Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

rorschach

macrumors 68020
Jul 27, 2003
2,269
1,841
I realize Google is doing an internet search, but the point is, it DOES the internet search! Siri stops, waits, and asks if I want to do an internet search rather than just providing the answer. So it's another step (yes or button press) to continue. Again, contributing to my point of the speed of the Google app.

I don't disagree the Google app is faster. There are some things I really like about the Google app (speed is a big one).

I like that Siri has Wolfram Alpha results built in because it expands the search possibilities immensely. Sometimes you have to explicity tell it to use Wolfram, but I've found most of the time you can just do a query and it'll check automatically.

Because of the WA integration, I can ask Siri things like "How long would it take to drive 600 miles at 55mph?" (GVS returns a bunch of random search results, the first of which is some algebra word problem site).

Or I can say, "How much fat is in 3 eggs and 2 slices of bacon?" (GVS again returns a bunch of irrelevent web results)

etc.
 

penguy

macrumors 6502
Feb 20, 2007
377
8
CA
No such option available on the iPhone 4. Maybe 4s and 5 but not on the iPhone 4

Looked for an update to the app and couldn't find one so I uninstalled and installed again. Still no joy on the voice playback.

I have even gone into the International settings and changed from English (Australian) to English(US) and still no sound.

When I first read the article I tried my google app and the search worked but no voice...so I checked and there was an update...it now works...and as others have stated, it is quite fast...so I'm not sure what's going on with yours.

keep checking for an update?
 

Swift

macrumors 68000
Feb 18, 2003
1,825
964
Los Angeles
The telling moment

I said, where's the closest Staples? It understood me quickly, and it found the closest Staples and displayed it in a google search result. Great. Clicking on it for directions? Not so fun. You're taken to maps.google.com. You get a list of turns.

Time to link to the Google Maps app, with street view. Can't do it.
 

iMikeT

macrumors 68020
Jul 8, 2006
2,304
1
California
Meh. I'm on an iPhone 4 now and my iPhone 5 should be coming the week of Thanksgiving. I'll wait until then so I can use the real Siri.

In the meantime, I'll use Siri Alpha (Voice Control) on my iPhone 4. It works well when calling people and getting music to play.
 

sum1

macrumors newbie
Jun 7, 2005
15
0
Faster than siri

Almost instant response unlike siri. I had times where i waited almost a minute before i got feedback from siri.
 

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Side-by-side comparison from Gizmodo (for those too stubborn to try it for themselves):
http://updates.gizmodo.com/post/34656322615/google-voice-search-vs-siri-whos-the-best-iphone

Impressive! Here's where GOOGLE has a huge advantage with their sophisticated search engine. This is a market APPLE must enter, sooner rather than later, to ensure their long-term viability, or they're going to forever rely on third party search engines. Not a good place to be. The 'information age' we think we live in, is going to be MUCH MORE information based in the future. SIRI is just an 'awkward' rudimentary first step, and a small taste of what's to come.

If APPLE is to survive as a MAJOR player in the long term, it is IMPERATIVE, imho, that in addition to their current endeavors, they enter the SEARCH business, or they will eventually be relegated to second class status in the grand scheme of technology. And I'm not saying next month, but ten, twenty years from now. They have the financial resources, and their entry into this new direction can't come soon enough.
 

RooooG

macrumors newbie
Oct 30, 2012
21
0
Advantages:

1) Voice: The google voice is very natural, not like the Siri voice that sounds identical to the voices we got on Macs in the early 90s (you know, you'd type a toilet joke and press Command-H, then listen to the computer try to pronounce 'booger')

2) Speed: Holy CRAP, this thing not only recognizes speech INSTANTLY but processes the results INSTANTLY...biggest factor

3) Recognition: even without my 'Siri' voice it nails it, looks like it's using context clues to decide between words I might be saying and does an excellent job

Disadvantages:

1) Not integrated into iOS like Siri is


The one disadvantage is the reason I won't be using it much or at all, sort of like the GMail app. But this shows that Siri can be so much better and damned well better be if it's going to appear in a premium product. Siri does *work* but its performance is embarrassing in comparison.
 

devilstrider

macrumors 6502a
May 12, 2010
658
0
So you're one of the about 18 people who bought a Nexus? Lucky you :D And I've used a GS3 before, still more laggy than my old iPhone 3G. At least I can pan about websites, PDF's, and scroll through lists without there being a seconds delay on my "out of date iPhone 5". For a seemingly amazing device, the GS3 sure does suck a lot :confused: Again, I'll stick with my iPhone :cool:

Yep. Got rid of my iphone 3gs and iphone and got the Galaxy nexus and never looked back.
 

petsounds

macrumors 65816
Jun 30, 2007
1,493
519
In my brief play-around with this, I'll say:

1) Response times for me were about the same, sometimes a bit faster. I asked both about NYC weather tomorrow, and both gave me almost instantaneous responses.
2) Voice recognition seems about the same as Siri. Mostly very good, but some trip-ups.
3) Do not like the voice. Very tinny, often robotic. But I don't like Siri's voice much either.
4) Their graphical presentation is improving. Weather screen looks nice.

