Report: Apple employees testing Echo-like device


Buried in a Bloomberg piece about Amazon's latest Echo device is a tidbit that Apple has been testing a similar assistant device for months. It's been rumored that Apple is working on such a device to complement Siri on iOS and macOS devices, but reportedly Apple employees have been field testing an Apple device in their homes:

In a recent research note, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple may debut an Echo rival next month at the company's annual developer's conference. Apple employees have been testing a device at home for several months, according to people familiar with the matter.

Recently Apple hasn't release new hardware at its developer conference. That may not be likely, but if a new device was pending and there was a ask for developer support, Apple's upcoming WWDC would be an opportunity to announce such a device.