AppleInsider Staff
Engineers and industry insiders expect Apple to announce an expansion of Siri services at its Worldwide Developer Conference next week that will allow the virtual assistant to interact with more third-party apps, according to a report on Friday.
Apple initially opened Siri up to developers with specialized App Extensions in iOS 10. Announced at WWDC 2016, SiriKit APIs cover a specific set of functions currently limited to messaging, payments, ride booking, photo search, fitness and automotive infotainment apps.
At this year's developers conference, insiders predict Apple will expand Siri access beyond the six app categories, Reuters reports. Like past initiatives, Apple is thought to take a "go slow" approach with the rumored Siri enhancements, perhaps adding a few more categories to the list.
Currently, users can ask Siri to hail an Uber or control fitness tracking software, but are unable to make purchases ala Amazon's Alexa assistant. Apple Pay integration was, in fact, rumored for integration as far back as last year, though Apple has yet to implement its payments product as a SiriKit option.
The exact nature of Siri's supposed augmentations is unclear, and the report is based on conjecture. Apple is, however, likely planning an answer to competing virtual assistants like Alexa, which has grown in popularity thanks to integration with home speakers like Echo.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a dedicated Siri speaker that could debut alongside the expected Siri enhancements. Recent reports have indicated that Apple is only now starting production of the device, suggesting it will hit store shelves sometime later this year.
Siri is just one of many software products ripe for upgrade at WWDC 2017. If the virtual assistant is slated for enhancement in iOS 11 as reported, Apple will likely unveil changes in a keynote scheduled for Monday, June 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific. As usual, AppleInsider will be offering live coverage and analysis from the event
Andrew O'Hara
Malcolm Owen
Wesley Hilliard
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
10 Comments
This has been confirmed by Apple at the release of the Siri API at WWDC2016.
They said something along the lines of "And we will expand the functions avalible to developers each year"
Let me guess this won't include Spotify or other music apps.
Google gave away an "AIY kit" (including a hardware module) with a popular Raspberry Pi magazine that sold out several printings over a couple of weeks ago. The idea is that kids can integrate Google's version of Siri into their pet robots, bicycles, etc. During the holidays last year, Amazon couldn't even keep its Echo line of products in stock and that came a few weeks after it opened up the core of Alexa (called Lex) to third party developers. These services have entered the pop culture now (like Siri) and these most recent initiatives allow for the integration of the Google and Amazon services into all manner of consumer and enterprise devices. Pretty neat, eh?
At the same time, Apple managed to really waste hundreds of thousands of hours of developers time since June 2016 by having them review the useless new SiriKit docs that essentially describe what remains a very closed system (unless you're in payments, instant messaging, ride sharing, or a handful of other obscure "domains"). They also locked down the Siri protocol further so that those who had setup proxy servers to intercept the Siri commands and control their homes or what not, suddenly lost all of their time investment. What is being talked about now is that Apple is rumored to be expanding the number of domains that they authorize in the SiriKit. Maybe they will even open something akin to Amazon AppStore's new "Alexa Skills" section. But "Siri, Ask For a Fart"? Nah. "Siri, what is my front bike tire pressure?" No way (unless someone is paying Apple somehow for a license and/or distribution).