“Apple reportedly has begun production on a voice-response smart speaker, the company’s second new hardware product category to be introduced since Tim Cook became chief executive nearly six years ago,” Patrick Seitz reports for Investor’s Business Daily. “Bloomberg said Wednesday that an Apple contract manufacturer in Taiwan has started production of a Siri-controlled smart speaker. ”
“Apple’s smart speaker will differ from the competition by offering superior audio quality and better support for connected Apple devices, Bloomberg said,” Seitz reports. “Since Cook became CEO in August 2011, taking the reins from legendary co-founder Steve Jobs, Apple has come out with just one new category of hardware, the Apple Watch smartwatch.”
“About 14% of U.S. households have a smart speaker like Amazon Echo or Google Home, Technalysis Research said Wednesday. Of those devices, 60% were acquired in the last six months, Technalysis analyst Bob O’Donnell said,” Seitz reports. “Amazon dominates the smart-speaker market now, with 71% of devices in use in U.S. homes, Technalysis said. Google Home is a distant second with 26% share.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: How stupid or oblivious do you have to be to install a Google listening device in your home? We’re amazed the brains of such poor souls can even manage involuntary movements like breathing and blinking.
Once they finally get something shipping in quantity, it’ll be fun to watch how quickly Apple takes the top end of the market away from Amazon’s Echo since Apple’s solution will certainly have unique advantages within Apple’s ecosystem that makes it the obvious choice for Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch users. — MacDailyNews, May 10, 2017
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s ‘Siri Speaker’ likely targets Sonos, too – June 1, 2017
Apple’s ‘Siri Speaker’ has entered overseas production ahead of WWDC – May 31, 2017
Apple Siri Speaker: What will it be, how might it look, and what will it do? – May 18, 2017
Wishlist for Apple’s Siri Speaker: Hi-Fi audio, multi-user control, HomeKit, and more – May 8, 2017
Phil Schiller on Amazon Echo-like devices and more – May 6, 2017
Apple’s Amazon Echo echo rumored to borrow trashcan Mac Pro design cues, could arrive at WWDC – April 28, 2017
Following debut of Echo Look with built-in camera, Amazon likely reveal new Echo device with a built-in display – April 27, 2017
Apple said to be working on a Siri-based Amazon Echo rival – April 27, 2017
Apple’s Amazon Echo echo: What if AirPort Extreme becomes the Siri speaker? – December 1, 2016
Apple abandons development of wireless routers – November 21, 2016
Apple’s Amazon Echo echo – September 26, 2016
Apple’s Amazon Echo rival said to include includes built-in cameras to read users’ emotions, recognize faces – September 23, 2016
Apple’s Siri-powered Amazon Echo-like device reportedly now in prototype testing – September 23, 2016
Why an ‘Apple Echo’ would be a hit – June 15, 2016
New Apple TV to take on Amazon’s Echo, source says – May 26, 2016
Apple preps Amazon Echo rival, opening up Siri – May 24, 2016
Apple should make a stationary voice command device like Amazon’s Echo – May 19, 2016
Google unveils its Amazon Echo knockoff called ‘Google Home’ – May 18, 2016
Where’s Apple’s answer to Amazon Echo? – March 31, 2016
Amazon Echo leads mindshare in smart home platform war – February 29, 2016
Why did Apple buy a startup whose tech can read emotions via facial recognition?/a> – January 7, 2016
Apple buys Emotient, maker of artificial-intelligence tech that reads emotion by analyzing facial expressions – January 7, 2016
Based on MDN’s poll, as of today 38.75 of the respondents would be interested in a Siri Speaker. GIven that about 55 million US households own at least one Apple product (the average is more like 1.6), the speaker could be a resounding success.
38.75%. And that 55 million households figure is from 2012, so the number is even higher today.
Might be worth keeping in mind how many were interested in the Apple Watch vs how many actually have one now.
