.
Given that Apple does not currently sell a dedicated Siri speaker, it's possible that the company could pre-announce the hardware for launch later this fall. Doing so could give developers time to prepare for the new platform, and could also stifle sales of competing devices, namely Amazon's forthcoming $230 Echo Show and other Alexa-powered devices, in the interim.
In terms of suppliers, Kuo believes Inventec and Longwell will be the main beneficiaries from Apple's new Siri speaker. Inventec is a key supplier of acoustic products for the company, while Longwell is believed to provide the power cord for the new device.
Comments
Still not convinced this thing exists though.
2) How does have Siri make the speaker untrue?
3) The Echo is a great device because it can pair with any iDevice with a single "Alexa, connect" command. The only limitation is that it can only remember the last device. With Apple's W1 chips, iOS and iCloud connectivity they make it connect to any source you wanted and switch sources with a single command by talking to the digital personal assistant. Apple has a clear opportunity to out maneuver Amazon here.
Apple needs to start from there. Anything else needs to build on it and not be a substitute.
That wouldn't come close to what the Echo offers. You at least need to add microphones—if you want a speaker dock there's a million wired and wireless options available.
Now, on to the good news. Expect the new device to have Next Gen Siri, which takes the already most used voice assistant in the world, and adds the capabilities from companies like VocalIQ, and adds the missing multiple microphones so Siri can understand you better, to a fantastic speaker with a built in router. All of this contained in device that you can order with or without a screen as you will be able to set your iPhone, iPad, etc., into it to serve as a screen and charging device for your iPhone/iPad. This way you will be able to afford to have a screen in every room without having to move the screened version of Apple Hub from room to room. This will be a smash hit, so get your orders in as soon as they open up for orders as it will sell faster than it can be built.
With nice weather upon us I've been looking for something to listen to music on the patio. So far I haven't found anything that persuaded me to pry open my wallet. In my Apple-centric home a Beats product seems like the most convenient option, but I was surprised to discover that the teeny little Pill+ is all they offer. I expected Beats to have some kind of beefy, bass-heavy monstrosity because, well, that's always sorta been their bread and butter. I was also surprised by the price of the Pill+. Maybe it's awesome, I haven't heard it yet, but it seems kinda spendy for a baby speaker. What surprised me most though was that I can't buy a portable speaker with a W1 chip. Having experienced the convenience of simplified device switching with the Solo3, I'm now spoiled and won't buy something that doesn't have it.
I don't really expect the rumoured Siri speaker to overcome ANY of those objections -- particularly regarding big-speaker sound quality -- but I'm hoping that maybe there will be a new portable product this summer. The old Apple HiFi with rechargeable batteries, AirPlay and a W1 would be PERFECT!