Apple is looking to bring another long-standing Siri feature to the Apple TV with tvOS 16.2, allowing the virtual assistant to recognise a user's voice for the first time on the device.
The first beta version of tvOS 16.2 enables Siri voice recognition on the Apple TV for a more personalized experience – a feature that has been available on other Apple devices like the HomePod for several years. According to Apple, it will allow Siri to recognize your voice and switch to the correct Apple TV user profile, play your music, and provide personalized recommendations for videos, with support for up to six family members.
Siri voice recognition on the Apple TV uses the voice profile from a user's iPhone or iPad, and is visible in beta versions of the update, but it is not yet fully functional. The feature will be available for all users when tvOS 16.2 is released later this year — likely sometime in December.
Apple released tvOS 16.1 last month with a new compact Siri interface and added support for "Hey Siri" voice commands via AirPods on the Apple TV. tvOS updates are often minor in scale, focusing on internal bug fixes and improvements rather than notable outward-facing changes, but Siri appears to be a particular focus on the platform at present.
The improvements come after Apple launched the new Apple TV 4K, including the A15 Bionic chip, HDR10+ video support, up to 128GB of storage, a Siri Remote with a USB-C port for charging, a thinner and lighter design without an internal fan, and more. The device now starts at a lower $129 to $149 price point depending on the configuration.
Sunday September 15, 2024 10:09 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Following over three months of beta testing, iOS 18 was finally widely released to the public on Monday, September 16. The update is available in the Settings app under General → Software Update on the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have highlighted eight key new features included in iOS 18, and Apple shared a complete list of new features and changes last week. Note that Apple...
Monday September 16, 2024 3:56 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
It's that time of year again. Apple is about to release iOS 18, which promises to bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and the company is expected to release it sometime today – Monday, September 16. Based on past releases, the update is likely to drop at around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time/1:00 p.m. Eastern...
Monday September 16, 2024 11:40 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini with five USB-C ports, according to a code change within Apple software that was discovered today by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The code refers to an unreleased Mac mini model with an Apple silicon chip and five ports, which lines up with a previous report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that said the next Mac mini will be ...
Tuesday September 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
The "Apple ID" era is officially over. The transition from "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" went from a rumor to an official announcement to something that has now been fully completed. As of this week, the account.apple.com website is fully updated with Apple Account branding. "Apple ID is now Apple Account," the page says. "You can still sign in with the same email address or phone...
Sunday September 15, 2024 5:29 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple will likely hold another event in October this year to announce new Macs and iPads. If so, it would be the fourth time in the last five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, Apple held a virtual event on Monday, October 30 to announce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated...
Sunday September 15, 2024 3:58 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max has been "lower than expected" since the devices became available to pre-order in the U.S. and dozens of other countries on Friday. Kuo said his data is based on a "supply chain survey" and shipping estimates listed on Apple's online store. Kuo estimated that sales of all four iPhone 16 models reached...