I’ve had Siri on my phone since 2011and can count the number of times I’ve used it on two hands. I have a hard time getting excited about products that a) are just an Apple version of existing products, and b) products that are designed to make us even lazier and more stupid than we already are in the 21st century. I’ve never been a ‘fanboi’. I liked Apple’s stuff because at one time it really was the best and most useful (some of it still is). I miss the days when technology actually solved problems rather than invented problems to solve. I’m going to wait and see, unleashing a ‘bursting dam of product’ is meaningless if it’s a river of poop.
Under Pipeline Tim Apple has followed rather than lead.
Bigger phones like Samsung? Check.
Watches like Fitbit and Samsung? Check.
IOT Speaker for the hone like Amazon and Google? Check.
Rental Music like Microsoft, Real Networks, Tidal, Spotify, Pandora? Check.
Online office apps like Google and Microsoft? Check.
News Aggregator App like any number of apps? Check.
Meanwhile, the Macintosh languishes while Apple pimps Coffee Table books and watch bands.
Really, do you have to repost stuff like this? And do you realize that even under SJ, Apple products were not generally the first of their type to the market?
OSX/macOS is based on FreeBSD UNIX…
iPod was another music player…
iPhone was another smartphone…
So your list doesn’t really matter as long as Apple focuses on the following:
1) Insanely great products
2) Customer experience and ease of use
4) Product quality, reliability, and performance
4) Product value (life cycle, not just purchase price)
4) Clean and intuitive Integration with the Apple ecosystem
Right now, I am not that concerned about Apple releasing revolutionary new products. I am more concerned with refining iCloud, iTunes, Siri, Maps, and other apps and functions, as well as releasing kick ass new desktop and laptop Macs. Releasing the “next big thing” would be great, but only if the underlying Apple ecosystem is cleaned up and evolved.
You are only partially correct. Apple’s products often *implemented* existing technology to create something *new*.
OS X was based not just on FreeBSD but on NeXT, and it’s design was revolutionary compared to *anything* around at the time, Tim Berners Lee created the freaking WWW using NeXT. Saying the iPhone was just another smartphone or the iPod just another player is pure silliness. Both of those products reshaped entire industries forever with their design and accompanying features and services. Literally nothing that we know about in Apple’s pipeline has that kind of oomph. The Apple Watch is really neat, but I would hardly call it essential, for example, whereas virtually every phone is an iteration of the original iPhone on some level, and nearly everyone uses them.
Well, at least products envisioned by Steve Jobs took off whereas Tim Cook’s ideas struggle to gain massive public acceptance.
f Tim Cook.
That happens to be the prevailing forum attitude about you, too, botdude.
Fuck you, botty.
FUCK. YOU.
“About 14% of U.S. households have a smart speaker like Amazon Echo or Google Home, Technalysis Research said Wednesday”
This estimate seems really high. I’m a techie, and I live in Silicon Valley, and none of my friends have these things. And if the aggregate US uptake was 14%, Silicon Valley would be over 50%. I smell sample skew.
My experience in Hawaii skews the other way with people I know buying at least one of each for different reasons.
It is not the second product but the third one under Tim Cook. The AirPod seems to be a winning candidate!
True, but the delay to get one is a cluster f😀ck. I ordered AirPods for my mom a week before Mother’s Day and the rep said 6 weeks. How can a product released 6 months ago have a 6 week delivery time? Are fish making these things under the ocean or something?
Imagine if Siri is vastly improved and the smart speaker doesn’t look like a giant Tootsie Roll or oversized air freshner. Is the wait to receive one of these speakers going to be 6 months or a year?
I know it’s a little thing, but the Apple Pencil, with its APIs for the iPad Pro, is another new hardware category under CEO Tim Cook. I count three.
And don’t forget the USB-C to Lightning connectors, Lightning to 3.5mm head phone jacks.
That makes about 50 new devices.
/cantInnovateMyArse
One outta fifty. Congratulations!
So far I’ve avoided that outrageous nightmare. Oh Apple, Apple, Apple. *sigh*
MDN repeatedly refuses to post my comment if I fill out the Web field so why not get rid of it?
Get rid of the Web field is we can’t use it.