Siri: Apple Announces Voice-Based Virtual Personal Assistant For IPhone 4S

While most people expected that an iPhone 5 would be the biggest announcement at Tuesday's Apple event, Siri, a voice-recognition app for the new iPhone 4S, stole the show and cleared up any confusion as to why the keynote was called "Let's Talk iPhone."

Siri is a voice-based virtual personal assistant for the new iPhone 4S. Using Siri, an iPhone 4S user can schedule events, set the phone's alarm, create reminders, ask and receive restaurant recommendations and more, all by using her voice.

Apple is billing Siri as "Your intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking," according to pictures from Engadget's live blog of the event.

Siri -- which TechCrunch reports is available exclusively for the iPhone 4S -- is activated by holding the "home" button. The user then asks a question or makes a demand, like "Do I need a raincoat today?" or "Wake me up tomorrow at 6am," and Siri delivers.

Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President of iPhone Software at Apple, demonstrated Siri by asking both of these things, among others, at Tuesday's event, according to Engadget's live blog.

Siri responded to Forstall's respective questions with "It sure looks like rain today" and "Okay, I set it for 6am."

Forstall also asked Siri "Who are you?" Siri responded, according to Engadget, "I am a humble personal assistant."

So what does Siri soundlike? Peter Kafka at AllThingsD asked just that on Twitter, prompting the New York Times' Nick Bilton to respond, "A female Hal who had too many vodka tonics at the bar."

The New York Times reports that Apple bought Siri, a startup based in San Jose, Calif., in April 2010, for an undisclosed sum. Siri had raised $24 million in funding before the purchase.

According to TechCrunch, Siri supports English, German and French and will be in beta.

It will be available when the new iPhone 4s is released on October 14.

Take a look at the rest of Apple's October 4 announcements, including the iPhone 4S, the new iPods, a new greeting cards app and a new social app.

Take a look at photos of the new iPhone (below).

No Apple IPhone 5 But New 4S Rocks Cool Artificial Intelligence

Comments

[CT Independent]

11:23 AM on 10/05/2011

Yippee!!!! Voice Control!!!

Congratula­tions, most of you now qualify for a high school cheer-lead­ing team for acting like 14 year old girls

[techneffect]

11:04 AM on 10/05/2011

Windows phone 7 mango update already have this feature that this guy in the video is talking about that is revolutionary, its called Tellme in windows phone ive have it on my Dell Venue Pro windows phone 7 ive used to to talk to people to text them using my voice etc. Nothing new here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmsSk4bYNao&feature=relmfu

[Mark Langston]

05:12 PM on 10/05/2011

Close but no cigar. The difference in Siri is that it's more conversational. Instead of having to conform to what the voice recognition software wants you to say you can use more natural language.

Instead of having to say, "Find weather" -- and sounding as much like a robot as the CPU voice -- you can say, "Will I need my umbrella today?" and Siri will respond appropriately as well as give you the weather. Then you can say, "What will the weather be like this afternoon" and it will break down the weather hourly.

There's also the appointment planning feature. When you ask Siri to schedule an appointment for 2pm it will tell you that you already have an appointment at 2:30pm and ask if you'd like to move the 2:30pm to another time. Much more powerful than anything currently on the consumer market.

While Google and MS voice recognition transforms your voice into keyboard Siri allows you to speak in much more natural way making the entire experience much more personal.

Once people start using Siri they'll uncover the power and ease of use over any other voice recognition program. And because it's Apple everything about it will only improve over time.

[acarioti]

09:54 AM on 10/05/2011

I asked it, "Is there a God?" It responded, "There is NOW!"

[TheOpinion8r]

07:57 AM on 10/05/2011

At 9:27 AM on November 19, 2012 Sirinet became aware. That Greek restaurant she sent you to is actually the front for a 'processing' center....

[European1919]

05:54 AM on 10/05/2011

So the iPhone 4S (for-ass) talks? What's new about this? My HTC has done this for 2 years already.

[theveggiedude]

07:59 AM on 10/05/2011

Your HTC is mimicking talk like the Mac did back in 1984. If you ask your HTC if you'll need an umbrella today it won't answer you back correctly, it won't even associate that question with the weather.

[European1919]

08:04 AM on 10/05/2011

Which is just as well. IF I was having a conversation with my phone (no, not with the person on the other end of the [virtual] line) I would be in dire need of urgent mental treatment.

[dkeogh]

01:10 AM on 10/05/2011

its seems HPost is becoming a walking , talking ad show for Apple , shame they don't bring to light the disgusting conditions they are made under

[bradkevans]

12:57 AM on 10/05/2011

Will it work on my iPad 2?

[Mark Langston]

05:18 PM on 10/05/2011

Probably not. It's only available for the iPhone 4S for now. My guess is it'll be available for the iPad 3 when its released some time early next year.

[Cdangers]

12:14 AM on 10/05/2011

WOOHOO!! Come on everyone!! WOOHOO!! Let's all celebrate this AMAZING technology that everyone has already had on their google phones for 2 years. WOOHOO!!

[Mark Langston]

05:29 PM on 10/05/2011

If you actually compare Google's "Voice Actions" to Siri it's a night and day difference.

You can tell Siri to call your wife. Android will probably call Mike (sounds pretty close). You can ask Siri if you need your umbrella today. Android will likely pull up Rhianna videos. You can ask Siri to schedule an appointment for 3pm and it will remind you that you have already have an appointment at 3:30pm and if you'd like to move it. Android would just set the appointment and probably overlap without letting you know there's a conflict.

Google's voice technology transforms your voice into a keyboard. Siri let's you have a conversation.

WOOHOO!!!

[JP1493]

12:00 AM on 10/05/2011

Ok, here we go again. Siri, the beginning of the next technology paradigm shift put into ubiquitous use by Apple. Now everything and everyone is going to need a personal talking assistant. The mouse is already dying, now you won't even need your fingers. Can't wait until I can have a master controller for my home appliances I can "relate" to. :D

[Keita]

11:45 PM on 10/04/2011

Can't wait to get this baby !

[Chase Price]

11:17 PM on 10/04/2011

This will be perfect for keeping track of all my important meetings. Wait. I don't have any important meetings. (Apologies to Garry Trudeau).

[nasayer2]

10:42 PM on 10/04/2011

Hello "Star Trek" computer voice.

[ornery]

10:34 PM on 10/04/2011

Open the pod bay door, Iris.

[Chase Price]

11:19 PM on 10/04/2011

I'm sorry Dave. You cannot afford the monthly fee. You will have to make do with your 90's Nokia.

[opressor]

10:16 PM on 10/04/2011

yawn

[JohnnyRivers]

10:01 PM on 10/04/2011

Wow! Wow! Wow! I'm still holding-out for 5. I want an iPhone that FEELS like my 3GS. I have absolutely no desire to own any derivative of the 4. That would be like buying a AMC Pacer or mood ring. Am I asking too much? Oh yeah... I want it to be nuclear powered.