Siri in iOS 7: Apple still playing catch up with Google, but moving aggressively
Siri, the seemingly forever-in-beta voice-based virtual assistant built into iOS, received just a pinch of attention during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. As you admire the highlights of Apple’s Siri announcements—higher quality voice options, answers to new kinds of questions, Wikipedia integration, and a new interface—two notable elements stick out, and they both involve Google. First, Siri’s core interface continues to lag behind Google Now’s in iOS 7; second, Apple's relationship with the search giant has deteriorated to the point where it’s finally willing to make a partnership with another old rival: Microsoft.
Overall, it seems that Apple is trying a new take on an old adage: If you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em.
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Many of the improvements to Siri in iOS 7 look quite welcome. You’ll be able to ask questions like “How old is Elvis Costello,” and Siri will show the relevant Wikipedia text and read the exact answer aloud. (He’s 58, by the way.) The redesigned Siri results screens Apple showed off look lovely, and the high-quality voices it demonstrated sounded great.
But one core feature from Google Now, the search giant’s take on voice-based interactivity, appeared to be missing: live audio transcription as you speak.
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