Apple's Rumored Amazon Echo Competitor Could Be a Next-Generation Apple TV

[wigby]

so basically apple is way behind on what has become a hot market niche and is throwing out leaks to reporters so that we know that eventually they will try to catch up even though there will be nothing to show in 2016.

everything i own in tech is an apple product but lately they seem to be chasing everyone else and nothing is an innovation.

That strategy makes no sense. Why would they whet appetites and leak multiple rumors and then deliver nothing? That would only loo bad for them. Apple typically leaks the weakest (Apple Watch) or more expensive (iPad) tech rumor so that they can announce a real product that is more advanced or cheaper than the rumor. That's how they swoop in as the hero.

 

[ksnell]

Why not just build this functionality into a next gen Apple TV?

Self pat on back. 😎

 

[cmichaelb]

I'm only interested if it can

Spoiler

'Hodor'

for me. 😀

 

[Dilster3k]

The lack of 4K on the current box was the red flag.

 

[Tim Chef]

The future of the TV is Siri. And then apps.

-Tim Cook, WWDC 2016

 

[knemonic]

When the crap are they gonna add a FaceTime camera, maybe a Bluetooth camera for the top of the tv?

 

[6749974]

How about a feature that inverts the mic in the Siri Remote to a speaker so I can say "hey remote" allowing it to beep so I can find the remote when inevitably gets lost 18 times in the couch during a movie?

I said the same thing. At least have a button on the back of the Apple TV that calls the remote to beep. It's like Apple obviously doesn't use the Apple TV or else that feature would have been built in already.

 

[thatanonymoususer]

I agree, and with HomeKit, you could expand the Siri capabilities in rooms throughout the house with add-on, audio-only devices that could double as AirPlay speakers.

I do think that it's kind of funny that you use an Apple TV as the hub for remotely accessing a HomeKit smart home, but if you tell Siri on the Apple TV to turn the lights off or set the movie time scene, she tells you that she can't. It would be nice to group AirPlay speakers for iOS devices.

 

[Carmenia83]

There still isn't enough 4K content available out there yet though.

Except all the 4k content we're filming with the millions of iPhone 6s / 6s Plus / SE's Apple has sold...

 

[ksnell]

so basically apple is way behind on what has become a hot market niche and is throwing out leaks to reporters so that we know that eventually they will try to catch up even though there will be nothing to show in 2016.

everything i own in tech is an apple product but lately they seem to be chasing everyone else and nothing is an innovation.

They are almost never first to market. Usually they take their time and implement/integrate features better than anyone else.

 

[2457282]

This makes more sense to me than the last rumor. It is basically in line to what I said then.
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...p-to-developers.1974207/page-12#post-22935703

 

[wigby]

Makes sense. The Apple TV should be the main hub in the household.

Disagree. Apple typically targets the biggest group of customers. They have sold a lot of ATV but they don't dominate in marketshare. Plus, this rumor has them adding hardware to existing ATV or introducing a new ATV. That means in order for this new Siri ATV to take hold, they would need millions of customers to forget they just bought an ATV recently. And don't forget about all the cord cutters out there who don't even own TVs. They can't win them with an ATV but they can with a Siri appliance similar to Echo.

Apple is much more fond of introducing new hardware as opposed to add-ons or revamps so soon after ATV was released. So I'm guessing they leaked this bogus story so people would be annoyed that they have to buy another ATV so soon or that they will be forced to buy ATV without 4K. But customers won't have any problem paying for a new hardware category device from Apple. It would look sleek, compliment ATV but offer hands-free Siri in the home. It would also help if they released satellite devices so Siri can hear you in any room of the home too.

 

[Gasu E.]

This is why Tech media is in a slow decline. ******* crazy articles like this do not instill trust.

Why would I want an Apple TV with a microphone? I sit 12 feet away from my HDTV.
There's nothing synergistic about cramming these AI features into device that plugs into a TV.

This idea is so preposterously stupid yet the author ran with it anyway.

SMH

If it's built around the Apple TV, more likely the mic would be in a satellite rather than in the main device. A distributed system over Wifi makes more sense than a monolith.

 

[cmichaelb]

The lack of 4K on the current box was the red flag.

