Apple will open Siri to developers and launch Amazon Echo-like smart speaker, report says
Apple has big plans for Siri that will make the company's famous assistant a lot more useful, according to a new report.
The company will soon open up Siri to developers with new software tools that will allow Siri to tap into more third-party services, according to a new report in The Information. Apple is also working on a new pice of a hardware, an Amazon Echo rival that will work with Apple's smart home platform.
Apple plans to put Siri in the hands of developers with a new software development kit (SDK) that will reportedly be called the Siri SDK. The Siri SDK could launch at next months's World Wide Developer Conference, where Apple typically previews the newest version of IOS and its latest developer tools.
You May Also Like
The SDK will require "some work" by developers to make their apps accessible by Siri, the report says.
The Siri SDK could launch at next months's World Wide Developer Conference
Siri already works with a few third-party services, like Yelp and Bing, but hasn't been widely available to developers since it was acquired by Apple in 2010. Prior to its acquisition, Siri worked with many third-party services. (Some of the original Siri team is now working on a new AI Assistant called Viv, which will also work with third-parties like Uber.)
Apple is also reportedly working on a new speaker that allows people to use voice commands to play music and control HomeKit-enabled smart home devices, like lights, locks and thermostats. It's unclear if the speaker will also be unveiled at WWDC in June, as Apple typically reserves new hardware for other events.
Though the new smart speaker sounds a lot like Amazon's Echo and Google's recently unveiled Google Assistant, Apple's device predates both, according to The Information's sources.
The report is just the latest sign that Apple has big plans for Siri next month. Earlier reports have suggested Apple will bring Siri to the Mac and -- in what could very well be a hint of a Siri-themed WWDC -- the company used Siri to reveal the dates of this year's developer conference.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics Amazon Echo Apple Siri WWDC
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
