Siri AIs new voice customization could have trumped Alexa+, but scant HomeOS updates stall the win for Apple

Date:
Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:32:33 +0000

Description:
Siri AI is packed to the brim with new AI features, bringing it up to speed with much of its competition. One feature, however, will take it leagues
ahead in my home.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter As another WWDC keynote comes
to a close, plenty of exciting new software is coming soon to an Apple device near you . None looms so large as the extensively discussed new Siri AI,
which dominated most of the presentation; finally, Apple's digital assistant can keep pace with the competition, with a new look in the Dynamic Island, an app, as well as vast improvements to tools like Visual Intelligence.

Largely, Siri AI's newly boosted skillset owes to Apple enlisting the help of Google's Gemini AI models to bolster its own Apple Intelligence models, but amidst the flashy demonstrations, there was one feature that could make Siri AI my go-to voice assistant, and it's all to do with expressiveness. Currently, I use Alexa+ around my home, but in my heart, I've always been a HomePod girlie. For two years, my HomePod mini was my go-to smart home hub, but continued frustrations with its poor user experience and lacklustre automations gradually saw me seeking greener pastures in Alexa's more user-friendly setup. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Since then, I've upgraded to Alexa+, and I've broadly made good use of the benefits that arise with Natural Language Processing; the experience is far more conversational, and it's a whole lot easier to get what you want out of Amazon 's voice assistant.

It's a shame she's so gosh darn annoying . You may like Apple finally unveils AI-powered Siri at WWDC 2026 Apple just gave 'Siri AI' its biggest upgrade ever whether iPhone users asked for it or not iOS 27s new AI voice controls could finally make Siri feel smart Siri AIn't as annoying (Image credit: Apple) Alexa+'s interesting control of the English language or, more specifically, its delivery isn't quite enough to put me off the service entirely, but it's definitely a source of a fair few laughs in my home.

Whether it's the hyper-enthusiastic, nasal, and abruptly loud "OKAY!" when executing a command or the multiple personalities it cycles through when delivering a longer response, Alexa+ has faced a fair amount of criticism for its uncanny voice delivery. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Now, while we only heard a snippet of Siri's speech patterns during the WWDC keynote, there's one new feature coming to Siri AI that could just turn the tide for my AI usage, and that's the ability to tweak the smart assistant's voice; you can choose between five voices and then tweak the pace and expressivity yes, that's a word, and no, it shouldn't be.

For those of us who don't need a hypeman whenever they have a query, this is
a delightful level of control provided it actually works in practice. ...
but Siri AIn't coming home The downside is that HomeOS, the HomePod's operating system , seems to practically be vaporware at this point, with next-to-no major updates announced as part of WWDC 2026. The Home app was mentioned, sure; grouped event notifications are nice, and searchable AI-generated summaries for security camera footage will come in handy for
many a user. What to read next Siris AI overhaul will be different to Apples rivals but unfinished Apples Siri update may bring big changes to the
HomePod mini and Apple TV Apple is reinventing Siri to catch up to ChatGPT

Improvements to Shortcuts are nice-to-have, too, allowing users to speak automations into existence with natural language prompts I've long bemoaned the terrible UI and limited IFTTT functionality in Shortcuts, so I won't
sniff at this particular upgrade.

But where, oh where, is Siri AI for home?! @techradar

original sound - TechRadar Simply read the update history for HomePod, and you'll catch my drift even if you haven't been using Apple's best smart speaker ; the last meaningful update came with HomeOS 26, when Apple added support for crossfade with Apple Music and AirPlay. Before that was December 2024, when Apple quietly added improved natural language search to Apple Music.

While there's still a small chance some news will crop up this week for HomeOS, the outlook is dire. I'm unsurprised, in some capacity, because HomePod hardware is dragging ever further behind the rest of Apple's powerful devices. The HomePod (2nd generation) uses the S7 chip, which is the same one used in Apple Watch 7. Given that device isnt on the watchOS 27 compatibility list , it's hard to imagine we'll see any existing HomePods getting in on the Siri AI action.

Perhaps a major announcement for Siri AI on HomeOS would have given too much away; we've been waiting for Apple's HomePod Hub smart display and new
HomePod Mini 2 for years at this point, and while signs presently point to a Fall 2026 release, we also heard such rumors last year... and the year
before. And, if memory serves, the year before that.

Still, it's hard to imagine Apple taking precious time out of its September event, which is typically iPhone-first, to talk about new HomePod hardware
and software, so I'm struggling a little to predict when exactly HomeOS will have its day in court. I'm hoping it's sooner rather than later, or my
HomeKit compatible smart home devices will continue collecting dust. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/siri-ais-new-voice-customiza tion-could-have-trumped-alexa-but-scant-homeos-updates-stall-the-win-for-apple


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