The Information previously reported that Apple is working on an Amazon Echo/Alexa competitor as other companies such as Google have planned to move into this space.
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However, reports said that the current Apple device can handle dictation, but processing queries and serving up results requires additional computing infrastructure, an area that Apple is working on to address.
Amazon may have kicked things off with the Echo and later expanded the product lineup, but other companies have started to take note of the potential that these devices have. Personally, I only keep my Apple TV on when I’m using it. Keeping it on otherwise makes watching regular TV something of a hassle, admittedly a first world problem if there ever was one. The rumored implementation appears to be quite simple: Apple will simply outfit the existing Apple TV with a microphone and a speaker. The fourth-generation device, which reached the market last fall, is wholly different from previous versions. Similar to Amzaon Echo, the TV could be powered by a more efficient variant of Siri. It’s this last point that’s most pertinent to the conversation at hand.
The interface itself is recreated in 3D Javascript animations, though unlike the actual Echo, there’s no always-listening microphone.
Furthermore, inside sources from the company reveal that Apple will soon enable Siri on the Apple TV set-top box, which would turn out to be a strong counterproposal to Amazon’s Echo.
The enterprise says that the Google Home speaker will give people a chance to communicate verbally with the Google Assistant, including another name the list of Alexa’s rivals.
“If Apple utilizes just a small subset of the technology developed by VocalIQ, we will see a far more advanced Siri“, Roemmele noted.
“They want Apple TV to be just the hub of everything”, the source told VentureBeat. Google can handle this, of course, but it’s one more technical barrier that needs to be done right.
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But the speculation doesn’t stop there. Initially, they considered a standalone product like the Echo. That means it is able to detect who is in the room using facial-recognition technology. That would let the device automatically bring up a person’s preferences, such as the music and lighting they like, the people said. Analysts suggests that it may come in the form of a refreshed Apple TV rather than a new product or hardware. However, there are doubts about whether opening up Siri SDK for outsiders will be enough to help Apple crash the competition in the potentially lucrative home automation industry. It’s obviously tied to the e-commerce store and works optimally in countries that have an Amazon presence, notably its United States home market.
