Apple will be holding its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) of June 5 and the company is expected to showcase the rumoured Amazon Echo and Google Home rival. The smart speaker was long awaited from the company, considering Apple announced its smart home platform, HomeKit at WWDC 2014.
We have already heard a lot of rumours and half baked reports about the smart speaker. Here’s a roundup of all the rumours that have been piling up ahead of WWDC 2017.
Apple speaker to debut at WWDC
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a MacRumours said "We believe there is an over 50 per cent chance that Apple will announce its first home AI product at WWDC in June," The report also suggested that the speaker will cost more than the Amazon Echo and will work with AirPlay.
An embedded display
Apple SVP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller went to address the importance of a screen. "There's many moments where a voice assistant is really beneficial," he said, "but that doesn't mean you'd never want a screen. So the idea of not having a screen, I don't think suits many situations."
Amazon launched its Echo Show on May 9, a touchscreen-equipped Alexa device that can be used for video calls and view live security camera feeds. Unlike the Amazon Echo, the Google Home doesn’t have an integrated display.
A built-in camera
According to a report from CNET, Apple’s smart speaker might boast an integrated camera. If the reports are to be believed, the speaker will be capable of recognising people in the room using facial detection technology. The speaker will automatically adjust the lights -- or the music to suit user’s preferences after recognising them.
The Apple speaker powered by Siri, was first reported by The Information. The story claimed that the company had been discussing a developer-friendly version of Siri for years, before bringing it to life.
