Multiple sources confirm the arrival of Smart Siri Speaker shortly, and this probably is one of the better pieces of news in last couple of weeks to come through.
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/5/9/15594810/apple-employees-testing-siri-smart-speaker
http://mashable.com/2017/04/27/apple-alexa-killer-rumors/#37gDcuDhnqqd
Quite clearly Apple has made it pretty late to the party, was this the usual Apple reluctance to not tread the path already taken or did they really take time to create that perfect product that Apple has come to be associated with. Well whatever the case might be, the head start is gone!
Despite Apple being late, Siri Smart Speaker is going to be one of the most important strategic launches for Apple internally as well as against colossal competition from Amazon/Google combine!
- Completes the Ecosystem – With Siri speaker coming to the fold, Homekit completes the set.
A modern day typical Smart Home system exists in 2 forms.
Form 1: A static device which sits on your desk/table in your home waiting to hear commands from you and execute them with utmost eagerness.
Form 2: A mobile device which stays with you 24X7 and assists you in managing your home on the move.
So while iPhone/iPad stay mobile with you. Siri is going to hold sentry to the house.
This is how major competitors stacked sometime back.
And this is how they will look a little while from now!
More on this at https://aimldl.io/2017/03/20/forms-hold-true-to-functions/
2. Far more secured. With Apple you are always secured and it’s not different with Apple Homekit integration. Every smart device that integrated with Apple Homekit has to have a unique code.
Apple has faced a lot of flak for it, most recently at https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/5/6/15566630/homekit-internet-of-shit
To quote specifically “The companies behind our devices, both big and small, must make hardware changes to be accepted into HomeKit, must add authentication chips that are only available from Apple, must choose an Apple-approved manufacturer, must send free samples for certification, and must not talk about the certification while hoping they don’t go bankrupt while waiting for the entire process to complete.”
I am not sure on the timelines part but authentication chips make sense, for the end customer. The additional 8 digit setup code ensures that you can only operate the device of which you have physical possession and not your neighbors which might also get detected while setting up! I would say, this one’s pretty well thought. With the kind of vulnerability that IOT devices already face, this might not be too much to ask.
3. Relief from voice control – Voice control can tiring, also be irritating and might cause fatigue. Luckily Homekit/Siri combo also sports touch interface. The touch interface might not be out of World but it does the basics right. Problem with Google/Echo is that they have none and that’s real problem.
Read more here on fatigues of voice control at https://aimldl.io/2017/04/16/voice-is-fad-touch-to-stay/
4. Mobile Stays mobile- Earlier An iPad/Apple TV had to be stationed at home to act as central hub to execute out of home commands. With Siri Speaker, that no longer will be necessary. If Siri Smart speaker is gonna be priced at par with Google Home/Amazon Echo then it will also bring down the cost of setting up a smart home that’s because for out of home functions one always had to have either an iPad or iPhone or Apple TV at home – minimum price of which would roughly range from 200 to 300 USDs. With Smart Speakers, I expect that price to go down to 100 USDs roundabout.
5. User base that’s educated and loyal: Apple already has a user base which understands Siri, and already has HomeKit pre-installed on their smart devices. This will give Apple an express start, because time for head start is already gone. Since Apple has great Retail experience around the World, making user experience the product in brick and mortar format is always helping achieve higher conversion.
Siri – Welcome Home 🙂
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