Apple's Echo-Like Smart Speaker With Siri and AirPlay Could Debut as Early as WWDC

Apple is widely rumored to be working on a Siri-based smart home device with a speaker, and Australian leaker Sonny Dickson has shared new details about its possible design and features on Twitter and with MacRumors.

Google Home

Apple's smart speaker could take design cues from the Google Home

Dickson said that Apple is currently "finalizing designs" for the Amazon Echo and Google Home competitor, which he expects to be marketed as a Siri and AirPlay device. "It is believed to carry some form of Beats technology," he added, while noting that the device will run a variant of iOS software.

Dickson later told MacRumors that the device, allegedly codenamed B238 internally, will feature a Mac Pro-like concave top with built-in controls. His source, which he told us is "someone inside Apple," described the device as "fat" like the Google Home with speaker mesh covering the majority of the device.

Dickson was told Apple's smart speaker could be unveiled at WWDC 2017 in early June, but as always, the company's plans could change.

In September 2016, Bloomberg reported that Apple's smart home device had entered prototype testing, including both a larger and a smaller model in line with Amazon's current Echo lineup. However, at the time, the report cautioned that Apple's early efforts do not guarantee that a finalized product will be released.

The report said Apple's smart home device would be able to control appliances, locks, lights, and curtains through Siri voice commands. It added that some of the prototypes in testing include facial recognition sensors, backed by an earlier CNET report claiming the device could have a built-in camera for facial recognition.

Dickson is best known for leaking various iPhone and iPad parts from overseas sources, such as these iPhone 5c rear casings in 2013, but his latest information supposedly comes from a source directly within Apple, an area where his track record is less established. His sources have proven incorrect at times.

Related Roundups: HomePod, WWDC 2025
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Neutral)

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Top Rated Comments

itsmilo Avatar
105 months ago
o_OStandalone Siri. Can't wait. o_O
Wonder how she will suggest to search the web without a screen :D
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
profets Avatar
105 months ago
Would be awesome if this was a combined mesh Airport type of device so you could put a few around the home for Siri and wifi coverage.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
105 months ago
Can't wait for Siri to be just as useless in my living room as it is on my phone! Can't innovate anymore my butt ;)
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aston441 Avatar
105 months ago
o_OStandalone Siri. Can't wait. o_O
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rob_2811 Avatar
105 months ago
Is Airplay still actually a thing? Airplay and Siri what could possibly go wrong?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
105 months ago
Until Apple releases their own solution, feel free to follow along and create your own:
[LIST=1]
* Obtain Renuzit™®© airefreshener.
* Cut hole in base to feed Lightning cable through.
* Put older iOS device with Hey Siri enabled inside.




Attachment Image
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)