According to Bloomberg, Apple is prototype testing their competitor to Amazon’s Echo. News about the Siri-powered device first broke in the run up to May’s WWDC. Back then the rumor was that the device was to be announced and that it might feature a camera to be able to identify household members and friends.
There was no announcement and there has been almost no news about the device since then. According to Bloomberg, Apple has been working on the device for two years:
“Started more than two years ago, the project has exited the research and development lab and is now in prototype testing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing unannounced Apple projects. Like Amazon Inc.’s Echo, the device is designed to control appliances, locks, lights and curtains via voice activation, the people said. Apple hasn’t finalized plans for the device and could still scrap the project.”
According to the report, the device is being tested in the homes of Apple engineers. This approach has been taken before by Apple. Specifically, when they were testing the latest incarnation of the Apple TV and the voice-enabled remote.
The most interesting part of the report is that Apple’s medium term goal is to allow users to control all of their Apple devices with Siri within the next three years. Considering that Apple has complete control over the ecosystem and the devices, this target does not come across as too ambitious.