Apple⁣ Postpones Launch of Smart Home Hub Amid Delays in Siri’s AI⁤ Enhancements

Apple has announced a delay in the rollout of its anticipated AI capabilities for⁤ Siri, which will likely impact the launch ⁤timeline for one of ⁣its upcoming products. As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the ⁢release of Apple’s smart home hub, known internally as J490, is ⁣now postponed and was initially expected to debut‌ this March.

The Implications ⁤of Siri’s Delayed ⁣Features

The enhanced ⁤features for Siri are significantly linked ⁢to ⁢the development of Apple’s smart hub.‍ These updates ‌include advancements ⁢in conversational AI, improved user context recognition, and enhancements to the App Intents ​framework. With ‍these innovations still on hold, ⁤the timeline for releasing Apple’s smart home hub remains uncertain. Reports indicate that ⁣this device is designed to operate on a specialized version ⁢of iPadOS ‍and would offer functionalities like managing smart home devices, ‍facilitating video calls, and ​even functioning as‍ a security monitor.

Current State of Development and Competition

Internally, ⁢Apple has initiated a testing⁣ phase where selected ⁣employees ⁣can try out ‍the device in their own homes. This forthcoming smart home hub aims to compete directly with established players like Amazon⁤ Echo and Google Nest⁤ Hub once it finally ​reaches consumers.

Source ​(paywall)