What if Apple ’s rumored Amazon Echo rival isn’ta fresh Apple TV ? What if it’s … the iPad ?
During the WWDC keynote , Apple mentioned theApple idiot box being used as a “ rest home Hub”for controlling your HomeKit devices , both when you ’re in the house , and when you ’re aside . Since it ’s always on , always on-line , and logged in to your iCloud account , the set - top loge can act as a bridge circuit between your HomeKit power train and your iPhone when you ’re outside of your home meshwork .
But what if you do n’t have an Apple TV ? Just keep an iPad carry iOS 10 plug in!Apple confirmed to SlashGearthat iOS 10 will let an iPad act as the Home Hub , as long as it ’s always stop up in and connected to Wi - Fi . iOS 10 will come with a new Home app from Apple , andSiri can control HomeKit gearfor you too .
iOS 10 is n’t compatible with the first - gen iPad , iPad 2 , and first - gen iPad mini , so if you have an iPad 2 lying around , it ca n’t be the Home Hub . And if you ’re going to bribe a new equipment , the Apple TV is still chinchy , protrude at $ 149 . But it ’s great that we have a choice .
Is there an Echo in here?
Amazon ’s Echo , which sell for$180 , can do more than just control smart - home twist . Its vocalisation - activated assistant , Alexa , can also add items to your shopping list , play euphony , ply conditions reports and news updates , and connect you withthird - party serviceslike Kayak , Fitbit , and Uber . opine what — Siri on an iPad black market iOS 10 will be able to do a lot of that too .
Alexa ’s way ahead , but Siri could catch up .
Third - political party developers are gettinga Siri SDK , to link Apple ’s interpreter assistant tosix classes of apps . you could already need Siri about the weather , athletics , your calendar , and so on . Filling in the gap between what Siri can do in iOS 10 and what Alexa or theGoogle Assistantinsidethe Google Home deviceis doable , belike in a few software updates .
There ’s still a hardware gap — Echo and Google Home both boast built - in loudspeaker system for playing music , as well as powerful mike to pick up your vocalisation mastery from anywhere in the room . The iPad has speakers and a microphone already , and AirPlay and Bluetooth for get off music to compatible affiliated speaker nearby . Perhaps Apple could wind out an bring - on microphone , similar toAmazon ’s Echo Dot , that can connect to the iPad ( wirelessly or not ) to beef up its hearing capacity , and perhaps boost the strait too if a speaker is include . Update : Or Apple could even apply the much - near mike already in our iPhones and Apple Watches to relay Siri commands to the Home Hub .
Between Siri ’s improvement in iOS 10 , and Apple ’s flexibility in offer two ways to relate to HomeKit devices from outside your meshwork , the caller might not needa trade name - novel standalone Echo competitorafter all .
