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Hey Siri, how does Apple change the conversation?

Coming off its first quarterly revenue decline in 13 years, Apple Inc. kicks off its annual developers' conference Monday in San Francisco facing questions about whether the company's best days are behind it.

The focus of the weeklong Worldwide Developers Conference is expected to be on Siri, Apple's digital assistant.

When Apple introduced Siri as an iPhone feature in 2011, it heralded a future of people finding information or completing tasks on their devices by speaking rather than typing or tapping. That vision of Siri hasn't fully materialized, leaving the door open for other technology companies to push into Apple's turf.

Google parent Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. have all introduced voice-activated digital assistants that rely on artificial intelligence—technology that allows computers to understand inferences and context so they can make decisions like a human brain instead of following programmed instructions.

At the conference, Apple plans to announce that it is opening Siri to outside developers, according to people familiar with the matter. That could allow, for example, iPhone users to ask Siri to call for an Uber ride or check in for a flight from an airline app, these people said. Online magazine the Information reported earlier that Apple is planning to release a software-development kit for Siri at the conference.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the company's announcements.

For Apple, connecting Siri to other apps is especially important because Alexa—Amazon's talking virtual assistant built into the Echo and its other speakers—already does that. Through Alexa, a person can order a pizza, check a credit-card balance or see what is on television. The fight to become the preferred digital assistant matters to Apple. If devices are increasingly controlled by voice, Apple needs Siri to be a viable and useful option or the company risks losing its grip on the hardware market.

Apple typically uses the developers' conference to drum up excitement for new services and reveal changes to the software that powers its devices. More technical and less glitzy than the company's product launches, it is the type of event where a new programming language—as Apple introduced in 2014—generates more audience excitement than an appearance by rapper Drake, who took the stage at last year's conference to pitch Apple's streaming music service.

The developer's conference remains critical to understanding Apple's long-term strategy. At this year's event, Apple is also expected to announce a refresh for its entire software lineup. Apple has four operating systems—one for the iPhone and iPad; and another each for Apple TV, Apple Watch and Macs.

All are updated annually with new features. This year, according to a person familiar with the matter, Siri is expected to become available on the Mac.

Ahead of the conference, Apple last week announced changes in how it runs the App Store in an effort to address complaints from developers. It will allow more apps to charge customers via subscriptions and reduced Apple's cut of the revenue from longtime subscribers.

Among the other anticipated announcements are a redesign of its streaming music service. When it was unveiled a year ago, Apple Music came under fire for a confusing user interface. In April, Apple said it has 13 million subscribers on the service, which charges $9.99 a month for individuals or $14.99 a month for families.

Apple's share price has fallen 23% over the past year, triggered in part by the first decline in sales of the iPhone. But analysts don't expect the announcements at the developers' conference to quickly reverse that trend.

Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, said he expects the conference to be "an appetizer" for more meaningful announcements in the fall when Apple has historically introduced new iPhones and other new products.

Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said the event may not seem as visionary as similar gatherings by other technology companies because Apple tends not to discuss new products before they are ready for consumers.

"It plays against the brand. Apple doesn't beta-test its customers," said Mr. Moorhead. "It has to show up with the goods, not just a vision."

Write to Daisuke Wakabayashi at Daisuke.Wakabayashi@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 12, 2016 21:05 ET (01:05 GMT)

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