Summoning Siri on the new Apple TV consists of pressing the microphone button on the remote. But with the set-top box always plugged in near your TV, a microphone on the unit that is always listening for your input becomes a viable option, one Apple hasn’t taken yet. Albeit, Apple probably eschewed this in part out of its stated commitments to user privacy, but giving users the option to have an always-listening Apple TV wouldn’t hurt. And with an actual screen, Siri can convey information without needing to be as verbose as Alexa (though an optional setting could allow her to speak more and not rely on your television, if preferred.) To compete with the Echo, Apple would have to introduce some new features — some of which could be easily taken care of by future software updates. The new Apple TV offers some smart integration with Apple device users’ iCloud accounts — giving them access to their photos and music on the Apple TV. But we hope to see Apple flesh things out even further. Imagine sending a text, placing a call, setting reminders and timers, all from your sofa. The new Apple TV remote already offers a touch surface at the top, but why not add a TouchID fingerprint sensor like on the recent generations of iPhones and iPads? That way, users could easily verify their identity before carrying these and other secure functions, straight from their Apple TVs.
