Apple may soon unveil Siri-based speakers to rival Amazon Echo

The die-hard Apple fans have been desperate to have a device developed by the Cupertino-based tech giant to match the Amazon Echo or the Google Home. It appears their prayers may be answered soon.

While there is speculation that the product itself might be announced as early as the Developers’ Conference in June, other reports suggest that Apple may take the first step of releasing a software development kit to the developers so that they can develop apps within the Apple ecosystem using the voice assistant that can be used in the home speaker as and when the product is ready for the market.

This has been the major difference between Apple and the other two majors, Google and Amazon. Amazon, for example has allowed third party apps to sit on its Echo that helps the customers. One prime example is the cab hailing app Uber to call for cabs through the Amazon Echo.

Observers even go on to suggest that if Apple’s plan works and the developers come up with the stuff, it can score much higher against Amazon because Alexa, the voice assistant of Amazon can only identify commands in the English language while SIRI has multi-lingual capabilities.

They also suggest that the company has been working on the home speaker project since long, even before Amazon had its Echo.

The only inhibition Apple has been having all these years is the policy to not allow any non-Apple devices or apps to be included in its platform. That appears to be now changing and it is only by opening up SIRI to the outside world and allow it to be exploited can produce results for the company, particularly if it has to enter segments like the home speaker.

To be fair, even Google has not permitted third party apps on its Google Home platform like Amazon Echo has done; however, there is an expectation that this will happen soon.

Coming back to the SIRI based speaker, even the report that suggests the device might be displayed in the June WWDC, the actual product may reach the shelves for sale only later, say by fall. These speculative reports also indicate that Apple’s product may not come with a screen, unlike the Amazon Echo which sports a 7inch wide screen.

Whatever said and done the customers are in for some good times. To start with the United States will be the market these companies wish to tap into first. Other markets may follow later.