Report: Apple Intelligence not for Apple's speakers
The hope that Siri on the HomePod will become smarter in future is unfounded, according to a report. The Vision Pro is allowed to play along.
Apple-Intelligence-Icon.
(Image: Apple)
Apple has no initial plans to give its speaker systems access to Apple Intelligence functions. As Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman wrote in his newsletter on Sunday, Apple is focusing on new hardware instead. Since the new Siri also relies heavily on large local language models in addition to cloud usage, technical feasibility is not possible.
Local LLM needs sufficient memory
Apple currently sets the limit for Apple Intelligence support at 8 GB of RAM. This is also one of the reasons why only the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max and all M-SoC Macs support the technology. The HomePod and HomePod mini should only have 1 GB each. It is also not possible to run Apple Intelligence with Siri entirely in the cloud. The technology works closely with what is available locally, says Gurman. "Cloud alone does not work."
Furthermore, the sales figures for the HomePod are comparatively low, which makes it seem economically unattractive for Apple to follow suit. And yet: anyone who has bought a HomePod will be very annoyed. Siri on the iPhone will then be significantly better than on the speakers. It remains to be seen whether Apple plans to make it possible to simply access Apple Intelligence on an iPhone or Mac via a HomePod.
New hardware with Apple Intelligence
According to Gurman, however, Apple is working on an entirely new category of device that combines robotic elements with a display, but whose core is Apple Intelligence. A kind of HomePod with a moving screen that extends towards the user is conceivable – or a wholly new type of hardware. Apple has long been rumored to be working on a combination of iPad and HomePod – or an Apple TV with camera.
Apple Intelligence is due to be released in the fall, but initially only in the US English language version. Apple does not want to introduce the technology within the European Union for now because the company sees regulatory concerns. However, the improved Siri will also be released later, probably not until 2025. By then, there would still be time for new hardware with speakers. According to Gurman, Apple's Vision Pro will have access to Apple Intelligence, but this could also take until next year.
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