- Apple is expected to launch an AI-powered version of Siri at WWDC today
- It could enable new features on the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini
- Other Apple products have been delayed due to Siri’s long delay
Apple’s long-awaited Siri upgrade – which should see it level up with new artificial intelligence (AI) powers – is set to be unveiled at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) today. Not only could it give Siri a much-needed kick in the butt, it could also bring new features to a lot of hardware products that have had to sit on the sidelines until Siri is ready.
That includes the Apple TV 4K and the HomePod mini, two devices that haven’t seen meaningful changes for years now. And I’m excited to see what new powers can be unlocked once imbued with Apple Intelligence.
Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman – who broke the news that these devices have been shelved while Apple finalizes its AI efforts – cautions that we shouldn’t expect much beyond new chips compatible with Apple Intelligence. But to me, it feels a bit beside the point – the Apple Intelligence upgrades alone could be worth the wait.
That’s because the new version of Siri is expected to better understand your personal context and work in other apps running on your devices. For the HomePod mini, I hope it can mean learning your listening habits and making more personalized choices on demand.
And being able to better control apps running on the Apple TV 4K using Siri and your voice could let you bypass the Siri Remote, which is still frustrating years after its launch. Although Gurman noted that the remote itself might be “refreshed in some form,” he didn’t say what that would look like.
Additional delays
Aside from new powers coming to the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K, other products may get a dose of Siri medicine in the future, Gurman reports in his latest Power On newsletter. Yet he also adds that many of these products are still years away.
That includes a tabletop robot that has been pushed back from 2026 or 2027 to 2028, and a smart home display that has seen its release date slip from the original 2024 target to late 2026 “at the earliest.” And Apple’s smart glasses have also been delayed from early 2027 to later this year, claims Gurman. Despite the hardware being close to launch, these products have all been retooled because they rely on the new Siri software, Gurman explains.
So while the Siri upgrade coming to WWDC later today could finally lift the restriction that has delayed updates to the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, Apple’s AI holdup still appears to be having a negative effect on some yet-to-be-released devices tucked away in its secret labs.
Still, the silver lining is undoubtedly what Siri could enable for existing Apple products — and we’re about to see exactly what the company has planned. While we may not get major improvements to the hardware for the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, the software upgrade alone may be worth the wait.
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