Apple is copying Amazon’s Alexa with a MAJOR change to Siri, leak claims

Apple is copying Amazon’s Alexa with a major change to Siri, a respected leaker claims.

According to Apple tipster Mark Gurman, Siri users will soon only have to say ‘Siri’ instead of ‘Hey Siri’ when activating the personal assistant.

The change is in line with rival Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa, which requires users to simply say “Alexa” without saying the word “hey” first.

It can be implemented in multiple Apple operating systems, including iOS for iPhones, as well as iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, and more.

Gurman has already revealed that Apple plans to unveil its mixed reality headset in less than two months.

Gurman – who has an 86.5 percent accuracy score on Apple Tracker – revealed the news in a recent issue of his weekly Power On newsletter.

Siri’s change could be made this year or in 2024, he said.

“The company is working on an initiative to drop the “Hey” in the trigger phrase so that all a user has to say is “Siri” along with a command,” he said.

“The company tested the simplified wake word with employees and collected the necessary training data.”

Gurman said it may seem like “a small change,” but for Apple employees it was a “technical challenge” that required a “significant amount of AI training and underlying technical work.”

“The complexity means Siri can understand the singular phrase ‘Siri’ in multiple different accents and dialects,” he said.

“If you have two words—”Hey Siri”—the system is more likely to pick up the signal properly.”

Apple will also integrate Sir more deeply into third-party apps and services and “improve its ability to understand users and take the right course of action,” the leaker added.

According to MacRumorscan updates to Siri be included in iOS 17, Apple’s next major software update.

iOS 17 is expected to be unveiled at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), which will take place between June 5 and June 9, Apple recently confirmed.

One of the most anticipated Apple products ever, a mixed reality headset, is also expected to launch at WWDC, after years of fan speculation.

The new headset, expected to cost $3,000 (£2,400), will overlay digital objects over a representation of the real world.

Augmented reality (AR) superimposes computer-generated imagery on top of an existing reality – Pokémon Go is a famous example – while virtual reality (VR) is completely virtual and mixed reality (MR) combines the two.

According to Gurman, the product was demoed to 100 of the company’s top buyers at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, in March and will make its public debut at WWDC.

The leaker has described it as “the next big platform after the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.”

Like the iPhone and the Apple Watch, the headset will be followed by new updated iterations in the coming years.

While Gurman thinks the first version will be a “dud” in terms of sales compared to the company’s existing hardware, future versions will likely fare better as the product takes its place.

For now, Apple will have to explain to consumers why they would want such a device and how it’s an improvement over iPhone and iPad.

Apple’s Technology Development Group — the team behind its mixed reality efforts — has discreetly showcased the product to the company’s key decision-makers every year since 2018, Gurman added.

But previous demos were minor issues compared to the one in March, which was “Apple’s biggest showcase” ahead of its official launch.

When exactly it will be released is not known, although Apple won’t wait long to release products after their announcement, so it will probably hit the shelves later in 2023.

Ming-Chi Kuo, another analyst and Apple leaker based in Taiwan, has already said that the headset is packed with two processors – one “similar” used in its Mac computers and iPads, and another to handle “sensor-related aspects”. to manage. .