Ultimately, it still feels like a voice interface to their search engine. And that's exactly what it is. It is not anything approaching an intelligent agent. Of course, neither yet is Siri, but at least that is Apple's long-term goal.
 
Last edited:

bsforever

macrumors member
Dec 25, 2008
56
2
Had to come back to this article after playing with the new Google Voice search app on iOS – and I must say it’s an absolutely pleasure to use. Quick, and very accurate. I am a huge Apple fan and remain so, but right now Google voice recognition tech bests them completely. Game on!
 

hot spare

macrumors 6502
Aug 22, 2011
340
66
So almost Google Now? So basically, whenever a fandroid says iOS and Siri are inferior and Google Now is so much better, you can remind them that we iOS users now have the best of both worlds.

I think you are clearly unaware of Google Now. This is (voice-enabled) Google search, Google Now is something totally different.

Google Now isn't possible in iOS as Google can never have access to iOS services like it can have it on Android. It's not just a simple app.
 

skunnykart

macrumors regular
May 7, 2010
141
1
This effort from Google is pretty good actually.
Not saying it's perfect but it's pretty impressive.

This is what Siri should have been like.
 

hot spare

macrumors 6502
Aug 22, 2011
340
66
I downloaded it, installed it and said 'Send a text to my wife I'll be home soon" and it tried to search the internet for it. I deleted it.

Clearly you people don't fully understand what Siri does if you think this is a competitor.

It's just a matter of being allowed access to iOS services. Siri on the other hand needs to learn Google's ability to instant search and knowledge graph. Bing has been trying this for last 5 years, still can't match google.

Remember this is Google Search -- not Google NOW!
 

Drunken Master

macrumors 65816
Jul 19, 2011
1,060
0
Better question is how many of those things does Siri actually do well, the first time you say it? Answer is 0.

----------



If apple let any other voice assistant access these tasks, you know they'd be a ton better. Since they don't, this does everything else A LOT better than Siri.

Holy exaggeration Batman!

I just asked Siri to play Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" and it worked on the first try.

Maybe it was a glitch?
 

iSamurai

macrumors 65816
Nov 9, 2007
1,024
6
ɹǝpun uʍop 'ǝuɐqsı&#
Man... Apple should really open up the OS and allow us to choose the defaults for Siri, Maps and Safari... in this case the google voice search can then do other stuff like scheduling a calendar and reminders etc.

But you may ask why not just use an android phone? well as mentioned by other posters earlier apple is really good at designing hardware. the OS and apps ecosystem are also better. it's just one of those things google+apple can make the overall user experience that much better compared to a product designed by just one of them.
 

tripmusic

macrumors 6502
Oct 26, 2012
455
86
Switzerland
Hmm... I'll download it and check it out for sh**s and giggles, but I don't even use Siri anymore. I used Siri for about a month and it is useful for certain things, but turning it off saves battery life which is most important to me. Yeah, I definitely don't want to be one of those people talking to their iphone out in public. Not cool. I would say the best feature that I liked about Siri is iMessaging. It used to be Microsoft vs Apple. Now it's Goggle/Samsung vs Apple. Can't we all just get along? :rolleyes:
 

mobilebuddha

macrumors regular
Jan 31, 2008
222
25
That's because apps can't access those functions.

can ya imagine the day where Apple opens up its system and give USERS the rights to permit which app has what access to protected parts of the system?

I can dream.. can't I? :)
 

dai.hop

macrumors member
Mar 7, 2008
43
2
Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, UK
The voice search implementation in this app is far superior to Siri in my opinion. It even understands my Welsh accent!

My only criticism is that I don't appear to be getting a many maps in my UK results. For example, when I ask "Where's my nearest McDonald's", I just get search results.
 

mrbyu

macrumors 6502
Jul 5, 2011
324
62
Maan, I really have to admit that the voice recognition system is amazing in this one compared to Siri... unfortunately it cannot give intelligent answers/results if I'm searching in hungarian, it only recognises the words, but it's doing it perfectly!!!

And if I'm speaking in english, it's unbelievebly fast and accurate. Now I'm a little bit disappointed with Siri after seeing this one...
 

blinkin182

macrumors regular
May 3, 2010
196
3
Switzerland
As a heavy Siri user, I've been using Google's voice search all day and I'm pretty impressed. I've always defended Siri but this blows it out of the water for simpler requests (not maps/reminder/alarm/etc related).

Agreed and I must say, we're getting the better deal: the best of both worlds :D
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.