We’re all stoked for our first previews of iOS 10 and macOS from WWDC, but according to sources familiar with Apple’s plans, it’s going to be Siri that steals the show.
The virtual assistant is expected to make the leap to the Mac for the first time, and could also open up to third-party apps and services — allowing users to check in for flights, book Uber rides, and do more using only their voice.
Siri made virtual assistants mainstream when it launched on iPhone 4s back in 2011, and now every one of Apple’s biggest rivals has a competitor. What’s more, many of those competitors — like Google Now and Amazon Alexa — are much better.
Apple wants to change that, starting with making Siri more open.
“At the conference, Apple plans to announce that it is opening Siri to outside developers, according to people familiar with the matter,” reports The Wall Street Journal.
Apple is expected to release a new SDK that will pave the way for this move by allowing developers to give Siri new capabilities. This will finally take away Siri’s biggest weakness, which is its closed and restricted nature.
Rival services, which are already open, allow users to do more than just fetch information and complete basic tasks. Users can order pizza, stream music from various services, book tables at restaurants and tickers for the theater, and more.
In addition to the Siri SDK, Apple will bring Siri to the Mac, the report adds. It will be baked into what is likely to become macOS — the big update that will rollout this fall. It will be the first time Siri has been available outside of iOS.
Apple’s WWDC keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. PT today, and we’re live-blogging the whole thing right here on Cult of Mac.
