Apple's Amazon Echo Rival May Have a Built-In Camera for Facial Recognition

Apple's rumored Amazon Echo rival may feature a built-in camera for facial recognition, reports CNET.

The consumer electronics giant has explored putting a camera in its device, which could come in the form of a smart speaker like Amazon's Echo, according to people familiar with Apple's plans. The device would be "self aware" and detect who is in the room using facial recognition technology. That would let the device automatically pull up a person's preferences, such as the music and lighting they like, the sources said.

CNET sources say that while the device could be released by the end of the year, it's more likely it will be available in 2017. Of course, by that time Apple could have changed it's plans for a camera or even scraped the device entirely.


Interestingly, an earlier report said Apple is looking at various possibilities for the device including building it into a redesigned Apple TV. The success of Amazon's Echo has also prompted a rival device from Google which will be available late this year.

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