- Apple is expected to launch an AI-powered version of Siri at WWDC today
- This could enable new features on Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini
- Other Apple products have been postponed due to long Siri delay
Apple’s long-awaited Siri update, which should allow it to achieve new artificial intelligence (AI) powers, will be unveiled today at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Not only could that give Siri a much-needed shot in the arm, but it could also bring new features to a bunch 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 significant changes in years. And I’m excited to see what new powers could be unlocked once they’re imbued with Apple Intelligence.
Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who broke the news that these devices have been delayed while Apple finalizes its AI efforts, warns that we shouldn’t expect much more than new chips that support Apple Intelligence. But to me, that seems a bit misplaced – the Apple Intelligence updates alone might be worth the wait.
This is because the new version of Siri is expected to better understand your personal context and work with other apps running on your devices. For the HomePod mini, I hope that means learning your listening habits and choosing more personalized selections on demand.
And if you can better control the apps running on the Apple TV 4K using Siri and your voice, that could allow you to avoid the Siri remote, which remains frustrating many years after its release. While Gurman noted that the remote could be “upgraded in some form,” he didn’t share what that would look like.
More delays
In addition to the new powers coming to the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K, other products could get a dose of Siri medicine in the future, Gurman reports in his latest Power On newsletter. However, he also adds that many of these products are still years away from arriving.
That includes a tabletop robot, which was delayed from 2026 or 2027 to 2028, and a smart home display whose launch date was moved from the original 2024 target to late 2026 “at the earliest.” And Apple’s smart glasses have also been delayed from early 2027 to the end of the year, Gurman says. Even though the hardware is about to launch, all of these products have been reprogrammed because they depend on the new Siri software, Gurman explains.
So while the Siri update coming to WWDC today might finally remove the throttling that has delayed updates to the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, Apple’s AI delay still appears to be having a negative effect on some as-yet-unreleased devices hidden in its secret labs.
Still, the bright side is certainly what Siri could enable for existing Apple products, and we’re about to see exactly what the company has planned. While we might not get any big hardware improvements from the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, the wait alone could be worth it.
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