Apple Limits New Siri Voice Customization to Latest Devices
Apple's revamped Siri AI, unveiled at WWDC26, offers voice customization including pace and expressivity. However, this advanced feature is exclusive to newer devices like the iPhone 17 Pro series, iPads with M4 chips, Macs with M3, and Apple Vision Pro, requiring at least 12GB of memory, potentially excluding users with recent but not top-tier models.
Key points
- Apple announced a revamped Siri AI at WWDC26 with new capabilities including voice customization.
- Users can adjust Siri's pace and expressivity and select accents via sliders and menus.
- Voice customization requires specific recent hardware: iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max, M4 iPad, M3 Mac, or Vision Pro (M5).
- A minimum of 12GB of unified memory is also a system requirement for these features.
- The restriction means even users with the latest operating systems may not access voice customization if their device hardware is not sufficiently advanced.
Apple has introduced a significant upgrade to its virtual assistant, Siri, at its WWDC26 event, promising a more intelligent and customizable experience. Alongside new AI capabilities, the company detailed a feature allowing users to tailor Siri's voice, adjusting its pace and expressivity, and choosing from various accents.
However, this advanced voice customization will not be universally available. Apple has stated that the feature will be restricted to its most recent and powerful devices. Minimum system requirements include models such as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad models equipped with an M4 chip or later, Mac computers with an M3 chip or later, and the Apple Vision Pro featuring an M5 chip. Crucially, these devices must also possess at least 12GB of unified memory.
This hardware-specific rollout means that even users running the latest versions of Apple's operating systems might be unable to access the enhanced voice customization if their device does not meet the specified hardware and memory thresholds. The move reserves the cutting-edge personalization features for those who have invested in Apple's newest hardware.
Sources
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