• Revamped Apple TV Could be Apple’s Google Home, Amazon Echo Competitor

    by
    Caiden Spencer
    Published on 2016-05-26 10:08 PM
    5 Comments Comments

    Earlier this month, Google held its Google I/O developers conference and showed off Google Home, an in-home product to compete with the Amazon Echo.



    Amazon Echo and Google Home are products that work a variety of tasks, including being a wireless speaker, as well as an always-connected device that can respond to voice commands and queries. With Google Home and Google’s new Assistant feature, owners will be able to have limited conversations with the device, and with third-party connections be able to buy things like movie tickets, too.

    Just a couple of days ago, a report surfaced that outlined Apple has had plans to build a product like the Amazon Echo, and Google Home, and that the project is well underway to being announced soon. That includes a brand new Siri SDK that could be shown off at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple is rumored to open up Siri’s reach to third-parties.

    Now, according to an unnamed source speaking with VentureBeat, Apple’s plans may have come further into the light. The source spoke to the publication, saying that Apple wants to make the Apple TV “the hub of everything.” With as much money as the company has invested in the set-top box, including the latest generation device running tvOS, and the new Siri Remote, Apple sees that device as the means to launch a Google Home/Amazon Echo competitor.

    To make that happen, a few things will have to change in a future model of the device. That includes a new Apple TV with a dedicated speaker and microphone, and even deeper Siri integration. The report also states that some changes will need to be made to the computing infrastructure to make this change work, but what that actually means and what it will look like remains unknown.

    “Apple has considered several options — turning the existing Apple TV into a more comprehensive assistant, making the Apple TV’s Siri Remote the key device, or even building a standalone speaker just like Echo. Ultimately, the third option was dropped, given how much money Apple has spent on the development of Apple TV.

    The problem with using the remote as the hub is that it doesn’t have a battery — it needs to be charged occasionally with a Lightning cable. The box itself has no microphone, but if it did, fan noise from a nearby device, like a television, could make speech recognition challenging. The Apple TV will eventually get its own microphone and speaker, the source said.”
    Unsurprisingly the report also states that Apple considered a variety of different options, both within the Apple TV lineup and a major standalone project and device, but the company ultimately went with beefing up and redesigning the Apple TV instead.

    As for when a new Apple TV could be released, that remains a mystery as well.

    What do you think of this idea? Do you want an Apple-branded competitor to Google Home and Amazon Echo?

    [via VentureBeat]
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Revamped Apple TV Could be Apple’s Google Home, Amazon Echo Competitor started by Caiden Spencer View original post
    Comments 5 Comments
    1. therandy's Avatar
      therandy - 2016-05-26, 11:22 PM
      I do want an Apple brand competitor....but would be a bit upset if it was released as an Apple TV either in the near or some-what-distant future. I just upgraded all 4 of my Apple TV's to the new generation. I would prefer it be a standalone product now, and if they wanted to "include" it in a future Apple TV model than great.
    1. fleurya's Avatar
      fleurya - 2016-05-27, 05:36 PM
      You kno what the best Echo/Home competitor is?

      Any smartphone you already own.

      Seriously, these redundant, power cord-tethered devices are ridiculous!
    1. therandy's Avatar
      therandy - 2016-05-27, 06:37 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by fleurya View Post
      You kno what the best Echo/Home competitor is?

      Any smartphone you already own.

      Seriously, these redundant, power cord-tethered devices are ridiculous!
      I beg to differ. The purpose of having a "cord-tethered" device is so that you have an always on microphone. Yes, we all know the smartphones do this as well...BUT, we also know that Siri works for SH1T at most distances let alone from across the house. Plus, I have more integration with my Echo than I do on my iPhone by far. While there may be some home automation devices that are "HomeKit" ready...MOST of them are still in the "testing" stages of their development. But, that still doesn't mean that when they are available that I will yell across the house to my phone. The 7-8(can't recall the exact amount) microphones in the Echo can litterely hear my commands from across a 2k SqFt house, and do it properly.

      Quick easy access when I have my phone, sure...and maybe more convent then yelling at the wall or in thin air...but when I'm home, the phone is NOT my main source of entertainment OR interaction with the REAL world. My family, and animals, and TV's, and Computers, and Company when at the house, and....the list goes on....Its called a MOBILE phone, its not there to replace your Wife, Kids, Guests, TV...or anything else.

      #PUTTHEDAMNPHONEDOWN
      #GOOUTSIDE
      #PLAYINTHEYARD
      #TAKEAWALK
      #TALKTOANACTUALHUMAN
    1. law111's Avatar
      law111 - 2016-05-28, 11:46 PM
      wrong, I'm extremely disappointed with the new apple tv, you get over the apps in 2 minutes and then it's the normal air playing device you use it for and thats it.
    1. fleurya's Avatar
      fleurya - 2016-06-02, 06:45 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by therandy View Post
      I beg to differ. The purpose of having a "cord-tethered" device is so that you have an always on microphone. Yes, we all know the smartphones do this as well...BUT, we also know that Siri works for SH1T at most distances let alone from across the house. Plus, I have more integration with my Echo than I do on my iPhone by far. While there may be some home automation devices that are "HomeKit" ready...MOST of them are still in the "testing" stages of their development. But, that still doesn't mean that when they are available that I will yell across the house to my phone. The 7-8(can't recall the exact amount) microphones in the Echo can litterely hear my commands from across a 2k SqFt house, and do it properly.

      Quick easy access when I have my phone, sure...and maybe more convent then yelling at the wall or in thin air...but when I'm home, the phone is NOT my main source of entertainment OR interaction with the REAL world. My family, and animals, and TV's, and Computers, and Company when at the house, and....the list goes on....Its called a MOBILE phone, its not there to replace your Wife, Kids, Guests, TV...or anything else.

      #PUTTHEDAMNPHONEDOWN
      #GOOUTSIDE
      #PLAYINTHEYARD
      #TAKEAWALK
      #TALKTOANACTUALHUMAN
      First of all, I'm calling BS on you using your Echo from across a 2k sq. ft. house, unless several very specific conditions are met: you don't have walls, you don't have multiple floors, your don't have anyone else around who minds you screaming at your echo, and you have the thing cranked if you need to hear anything in response. Any of those conditions not met and you're either buying multiple Echos, or you're lying.

      But besides that point, you still have to spend $200 your what amounts to extremely minor conveniences over your own phone, which I'm surprised you unlike most people in the world, don't have within arm's reach anyway.

      BTW: those hashtag are pretty ridiculous/hypocritical coming from someone who has to spend $200 extra dollars because they don't want to pick up their cell phone and push a button or two.

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