Why Siri Should Make Apple Fans Applaud, And Android Fans Sigh
Although slightly disappointed by the hardware side of yesterday’s Apple Event, I was very excited about the software - most notably Siri. For those who don’t know, Siri is being touted as a personal assistant, and is seriously big news for soon to be iPhone 4S owners. For Android owners, there will certainly be aesthetics to be jealous of, but you may find your Android phone to be capable of more than you think.
Music
While iTunes integration is great, some prefer more options. With Android Voice Search the user is able to select which app they prefer to hear their music through, and set it as a default option. iTunes is king when it comes to a readily available music selection, but it makes me wonder just how much control Apple will let Siri have. Could you purchase music by simply requesting it?
Text Messaging
Siri wins hands down when it comes to text messaging via voice control. While third party apps like Vlingo and Handcent can add functionality to the text messaging experience on Android devices, Siri works right out of the box. We can only hope that Google takes a page out of Apples book and makes the experience a little more integrated. The possibilities for those with impaired vision alone is incredible.
Maps
Siri earns major points for intuitive wording, like “what’s the traffic like around here”, but Android is hard to beat in regard to navigation. Google Navigate is Google’s answer to GPS navigation, and provides an amazing experience for the low low price of free. Saying “Navigate to the nearest Starbucks” allows you to drive or walk there with 3D directions.
Experience
While very few have tried the new Siri, the more relaxed tone would seem to make voice control a more pleasurable experience. Android is less warm, with specific instructions required. This tends to make the user feel like they are talking to... well... an Android; cold and hollow.
In my opinion, Siri has the potential to be huge. It is too bad that only iPhone 4S owners will able to use it, but jailbreakers will probably find a way to shoehorn it onto the iPhone4 in no time. On the other hand, this type of functionality has been available in one form or another on most Android phones for years.
For more on Siri, visit http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/siri.html.
