Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
how about they just fix Siri before they try to build that **** into an Alexa/home competitor. I don't even use home kit because I cannot remember the very specific phrases I have to say.
 
I'm just wondering what the sound quality will be like after Ivie makes the speaker and screen only 3mm thick.
Good one! Thinness jokes never get old, even after 7 years....
[doublepost=1494372607][/doublepost]
how about they just fix Siri before they try to build that **** into an Alexa/home competitor. I don't even use home kit because I cannot remember the very specific phrases I have to say.
Sounds like you are trying too hard, I have no problems with Siri 99% of the time. There's room for improvement but overall it works fine for being a redundant way to do something. I don't need an assistant to tell me anything when my device is already in my hands. Hey Siri works great for setting alarms but really what else do you want? I've never understood what is so compelling about talking to a computer that has no grasp of real life.

Fix Siri? What exactly do you mean by that? Or do you even know?
 
Last edited:
oh look, amazon released a desktop phone to complete against the iPhone. It seems to do less than the iPhone although the personal assistant is better.

Well, Mr. Sarcastic, maybe it will be like the family desktop hub in the kitchen w/ no need for multiple logins, or provide multiples. Remind me again how many multiple logins are available on the iPad? No? Oh. Pooh. Well, how about the iPhone? Hmm? Does your emoji ruler MacBook Pro have multiple logins? I don't own any so I am somewhat naive to the flexibility of the ecosytem.
 
imo what this is, is actually a new type of iPod. I'm thinking of the B&O P2, with touchscreen iPod controls on the back of it. Plus, the iPod branding and name is so strong, they'd be fools not to use it for this product. It'll be "the next evolution of iPod", "take your music with you", etc etc
 



With Amazon having launched the Echo Show, a new Alexa-enabled smart speaker that comes equipped with a 7-inch screen, Bloomberg has shared a little tidbit on Apple's own speaker plans, making it clear that there's still no concrete information on whether Apple's speaker will include a display.

In a piece outlining Amazon's new speaker, Bloomberg references a comment made recently by Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, where he said that a voice assistant in a device without a screen doesn't "suit many situations."Rumors of Apple's work on some kind of in-home Siri-based smart speaker to compete with the Amazon Echo first surfaced in early 2016, but while the speaker is said to be close to launching, details remain scant.

amazonechoshow-800x618.jpg

The new Amazon Echo Show
We've heard it will feature Siri integration and focus heavily on sound quality, with "excellent acoustics performance" and some form of Beats technology. Design details shared in late April said it would feature a Mac Pro-style concave top with built-in controls and a "fat" body with speaker mesh covering the majority of the device, but no display was mentioned.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the speaker has a 50 percent chance of debuting at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference coming in June, and as Bloomberg first mentioned in September (and reiterates again today) the speaker is currently being tested within the homes of Apple employees, so it may not be long before we have more concrete details about the device.

Based on today's Bloomberg report, Apple's speaker will have one benefit over the Amazon Echo and Google Home - native Apple Music integration. Amazon devices chief Dave Limp told Bloomberg that while Amazon would "love to have Apple" the company is "not super big" on allowing Apple Music integration.

For more details on Apple's upcoming Siri speaker, make sure to check out our dedicated roundup, which aggregates all of the information we've heard about the device so far. More information about Amazon's Echo Show can be found in our launch article.

Article Link: Apple's Plans for Upcoming Siri Speaker Remain Unclear in Regard to Display

Apple is late to the show as usual. Although I am sure the design will be fabulous.
 
Really? Sigh.

It was an example use case.

Also. what if your phone is upstairs and you are downstairs? that's a rhetorical question BTW.

What if I'm upstairs but my smart speaker is downstairs? Or I'm in the lounge but the smart speaker is in the kitchen? Or I'm in the park and the smart speaker is at home tethered to the wall socket?

In all those cases, there's more of a chance that my phone will be in my pocket.

I just don't get these smart speakers. It really is a solution to a problem I don't think anyone has.
 
The world is full of this these... No one can escape..

You wouldn't need to run downstairs to yell.... you can have a speaker upstairs too..

These little buggers are taking over our lives.
 
It depends on how they focus it.

I have no interest in an Amazon Alexa or a Siri Speaker - but a decent Airplay speaker with a screen displaying my calendar and weather information I would (sadly) probably go for... If it can do facetime calls I would probably use that on occasion. Or photo slideshows.

