thadgarrison

Ugh, who cares. Cancel it and create a proper home-hub. There is zero market demand for an overpriced semi-smart speaker. People who care about sound quality are going to buy real speakers; people who want home automation are going to buy a cheap Echo Dot. Stop letting 50+ year olds make product decisions based on hi-fi wet dreams of yesteryear.

"One of the core problems in predicting the future path of technology is that even a minor change in one variable can frequently result in a totally different competitive environment going forward."

The problem is that Apple is no longer the one creating those variables.

Arguing that Apple will continue to make gobs of money is besides the point (and, frankly, feels kind of desperate). None of us started following and obsessing over Apple because of their bottom line, we did so because they thought differently and did things from a place of passion for the user experience. It seems more and more that they have been reduced to adding gimmicky widgets of limited value (e.g. touch bar) and advertising them as miracles. Not a problem from a business standpoint (lots of big companies follow this model and make loads of money), but it's a blow to anyone who wants Apple to be something bigger than its next earnings release. 

timgallowaybox said:

Sorry.  I am a huge long term Apple fanboy.   But...I have to disagree with the entire premise of this article.  Yes Apple's profitability is clearly amazing and unprecedented....but I wish APPLEINSIDER would actually publish some articles that are critical of APPLE...not bashing Apple but some actual constructive criticism with brutal honesty.  Siri needs a big Kick in the Pants.  I loved Siri from the Get Go.....But now I have to say I don't love her at all.  I do love Alexa.  My whole family absolutely loves our AMAZON ECHO uses it DAILY.   ALEXA actually has some "humanness" in her ability to actually interact with questions.  I wouldn't be surprised if Google Home surpasses everyone as best in AI out there....Google simply has the most DATA of anyone to resource their AI.  

Ben, are you really satisfied with Siri?  Is anyone out there satisfied with Siri?  

APPLEINSIDER---Put up a POLL ASKING all IPHONE USERS:  Are you satisfied with SIRI?

  

You pinpoint a real problem with most of the Apple reporting ecosystem. It's become an echo chamber of unwarranted forgiveness and excuse-making for Apple. As a longtime Apple fanboy, I want to see writers looking at the company with a critical eye. There are lots of huge companies that make loads of money churning out mediocre products, I don't want to see Apple become one of them. Making pretty designs and hoarding cash isn't enough, they've lost sight of the importance of striving for a perfect EXPERIENCE. Appleinsider should have the journalistic integrity to hold Apple's feet to the fire and not just regurgitate Apple's marketing bullet points.

Regardless of how the technologies affect the bottom lines of each company, Apple does have catching up to do with the quality of the Siri experience compared to both Google and Amazon. Siri feels very restrictive compared to competitors, requiring more precise phrasing to get an adequate answer. The other two feel more freeform and conversational, particularly Google Now.

One reason behind this is that Google/Amazon are not afraid to use customer data to bolster AI learning, which will potentially allow them to stay ahead of Apple. Apple has painted themselves into a corner a bit by being so loud and proud about customer privacy. While their stance on privacy is obviously highly respectable, the reality is that AI software needs real world input to improve and Google/Amazon (particularly Google) are in a position that may offer exponential rather than incremental improvements.

I'd also like to point out this bad assumption in your article:
"In contrast, moving from iOS devices and the rest of Apple's platform to new hardware running a different ecosystem, just to access another voice assistant, is a much more difficult transition for users to make."

At least in the case of Alexa, nothing is further from the truth. I was given an Echo Dot as an unexpected Xmas present and found it delightfully easy to use. It has quickly replaced "Hey Siri" as my go-to for voice control of lights and common questions like weather. The fight here might not be about which technology makes the most money, but which voice service gets the most mind share first, becoming the "Google" or "Kleenex" of voice assistance.

I'm starting to wonder if Apple is paralyzed by their obsession with perfection. With all of their money and staff and the opportunities in connected home, wearables, VR, auto and beyond—how is it possible that all we've gotten is an OK watch? I'm not saying I want them to release any old junk, but there is a threshold after which perfection in detail simply doesn't matter as much as having a real product in hand. A lot of artists and creator-driven companies get caught in an echo chamber of high expectations and lose site of just how good what they've already created is. Release, iterate, perfect over time so I can have more Apple, sooner!