Apple’s Echo-like smart speaker with Siri could debut at WWDC 2017

Apple is rumoured to be developing its own smart speaker, and a new report has suggested it could arrive as soon as June.

The Amazon Echo ignited a smart speaker craze, with even Google jumping on board with its own Google Home. So, of course it didn’t take long for reports to emerge about Apple making its own device powered by Siri. Now, according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac), Apple will announce this Siri smart speaker at its annual developer conference this June.

Apple will likely market it as a high-end speaker with built-in Siri and superior sound quality and computing power when compared to Amazon Echo and Google Home. The Siri speaker should go on sale by Christmastime, even if it’s not announced announced at WWDC 2017. We think it makes sense for Apple to unveil it this summer, giving developers the chance to build apps for the device.

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Keep in mind another leaker, Sonny Dickson, said the Siri speaker would also appear at WWDC and would be marketed as a Siri/AirPlay device. It might end up look like a cylindrical Mac Pro with a mesh covering. Check out Pocket-lint’s WWDC 2017 roundup for more rumours about what to expect from the conference.