Apple expected to unveil new ‘Siri Speaker’ at WWDC conference today
Gadget rumoured to be Apple's answer to the voice-activated Google Home and Amazon Echo
APPLE is expected to release a brand new "Siri Speaker" voice-activated gadget this evening in its first major product launch since the Apple Watch.
The tech giant is holding its annual WWDC conference today, with CEO Tim Cook taking to the stage at 6pm UK time to make a major announcement.
The gizmo is likely to be a voice-controlled speaker which uses the Siri "personal assistant" familiar from Apple iPhones.
Rumours about an upcoming Apple smart speaker have been swirling for months.
The gadget is likely to work like the Echo and accept voice commands to control other smart home devices, such as thermostats or light switches.
It is also likely to let users stream tunes using Apple Music.
Wild rumours have previously suggested Cook will unveil a new iPad and even the iPhone 8 at the event, although experts suggested this was unlikely.
"There is so much momentum building around these speakers that it would be difficult for Apple not to come out with them," Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy.
Earlier this year, a serial leakster suggested he'd seen designs for a device that's a possible rival to Google Home and Amazon Echo.
Sonny Dickson, who is famed for leaking gadgets and gizmos while they are still in development, said Apple is currently finalising designs for its Echo competitor.
"It's expected to be marketed as a Siri or AirPlay device," he said.
It's likely to be in the style of the Mac Pro and have striking "boom mesh" around the speakers, he said.
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Amazon recently launched a device called the Echo Look, which lets fashionistas take photos of themselves and have their outfit rated by an algorithm.
The retail giant’s microphones are already in houses around the world due to the huge success of its voice-activated Echo device.
Brits can also buy the Google Home voice assistant, which records your spoken orders and sends them back to HQ.
Check The Sun Online later on this evening from 6pm onwards to get all the latest tech news from Apple's WWDC 2017 conference.
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