Siri Home Concept
When rumors of the new Apple TV started ramping up, and with the existence of Apple's own HomeKit API, this was something I wanted and hoped for: An always on Siri for the home. Not just for asking the weather and setting reminders, but for smart home controls as well. As a smart home product user and enthusiast, that intrigued me the most. To me, (and a few others), it made sense to be on the Apple TV. I tweeted about this desire in 2014:
I don't need Siri on my wrist. I want it throughout my house. “@bryce: wearables v. there-ables http://t.co/2tmS0VKBtL by @naveen”
— Braden Hamm (@bradenhamm) April 17, 2014
Here are a few reasons:
- Always connected to power.
- Typically in a central location so it is more likely to hear commands.
- Could be large enough to house the neccessary componants to serve as a hub to other smart home accessories so Siri could control your lights, etc.

Some potential challenges:
- Multiple users: since there are usually multiple iPhone users in a home, Siri Home couldn't be the same Siri on my phone
- If there are multiple input devices throughout a house and multiple users, then Siri Home would need to listen, process and respond on different devices simultaneously.
- Could be large enough to house the necessary components to serve as a hub to other smart home accessories so Siri could control your lights, etc.
No word on HomeKit integration for the Apple TV? Hopefully it's ready by launch. "Hey Siri, it's 'TV Time'." is something I will say daily.
— Braden Hamm (@bradenhamm) September 9, 2015
While the new Apple TV did launch with Siri, it's a paired down version focused on the TV experience and only works when the TV is also on. Any hope I had for it's functionality expanding in an update were dashed when I saw there wasn't even a microphone on the box itself, only on the remote.
I can still hope for the Apple TV 5.