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Apple VP Phil Schiller Implies Voice-Activated Smart Speakers Could Benefit From a Screen

Whilst Siri does need some improvement I don't think Phil is wrong with his comments by any measure.

Say what you like but it's a lot easier to LOOK at and absorb some types of information than it is to be dictated to.

I think he is pretty well on the mark.
 
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So basically it's like this leak of the Amazon Echo touchscreen?
C_Fa3-_XsAE5XVg.jpg
 
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VanillaCracker said:
Curious to see how Apple plans to one-up the competition here, because I honestly think they have nothing better to give. He basically mentions a home device that has voice only capabilities to be best assisted alongside a screen, which I can see solving things like asking your device to "look up a recipe for apple pie" and being able to see the ingredients on a screen, etc. however that's not revolutionary, and Amazon's alleged flagship home device will have the same feature.

Seriously though, if they're banking on Siri, while some people are fine with that, it's not exactly better than anything else. To the average consumer the device it's just going to be less compatible.
Click to expand...
Apple has a computer in your home; Amazon doesn't.

Apple has a phone in your pocket; Amazon doesn't.

And they all share Siri and iCloud. Amazon doesn't.
 
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I have yet to see any voice-only games that, for me, are nearly as fun as the one that I play on my screen. And so I think voice assistants are incredibly powerful, their intelligence is going to grow, they're gonna do more for us, but the role of the screen is gonna remain very important to all of this.​


So this guy named Phil, head of marketing, makes the argument that voice assistant apps need a screen because he hasn't seen a voice only game that is fun.
 
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What Phil is really saying is that the best solution for this is an IPHONE

The whole copying amazon / new standalone Siri rumour seems a nonsense.
 
I thought the point of a smart speaker was for it to be audio only. If there's a screen, then it just becomes a tablet. Why should I buy another touchscreen device?
 
The problem with a voice UI is that you can't tell what's supported by looking at it, and trial and error in a voice UI is a pain in the behind.

Amazon sends emails about "what you can do with Alexa," because it's unclear what all you can actually do with Alexa. With the advent of third-party skills that UI will get bigger and bigger, which is a problem since people can only hold around 7 +- 2 semi-unrelated things in their heads at once.

Using a screen for that is a way around that, but then how different is it from an iPad mini with good speakers and microphones?

I wonder if Apple's going to fall into the Windows trap. Not everything has to leverage the platform.
 
How come Schiller recognizes the distinction of being in a car but Siri does not?
Too many times her response is, "Here's what I found on the Web."
 
Microsoft's innovation:
https://m.imgur.com/a/vxArH

Apple's innovation: "TouchBar."

Samsung's innovation: Full frontal display.

Apple's innovation: "3D Touch."

Sad to see Apple is no longer good at design, only gimmicks and short-term thinking.
 
BruceEBonus said:
2017 really IS the POGO (Put Out Or Get Out) year for Apple.

A LOT of smoke and mirrors last year and this year and diversionary tactics employed.

Samsung have sold and are outselling the iPhone. Google is winning the AI war. MS winning the laptop war and Apple still having a go with their old iPads. But with tablet sales falling globally and Apple neglecting their original Mac market - 2017 has to be their year to prove they've not gone laz(ier) and actually bring something out that will make them stand out from the competition instead of just charity meals and RED paint schemes. Their shares keep rising despite years of stagnation. Will the name and glory years hold out on that alone? I say not. 2017 - Apple's POGO year. You read it here first.

("Yeah, right. Gerroff!"-MR Ed.)
Click to expand...

Samsung took a multi billion dollar write off on the Note 7. There is no AI war and how is MS winning the laptop war? You are long on unsubstantiated opinion and short of facts.
 
Everybody already has an Echo device is called an iPhone, just implement that with the iPhones because it's always listening.
 
nuckinfutz said:
Samsung took a multi billion dollar write off on the Note 7. There is no AI war and how is MS winning the laptop war? You are long on unsubstantiated opinion and short of facts.
Click to expand...

I assume they are probably referring to the vastly superior Surface Pro 4 to Apples MacBook Pro. Microsoft just took on the MacBook "Null" with the the Surface Laptop. Apples biggest contribution to their laptops over the past five years has been sneaking iOS into the Mac and claiming that the iPad Pro is a computer. Remember how we say you have to compare premium hardware to Apple devices because Apple doesn't make low end computers? Well, if you don't update your stuff you eventually kinda do make low end hardware. I agree it isn't fair to compare a brand new laptop to 2 to 3 year old devices, but Apple hasn't really given us anything else to compare it with. Since 3 year old laptops are still being sold new in stores it feels natural to say that Microsoft is winning on that front.
 
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Almost every comment reflects how bad Siri is. We get it. If Apple improves Siri and when they release their version of a smart speaker, it will sell. It may not be for everybody, but knowing how Apple does things different and is usually later to the market with a product release, I think this could be a huge avenue for them.
 
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MadeMyDay said:
Brilliant. Here's a mockup.
View attachment 698686
Click to expand...

I admit to still loving the sunflower iMac design. Give it a silent motor driven head like the vaporware Jibo, running an iOS variant with next-gen contextual Siri, and it might be fun.

That said, it seems to be trying to shoehorn functionality into a form that's too limited. The iPhone or iPad are the ultimate windows into your connected world. I have a stereo, the iPhone is my remote, even using voice only. I have a tv, any i-device can control what's displayed on it. Any HomeKit device can be accessed through the phone. We carry around a smart speaker all day already. It seems like an iPhone with advanced microphones and Siri would fill all these needs for anyone who already has a decent audio delivery setup (stereo/home theater/etc.).
 
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MacsRuleOthersDrool said:
Apple has a phone in your pocket; Amazon doesn't.
Click to expand...

They could have one if they updated the fire based on user feedback. They jumped ship a year after release in a time when most people were locked in 2 year contracts. Combine that with network exclusivities and barely anyone had a chance to get an Amazon phone in their pocket.

Also, Alexa is cloud based and Amazon has proven they can run cloud services with their video and audio products. So that's a tad unfair.
 
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Apple is including a screen to make the price of this thing even more. I don't know about the device, though. Siri is not good at all. Like borderline terrible.
 
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