If Apple want to vie with the Amazon Echo and Google Home , it does n’t necessarily require a blade - novel product . Instead , why not just slap a more powerful microphone and an onboard speaker unit into a next - generation Apple video ?
VentureBeat , citing an anon. reservoir , say thatApple ’s rumored Amazon Echo competitor“may ” just be a refreshen Apple video . Besides a mic and speaker , the new boxwood would probably take a more powerful processor if it ’s get to process voice question quickly and accurately .
Thefourth - genesis Apple TV released six months agodoes havelimited Siri supportand a mike - equipped distant control . It ’s always on , always connected to Wi - Fi or ethernet , and also tamp down Bluetooth . These are all right starting point into a voice - activate helper like the Echo or thejust - announced Google Home — those products also include a speaker system for stream music from cloud services , and multidirectional microphone plan to pluck up “ OK Google ” or “ Hey Alexa ” prompts from anywhere in the room .
An Apple TV in every room?
That ’s the thing , though — which way ? In promotional telecasting for the Echo and Google Home , those devices are typically shown in a kitchen setting , sometimes in a living room . But the deduction is that you ’ll have it in the room where everyone gathers , and that ’s often the kitchen .
While an always - listen Apple TV with voice assistant would be enceinte in my living room , I do n’t have as much of a grounds to put one in my kitchen or bedchamber , which do n’t currently have TV sets . sure as shooting , I could have them there just for the verbalizer , but the Apple TV has subsist since 2007 as “ a affair you plug in to a TV , ” so it might be a mental leap for people to start out buying them for suite where they do n’t intend to watch TV . Apple could potentially work out this with a companion mathematical product likeAmazon ’s Echo Dot , a $ 90 puck that adds the Alexa assistant from the larger Amazon Echo to exist speaker and stereos .
My current fourth - gen Apple TV sits aright next to my telly set — an obvious posture , since it ’s tie in with an HDMI overseas telegram . So not only would an always - listening Siri be able to listen me from elsewhere in the theater , she might have trouble hear meeven in that room , since it ’s the de facto playroom for a rowdy bambino , and usually either the TV or stereo system is on . When I press the microphone button onthe fourth - gen Apple TV ’s Siri remote , it brings down the intensity of what I ’m watching so Siri can listen . But if sound is blaring from other devices ( not made by Apple ) , we might have a job connecting .
I ’ve play into a similar job testingCarPlaystereos : If the medicine is pump , I might have to call out , “ Hey Siri , ” three or four multiplication before my voice is find out — and that ’s when I ’m in the driver ’s seat , no more than a couple feet from the consecrate microphone , which is purportedly pointed correctly at my head .
Amazon Echo also works with third - party services — you’re able to use it to toy music from Spotify , control smart - home gadgets from Belkin WeMo or Samsung ’s SmartThings line , evencall for Domino ’s pizzaor order an Uber . Siri today is much more special , but there ’s a rumour thatApple will herald a Siri SDKat next calendar month ’s WWDC that will allow developer to integrate with Siri .
