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Apple's Siri-Based Smart Speaker Has 'Over 50% Chance' of Debuting at WWDC in June
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Nonsense. Multi language support means nothing to the end user if the product is garbage. When an English speaking user attempts to use Siri and gets a poor result they don't think "Oh well at least Siri is available in Cantonese". All you are left with is a poor product that is available in multiple languages.
As I've already mentioned in post #239 their HomeKit developer platform is a mess also.
Can we please get you to buy an all-in-one PC so we can finally get some new iMacs?
Apple has acquired 3 companies that use Machine Learning. They're very serious about delivering AI products. As an English speaker I can be ignorant of the needs of others across the globe but the reality is even with poor recognition the fact that an iPhone understands 18 languages is huge. All the sales that Amazon has clawed up to will be matched and usurped shortly by Apple based on global coverage.
This market isn't big enough for 3 big players. I'll reserve judgement on HomeKit until after WWDC. I'm not worried about its future but a nice evolutionary jump will be nice.
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The Workflow acquisition is really intriguing
In this case I think it is talking about the built-in audio. I have an Echo and the built-in audio, although just fine for voice responses, is pretty poor for listening to music.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
It makes sense to me. I don't have an echo or google home, but from what I've heard the real killer aspect of it is just speaking into the air. The multidirectional microphones are supposed to be pretty good. An iPhone is usually tucked away in the pocket, an apple watch needs to still be raised and can be disruptive to your flow. Neither of them provides a good speaker.
Incorporate Airport Time Capsule Storage as well, and it might be a worthwhile purchase.
I as thinking this as well. If they could somehow make this a router/hub/speaker combo, it MIGHT be worth looking into. Right now I just don't see the value.
What "for profit" company would use a strategy like that? They make the majority (by far) of the profit in mobile and are the most highly valued company in the world on the market today. Seems like they're doing exactly what they should be doing... If their products were too expensive, people wouldn't buy them - and I'm sure there are many who make exactly that choice for that reason. Somehow they're muddling by with sales to the remainder of their customers.
Well, what happened to the 1%?...
Anyway, what's really funny is that, since 50% is considered "chance" anyway, they could just have said "there's a chance..." Ha!
First, I hope they learned from Amazon's Echo and provide a full on Echo equivalent as well as an Echo Dot equivalent. I don't need a standalone speaker to play my music.
Second, I hope they also release updates to improve Siri - both accuracy and an understanding of context.
Second, I hope they also release updates to improve Siri - both accuracy and an understanding of context.
Apple, just stick to making ****ing computers already.... geeeesh.
Your phone is not speaker like Google or Amazon. Apple needs you to buy another product when they could have integrated to Apple TV.
Voice commands is the future of computers. This is critical. I already use the Echo for some things that I would otherwise use a computer, tablet or phone for. And Echo stinks. But just talking out loud from anywhere in the room without using my hands or reaching for a device is a KILLER app. I get my weather and news update nearly every morning from my Echo. Because I will trust Apple's privacy policies much more, Siri will be able to do much more for me.
And having better microphones will make Siri much more effective. Echo is very limited but what it does it does with a very satisfying success rate. The tech is so powerful and it will be so very powerful for the mainstream user because of its simplicity. These devices will be as big as the PC market in just a few years. They are that useful.
I'm sure everyone's experience/expectations are different. But it's not just me and my friends who found the Echo fairly useless... the web is littered with people who consider the Echo a gadget and/or an expensive alarm clock.
For hands-free home automation, setting reminders/timers, controlling music, Apple Watch is still the best way to go IMO. It does everything most Echo users use Echo for and a whole lot more.
Then it becomes super expensive and becomes a Toaster/Refrigerator combo. Buyers of this product already have good wifi in their homes. So why pay more? Many people already back up to the cloud. Other people just connect a cheap hard drive and backup. The folks who want to backup but haven't solved that issue and are willing to pay for a backup solution is a very small set of folks. Besides for this to work, you need this in multiple rooms in your house and at least one for each floor of your house. Do you need your data backed up on every floor of your house? Also you may not need a mesh wifi network on multiple levels. So there would be so much extra wasted parts to your suggestion.
However, everyone wants (once they've used it in their own home) a microphone that serves as a user interface for a computer. These devices will be as popular as smartphones in just a few years. Just right now folks don't "get it". Amazon got it right by selling the Dot at $50. These things are going to be everywhere very very quickly. And folks will trust Apple enough so they will buy it.
If you want one of these, pre-order it or expect many months of delays in getting one.
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The other solutions are too difficult. Echo just works. I set my Mom up with an Echo Dot by just plugging it into her stereo system. She learned how to play music and the darn thing works pretty much like magic to her. Cost was $40. Amazon music is $5 a month or something like that which is basically not much different from free.
The folks who post on the web about tech are the upper 5% of tech sophistication. They have more diverse needs and the ability to use more interesting stuff. However they are not representative of the general consumer market. You and me pay attention to this stuff. But most people need a much much easier solution before they will incorporate tech into their life. Echo can do this and Apple with Siri can do it better. At least that is my guess.
I'd buy if it worked with home kit and Apple Music. I can't see why it wouldn't. Right now that is my only issue right now with amazon eco and google home they don't support Apple Music. Which isn't really their fault lol.