I did once consider buying a tablet to display permanently to convince my other half we don't need a tatty calendar hanging off the wall, but that seemed a bit ridiculous. If Apple do something with a decent speaker that doesn't cost as much as an iPad, I'd probably cave.
 
It's called the iPad Mini... and that's probably as close to this stupid thing as Apple will get. This Echo with a screen is going to sell tens of hundreds, and join the Fire phone in the Amazon trash bin.
 
Well, Mr. Sarcastic, maybe it will be like the family desktop hub in the kitchen w/ no need for multiple logins, or provide multiples. Remind me again how many multiple logins are available on the iPad? No? Oh. Pooh. Well, how about the iPhone? Hmm? Does your emoji ruler MacBook Pro have multiple logins? I don't own any so I am somewhat naive to the flexibility of the ecosytem.

Most (lucky) people have their own devices. Ie, their own separate phones.
 
Good one! Thinness jokes never get old, even after 7 years....
[doublepost=1494372607][/doublepost]
Sounds like you are trying too hard, I have no problems with Siri 99% of the time. There's room for improvement but overall it works fine for being a redundant way to do something. I don't need an assistant to tell me anything when my device is already in my hands. Hey Siri works great for setting alarms but really what else do you want? I've never understood what is so compelling about talking to a computer that has no grasp of real life.

Fix Siri? What exactly do you mean by that? Or do you even know?

You are definitely in the minority with Siri just working. Half of the time I ask "her" for something she doesn't get the request right. Saying, "Hey Siri" also rarely if ever triggers my phone. Shockingly Siri works better via CarPlay than on my phone.
[doublepost=1494416095][/doublepost]
What if I'm upstairs but my smart speaker is downstairs? Or I'm in the lounge but the smart speaker is in the kitchen? Or I'm in the park and the smart speaker is at home tethered to the wall socket?

In all those cases, there's more of a chance that my phone will be in my pocket.

I just don't get these smart speakers. It really is a solution to a problem I don't think anyone has.

I use Alexa a lot for things at home because I don't walk around with my phone at home. If I am in the kitchen I just say, "Alexa add X to the shopping list". If I forget to turn the lights off downstairs, "Alexa, turn the living room lights off". If I want to watch a movie downstairs, "Alexa turn the movie on". Turns my TV on, to the right input, blu-ray player on, and AVR on. It is little things, but very nice to have once you get use to it.

I actually haven't controlled my hue lights with my phone in nearly a year b.c the echo is just faster. I also hate the fact I don't have a voice remote (coming from X1) with AT&T. I get around this via the echo. "Alexa turn on ESPN", etc. I am terrible at remembering stations. Same thing with adjust the thermostat when I climbed into bed at night.

Once you convert your home into a smart home, these devices are at the center. It actually makes you less tethered to your phone.
 
Last edited:
You are definitely in the minority with Siri just working. Half of the time I ask "her" for something she doesn't get the request right. Saying, "Hey Siri" also rarely if ever triggers my phone. Shockingly Siri works better via CarPlay than on my phone.
[doublepost=1494416095][/doublepost]

I use Alexa a lot for things at home because I don't walk around with my phone at home. If I am in the kitchen I just say, "Alexa add X to the shopping list". If I forget to turn the lights off downstairs, "Alexa, turn the living room lights off". If I want to watch a movie downstairs, "Alexa turn the movie on". Turns my TV on, to the right input, blu-ray player on, and AVR on. It is little things, but very nice to have once you get use to it.

I actually haven't controlled my hue lights with my phone in nearly a year b.c the echo is just faster. I also hate the fact I don't have a voice remote (coming from X1) with AT&T. I get around this via the echo. "Alexa turn on ESPN", etc. I am terrible at remembering stations. Same thing with adjust the thermostat when I climbed into bed at night.

Once you convert your home into a smart home, these devices are at the center. It actually makes you less tethered to your phone.
But I don't take Echo to the store with my when I food shop. So when I am cooking I just tell Siri "add onion powder to my grocery list" and its done. All I want is Apple ecosystem integration and Echo doesn't do it.
 
But I don't take Echo to the store with my when I food shop. So when I am cooking I just tell Siri "add onion powder to my grocery list" and its done. All I want is Apple ecosystem integration and Echo doesn't do it.

