Apple has made another change to the British voice of Siri on its devices, with iOS and HomePod users now able to hear an updated version of the female voice following similar upgrades recently made to the male version in February.
Apple is searching for a Siri engineering program manager to keep tabs on how the world is reacting to the AI assistant and transform any criticism into real-world improvements.
Friday deals are in effect now with some of the lowest prices seen to date on popular hardware. From 2018 256GB 11-inch iPad Pros for $799 ($150 off), to current 12-inch MacBooks for $799, and Apple's 32GB iPhone SE with 60 days of service for $101.99 with coupon, these deals are valid for a limited time only while supplies last.
Smart speakers such as the HomePod have helped almost double the global shipments of the product category in the fourth quarter of 2018, but while Apple's speaker is seeing increased sales, it is seemingly falling behind its rivals in terms of overall market share.
Apple has stealthily updated Siri's British and Australian voices on the HomePod, apparently seeking to make them clearer and more natural-sounding.
The HomePod took 6 percent of the install base for U.S. smartspeakers in the December quarter, new research data claims, illustrating the uphill battle Apple faces versus Amazon and Google in an emergent marketplace flooded with cheaper alternatives.
New Apple deals have arrived just in time for Valentine's Day. Pick up an Apple iPad or HomePod for just $279 (up to $70 off). Meanwhile, current non-Touch Bar 13-inch MacBook Pros are marked down to $1,199 — and B&H has limited stock available of the 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro with 1TB of space and Radeon 560 graphics (now just $2,599 with a free sleeve).
Shedding light on Apple's hardware pricing strategy, and offering a glimpse into the company's push into services, blogger John Gruber claims the tech giant sells the current generation Apple TV 4K at cost and the HomePod at a loss.
While supplies last, Amazon-owned Woot has refurbished 9.7-inch iPad Pros marked down to just $299.99. Need more space? Upgraded 128GB Wi-Fi models are also on sale for $359.99, a discount of $390 off original MSRP. Apple's HomePod is also marked down to $296.10 with coupon today only, bringing the total savings to $54 off.
These Apple markdowns deliver the lowest prices available on current hardware, but the deals won't last long. Save hundreds on 12" MacBooks, 13" MacBook Airs, 27" iMac 5Ks, 2018 MacBook Pros and more.
Apple's HomePod starts with a simple setup and it ends with you forgetting you didn't always have music surrounding you. In between, though, there are details to consider about that first setup and many options for when you move the HomePod to a new room. AppleInsider takes a dive into the use of Apple's latest speaker.
Amazon owned Woot is kicking off the weekend with an aggressive discount on refurbished HomePods, delivering the lowest price anywhere on the smart speaker. Save $110 with free shipping for Prime members.
As promised, Apple on Friday kicked off sales of HomePod in China and Hong Kong, bringing the Siri-infused speaker to customers in the region nearly a year after the device launched in 2018.
Sometime in 2019, Apple quietly changed how the HomePod is counted by the Apple Music service as a streaming device, resulting in a slightly more restrictive device for the end-user.
The HomePod, available in the U.S. for nearly a year, will at last ship to Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland on Jan. 18, Apple said in a rare Sunday announcement.
Ringing in the new year, retailers are offering cash discounts on HomePods, MacBook Pros and iPads with discounts of up to $280 off. Ready to tackle tax prep? H&R Block Deluxe + State 2018 is on sale for $17.98 today only while supplies last.
Depending on when in the month you asked, and who you talked to, sales of Apple's flagship iPhone X were appalling or fantastic. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch was saving lives and Amazon's Alexa was getting even creepier. AppleInsider takes a look at Apple's May 2018 in review.
The long-awaited and delayed HomePod finally arrived to a chorus of praise and complaints. Apple also officially moved into its spaceship campus, Woz got taken by a scammer, and the entire Swiss watch market got beaten, all in February 2018.
{{ summary }}
Malcolm Owen
Roger Fingas
Christine McKee
Mikey Campbell
William Gallagher
Mike Wuerthele
