Analyst predicts new product launches at WWDC 2018

May 30, 2018 07:41 GMT  ·  By

Apple’s WWDC is just around the corner, and the Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to introduce several new products, including a preview of iOS 12 and even a more affordable smart speaker.

Apple analyst Gene Munster says in a forecast of what to expect at WWDC that a preview of iOS 12 is very likely to be shown at the developer conference, alongside with Siri improvements and a cheaper smart speaker powered by the digital assistant.

Siri hasn’t received substantial improvements lately, and Apple is very likely to use this year’s WWDC to take the wraps off a major overhaul that would bring it closer to rivals Alexa and Cortana.

“Siri on HomePod is more limited in the number of domains, so adding support for things like navigation and email would quickly improve the experience. Siri can also improve the information utility by simply integrating Spotlight Search,” the analyst says.

Beats-branded speaker

As for the smart speaker business, the analyst says there’s a good chance the more affordable device would see daylight under the Beats brand. This isn’t the first time we hear about such a plan, as Apple is reportedly trying to a bring a low-cost speaker to the market without compromising the premium image of the HomePod.

“We believe Apple can advance its digital assistant ambitions with a $250 Beats-branded option that does not compromise HomePod’s $349 price point. We are currently modeling for HomePod to have a low-to-mid teens digital assistant market share, and this Beats integration does not change our market share outlook,” the analyst said.

Without a doubt, Apple will also make AR a big deal at this year’s WWDC, and the company will definitely showcase the next improvements for ARKit. iOS 12 itself will be built around AR, with new capabilities likely to be part of the final release coming in the fall.