The Amazon Alexa iOS app has custom to do lists.
You can create a Shopping list and add items via the Echo or Dot, so when in the supermarket simple tick the box when adding to trolley.
9zyv88.png
 
Last edited:
It will surely be a great competition for the Amazon Echo speaker, with a positioning more "premium"


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
galaxy s8 edge apple iphone 6
 
Last edited:
We have mac,ipad,iphone,watch

AND we also have Echo. Echo works very good. We use it often.
Siri - not so much.
 
As others have alluded to already, I don't see the point of a screen for a Siri speaker with a screen. That's why I have a screen on my iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch.

Why would I bother to walk over to see a screen on a speaker? I thought the whole idea of the speaker was so that I wouldn't have to walk anywhere. I can just as easily walk over and pick up my smartphone or tablet if I need to look at something.

I already have a speaker with a screen on it. It's called a television.
I guess the question we should be asking ourselves first is - what exactly is the end user experience Apple is trying to provided with a rumoured Siri speaker? Apple won't just stuff Siri into a speaker and call it a day. The product will have a clear purpose and Siri will presumably be optimised for that purpose.

Only when we have the answers to that question can we then ask the next question - does a screen contribute to this end user experience or not. If yes, Apple will add one. If not, then Apple won't.

I suspect many people are going about the discussion in the wrong manner and asking all the wrong questions.
 
The Amazon Alexa iOS app has custom to do lists.
You can create a Shopping list and add items via the Echo or Dot, so when in the supermarket simple tick the box when adding to trolley.
9zyv88.png
Yes thank you I know. However we share a "groceries" list in iOS cloud where my wife adds things to the list. That won't work with Echo the way we're integrated.
[doublepost=1494427351][/doublepost]
We have mac,ipad,iphone,watch

AND we also have Echo. Echo works very good. We use it often.
Siri - not so much.
Can you expand on what you use the Echo for? We're apple integrated here and the calendar, reminders, messages, email are things we use with Siri. Just trying to justify getting the Echo.
 
Yes thank you I know. However we share a "groceries" list in iOS cloud where my wife adds things to the list. That won't work with Echo the way we're integrated.
[doublepost=1494427351][/doublepost]
Can you expand on what you use the Echo for? We're apple integrated here and the calendar, reminders, messages, email are things we use with Siri. Just trying to justify getting the Echo.

Hi
If you and your wife have the iOS Alexa app and are logged in to the same Amazon account, a 'groceries' list updates in real time.
 
Last edited:
But I don't take Echo to the store with my when I food shop. So when I am cooking I just tell Siri "add onion powder to my grocery list" and its done. All I want is Apple ecosystem integration and Echo doesn't do it.

well you know it syncs with multiple different apps. Alexa app, Todoist, etc. I use Todoist and the Alexa shopping list is shared with anyone else in my family who needs it.

I am in an all apple eco system, but the echo integrates just fine b.c the Alexa app can sync calendars, reminders, grocery list, etc. It also has tons of 3rd party support.

[doublepost=1494438379][/doublepost]
Hi
If you and your wife have the iOS Alexa app and are logged in to the same Amazon account, a 'groceries' list updates in real time.

you can also add family members to your echo specially for things like shared list. Like most apps, technology, etc. people post problems with it without having actually tried it.
 
Last edited:
well you know it syncs with multiple different apps. Alexa app, Todoist, etc. I use Todoist and the Alexa shopping list is shared with anyone else in my family who needs it.

I am in an all apple eco system, but the echo integrates just fine b.c the Alexa app can sync calendars, reminders, grocery list, etc. It also has tons of 3rd party support.
's
[doublepost=1494438379][/doublepost]

you can also add family members to your echo specially for things like shared list. Like most apps, technology, etc. people post problems with it without having actually tried it.

Does it sync to iCloud calendars, reminders, lists? That's what I mean with integration.
 
No, Alexa does not integrate with iOS calendars, reminders or lists, no surprise.

Great with Nest thermostats and WiFi plugs etc
Does it sync to iCloud calendars, reminders, lists? That's what I mean with integration.

negative, no iCloud support. It supports pretty much everything but Apple services. Just a little advice, I would maybe move to something like google services (works just fine on an iPhone) b.c they are pretty agnostic when it comes to OS'. My iPhone is basically powered by google: calendars, reminders, email, etc can all be used with a google account just fine.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.