Apple WWDC 2017 Schedule, Products Launch and News: Siri Speaker and iOS 11 Coming, iPhone 8 on Hold?

By Rachel Cruz, Christian Post Contributor Friday, June 02, 2017

Apple's annual Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) begins on Monday, June 5, and will run until Friday, June 9 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. As expected, Apple CEO Tim Cook will announce the company's upcoming innovations and products, both hardware and software.

Speculations are that Apple will finally unveil the Siri speaker. The device is the company's own version of the digital assistant that will compete with the Amazon Echo and Google Home.

What will set the Siri speaker apart from competing brands, however, is its capability to fully integrate with other Apple's products, including Apple's HomeKit system. This is good news for owners who own Apple gadgets and are considering a digital assistant but have been hesitant to go for the Echo or the Home as these competing brands do not support Apple services.

The Siri speaker will also have a "virtual surround sound technology," according to an insider who told Bloomberg. While it will be introduced to consumers at the WWDC 2017, the product itself won't ship out until later in the year. Bloomberg, however, clarified that Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller refused to comment on the speculations.

Meanwhile, Apple is also expected to unveil the improved features of the iOS 11. Speculations are that this software will give the Apple Music a refresh, which will boost the service's video capabilities. Some analysts also expect iOS 11 improvements for the Apple Pay, while others are looking forward to the unveiling of the augmented reality (AR) feature that will power the iPhone 8.

Analyst Gene Munster, however, wrote on Loop Ventures that while the AR feature is a certainty on the iPhone 8, Apple might choose to hold off its reveal during the actual launch of the smartphone. The iPhone 8 won't likely be introduced at the WWDC 2017. Instead, Apple is projected to hold a separate event for in early September, as it's the company's usual practice.