EMERGING TECH
EMERGING TECH
EMERGING TECH
Apple hints at new HomePod, enhanced conversational AI for Siri at WWDC
Apple Inc. is hinting at changes to both its digital assistant Siri and its HomePod speaker lineup as its annual Worldwide Developers Conference approaches early next month.
On the confirmed and perhaps quirky front, Apple users were reported Monday to be able to ask Siri “tell me about WWDC” and Siri responded with multiple answers. The first — “La la la, Siri is getting a brand new voice!” — may (or may not) hint at Siri literally getting a new voice.
The second response — “I’m gonna get a shiny new home! Well, not really shiny, more meshy and matte”– would suggest a new HomePod. And the third response — “I don’t want to brag, but I’m getting a lot smarter. It might be all that late night studying I’ve been doing” — could suggest an upgrade to its artificial intelligence.
Getting a new voice could mean anything, but the second and third responses are the more interesting. The suggestion of a new HomePod being launched confirms a report from 9to5Mac May 19. It described “sketchy reports” out of Apple’s supply chain via Chinese chat service Sina of a possible $199 HomePod under its Beats brand.
Whether the new HomePod would be released as a Beats product isn’t entirely important. What’s more important is an effort by Apple to increase its range of the product to compete with various-sized products offered by Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.
Apple may need to broaden its range given disappointing sales figures since HomePod was released Feb. 9. A report from Strategy Analytics noted that the company had managed to move only 600,000 units, while Amazon shipped 4 million Echo smart home devices and Google shipped 2.4 million Home units.
The suggestion of improved AI for Siri follows rapid development in conversational AI, including the recent demonstration of Google Duplex, offering next-level chat functions, and Microsoft Corp.’s acquisition of conversational AI startup Semantic Machines over the weekend.
Apple is notoriously secretive when it comes to new product launches, so these Siri hints may be a slight change for Apple. But it’s more likely that iPhone maker is deflecting media attention onto more trivial matters while it prepares a far more serious surprise announcement at WWDC. We’ll find out one way or the other on June 4.
Image: Apple
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