Apple is lagging behind Amazon and Google in the voice-assistant race, mostly because it doesn’t cater to a host of voice apps that are used via a smartphone.
But the company is finally putting its strong foot forward by reportedly acquiring an AI startup called Pullstrings, which is known for making voice apps for such devices, according to this Axios report.
Apple confining Siri to iOS users and its overall strength (basically, the apps catalogue) has kept it behind rivals like Alexa and Google Assistant. This is where Apple will be banking on the startup they are looking to buy, which helps companies design and publish voice-based apps for assistants used on phone and speakers.
This is one of the many changes we’ve noticed at Apple over the past few months. The company has also rejigged its hardware team, and is looking to push for smart products similar to, or better than the HomePod, a segment where Amazon’s Echo speaker continues to lead the way.
Interestingly, when Pullstring was founded in 2011 by a group of ex-Pixar executives, their original idea had nothing to do with smart speakers or voice assistants. In fact, their technology was first designing voice apps for toys, including Hello Barbie which was available back in 2015.
In terms of their accuracy, Google Assistant, according to a recent report, has been ranked as the most responsive smart speaker ecosystem in the market. Whereas Apple’s HomePod ranks as the second-best smart speaker in the market, with the Amazon Echo range languishing in third place.
If Apple can reignite Siri into a competent voice-assistant for devices, the battle in this segment is likely to become fiercer than ever, with high-end products like HomePod finally able to be recognised as smart speakers.
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