New speaker? Apple hopped on bandwagon before

Siri will also use “on-device learning” to be more predicative about what you want next based on your existing use of the digital assistant.

He was let down, however, by a lack of new features for voice assistant Siri, as well as by Apple not opening Siri up to developers, as was expected. Called High Sierra, it recognizes more faces automatically, which should make it easier to organize photos, and will offer more photo editing tools.

Apple’s is unveiling new features at its annual conference for software programmers on Monday.

On paper, Apple’s choice to present the HomePod a Sonos-esque high-end audio speaker that’s powered by Siri compared to a Siri-powered home assistant is deliberate and a concession. Amazon has also emphasized bringing Alexa to other devices outside of the Echo like home TVs and appliances.

The new features will come in a software update expected in a few months.

Considering Apple and Amazon have competed with each other in the past, this is exciting news and mends the previous issues between companies.

Apple is facing stiff competition in maintaining market share and is trying to find a means to continue to grow its consumer revenue. The main drawback is the price – at £270 it’s more than double the cost of Google Home and £120 more than the Amazon Echo.

The HomePod speaker is photographed in a showroom during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, Monday in San Jose, California.

The company also unveiled new iMacs for software programmers with better displays and graphics capabilities.

However, Apple AAPL, -0.98% stopped short of calling it a home assistant and thus a direct competitor to companies like Google Inc.

In this way, the HomePod can control smart home devices by “asking” Siri to turn on the lights, close the curtains or turn the alarm on. It can also fetch scores, news, weather and traffic information. Apple Music now has 27 million subscribers, Schiller said, with the aim being to provide subscribers with the best home audio experience possible.

For a considerable period, Amazon was the clear leader when it comes to the world of speakers-as-digital-assistants.

This is, after all, how Apple became the juggernaut it is today, the presenters noted: By making a splash with the iPod and changing the music market more than 15 years ago. It would be Apple’s first new product since its smartwatch in 2015.

For instance, Apple’s large-size iPhones are now popular, after Apple initially resisted them despite strong sales for larger-display phones made by Samsung and other rivals.

The iPhone control center, lock screen, and notification center are all getting major visual redesigns, with an eye toward offering more information to the user.

However, while HomePod doesn’t do anything the Amazon Echo and Google Home don’t do in terms of its smart functions, Apple’s promises of incredible sound and a smart speaker that adapts to the room its in could give it the edge.