Apple could launch its high-end ‘Siri Speaker’ at WWDC: Report

Apple will announce its Siri-powered smart speaker at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

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Apple’s upcoming smart speaker could be priced above Amazon Echo which retails for $189.

Apple’s answer to Amazon Echo and Google Home might be days away from the launch. Now, according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors), Apple will announce its Siri-powered smart speaker at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

Apple’s smart speaker will apparently cost more than the likes of Amazon Echo and Google Home. Kuo’s note says that the speaker will have multiple tweeters, a woofer and computing power comparable to an “iPhone 6 or 6s”, according to Business Insider. The analyst further believes that Apple’s upcoming smart speaker could be priced above Amazon Echo which retails for $189 (or approx Rs. 12,121) in the US market.

The speaker reportedly will have similar features to its competitors, allowing users to stream music and control Internet of Things (IoT) around their homes. While Kuo predicted that the device will be launched at Apple’s annual developer conference, the smart speaker could be potentially pushed back to later this year.

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This is the not the first time we’re hearing that Apple plans to release the smart speaker in June. Last week, a prominent tipster Sonny Dickson said that Apple could debut the smart speaker at this year’s WWDC. He said the device’s design will be inspired by the Mac Pro, and the UE Boom’s mesh styling. Dickson also said that the smart speaker will run a variation of iOS. Apparently, it’s being speculated that Apple might also add Beat’s audio tech into the upcoming smart speaker system.

Apple’s plans to reveal a Siri-powered smart speaker was first revealed in May 2016, when The Information reported that Apple could potentially launch an “Amazon Echo-like device with a speaker and microphone built-in”. Later, Bloomberg reported that the device had entered the prototyping stage in September.

During the same year, CNET reported that Apple’s Siri-powered speaker would be able to detect the people who are in close proximity to the device using “on-board” cameras equipped with some sort of facial recognition software. In February 2017, however, Times reported that Apple was no longer interested in developing a smart speaker.

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