How many people actually have a 4k capable tv? I can understand why they saved that for a future model.
[doublepost=1464290231][/doublepost]

Except all the 4k content we're filming with the millions of iPhone 6s / 6s Plus / SE's Apple has sold...

I bet most iPhone users are NOT shooting 4k video.

 

[devinthomas]

As long as they can walk that back with an upgraded always on Siri remote for those of us who purchased last years box...

 

[jumanji]

How about a feature that inverts the mic in the Siri Remote to a speaker so I can say "hey remote" allowing it to beep so I can find the remote when inevitably gets lost 18 times in the couch during a movie?

But let's add Siri so I can scream "order me a pizza" and then it tries to "hoarder me a spritzer" 😡

the remote is so damn horribly designed. the slightest touch screws up what i'm watching. drives me crazy. and yes...it gets lost all the dame time!

 

[agsystems]

How many people actually have a 4k capable tv? I can understand why they saved that for a future model.
[doublepost=1464290231][/doublepost]
I bet most iPhone users are NOT shooting 4k video.

"understand why they saved that for a future model" - yes, we do - Apple wants you to upgrade to the next model.

 

[TechRemarker]

When the original article came out I noted it didn't make sense for Apple to build a separate echo like device because users already have an echo, it's their apple watch on their wrists or phone in their pocket rather than buying an Apple Echo for each and every room of their house. And that AppleTV's already have a mic (the remote), and speakers (your tv or home theater speakers), which is why another product like the Echo wouldn't make much sense. They could add a speaker/mic to the appletv box itself but that seems little odd since the apple tv would have to be tremendously larger to have good enough speakers which seems like a waste since its already attached to external speakers. They could add a mic to the box but usually apple tvs are wall mounted behind a tv or in a electronic cabinet behind glass where they the mic wouldn't work.

So as noted before Apple already has an "Echo" with it's existing devices.

 

[keysofanxiety]

so I can scream "order me a pizza" and then it tries to "hoarder me a spritzer" 😡

You must have a wicked thick German accent if that's what Siri detects! 😀

 

[Grahamps]

I never had these problems before, in fact my wife tells me that she sees Siri initially hearing everything she said perfectly and then changing it to something that makes no sense.

For me, that was Siri this morning (and, earlier in the week before the latest Public Beta release):
"Hey Siri, call audio America on Speaker"
Screen reads "Hey Siri, call audio America on Speaker"
Siri replies "Calling Allen Hill on speaker"

Umm, in my contacts, or anywhere I can think of, there's no relationship between the two.

WTF?

 

[Stenar]

They definitely need a standalone Siri device. I don't have a TV in every room of my house, but I would put a Siri device in every room.

 

[TechRemarker]

"understand why they saved that for a future model" - yes, we do - Apple wants you to upgrade to the next model.

Yes, like every company on earth. They build products and revise them each year so that they continue to grow their business and invest in their future products. People who don't need newer features can keep their current products. People who want the latest and greatest can upload each year or few. Adding 4K before would make the device cost more and then everyone is paying for that extra feature even though a very small minority of people have 4k and 4k content to watch.

 

[BvizioN]

My holiday went like this: "Siri find the movie Miracle on 34th Street" Her reply: "Sorry I can't find the maps application"

There is either people talking inside tubes or people making exesive jokes about Siri. And if you hear me speaking English, my accent can't get any broader!!

 

[nutmac]

I bet most iPhone users are NOT shooting 4k video.

For me it's because Apple chose to use H.264 to compress 4K instead of HEVC, which would've reduced 1-minute storage from 375 MB to about 180 MB (1080p is 130 MB).

 

[koa]

Seems simple enough...
Turn on ATV4.
Scroll to My Music.
Me: "Play Johnny Cash."
Siri finds a selections of movies with Johnny Cash in them.
Me: "Play Solitary Man."
Siri takes me to the movie Solitary Man with Michael Douglas.

I have Hue lights.
Me: "Hey Siri, set lights to red."
Siri: "Sorry, I wasn't able to find any lights."
Me: "Set lights to scarlet."
Siri: "Closest I could find was Ferrari Red." (Lights turn red)
Me: "Set lights to Ferrari Red."
Siri: "Sorry, I wasn't able to find any lights."

Good luck with more Siri home integration.