Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s worldwide developer conference is almost here and a lot is expected from the company. Siri is expected to be the highlight of the show amid rumors that suggest updates to support Mac devices and third-party apps.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple will expand Siri to its Mac devices. Siri will (again, reportedly) also become available to third-party apps. This means that developers could get access to the service to create support for a wide variety of tasks that can be carried out by the digital assistant. A good example is support for the Uber app making it possible to hail a cab through Siri.
The new Siri updates will make it possible for Apple to compete more effectively with rival digital assistants from other firms such as Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). Siri was launched roughly five years ago but since then its support has been limited, and Apple has not really tapped into the full potential of the digital assistant. Technology has advanced to create more opportunities for voice control and competition has also been a driving force for change. Conditions are therefore aligned for the company to update the digital assistant and introduce more support, especially for more apps.
The timing is ideal because there has been more demand for digital assistants controlled by voice in homes and vehicles. Despite Apple’s early entry into the digital assistant space, it has found it hard to maintain dominance as other creative digital assistants have also been introduced, such as the Amazon Alexa. Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is also competing in the same space with its Google Assistant. Digital assistants have been viewed as pivot points for smart technologies especially for homes and therefore a lot of exciting new features should be expected in the future.
If Apple is truly willing to grant developers access to Siri, it could change how people access various services through apps. As for Mac support, rumor has it that Mac devices will have a unique settings panel for Siri.
Vanguard Group Inc held 329,987,175 shares of the company as on March 31, 2016.
