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

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,281
30,342



9to5Mac reports that among the new features included in the iOS 6.1 beta seeded to developers late last week is the ability to purchase movie tickets through Siri. The feature, which is currently limited to the United States, integrates with Fandango to facilitate purchases.
When a user asks for movie tickets for a certain movie, the applicable showtimes and theater information will be shown. Then, a user can click the buy movie tickets button and they will be routed to finish their purchase via the Fandango app from the App Store. If the user does not have Fandango installed, Siri provides a button to download the Fandango app.

Apple says that the feature is currently exclusive to users in the U.S. Additionally, developers who have used the feature say that it is not compatible with all theaters. Compatible theaters listed by Siri are accompanied by a small movie tickets icon.
siri_fandango.jpg
Siri already offers some movie theater features, including the ability to look up showtimes, access reviews, and play trailers, and Fandango integration marks an expansion of Apple's partnerships with third-party apps such as Yelp and OpenTable to extend Siri's functionality.

Article Link: iOS 6.1 to Add Siri-Based Movie Ticket Purchases via Fandango
 

Apple Knowledge Navigator

macrumors 68040
Mar 28, 2010
3,525
11,674
I can understand using Siri to actually 'look up' information, but purchasing things? A lot of people would feel more comfortable taking control of the device and just using their fingers..
 

Cougarcat

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2003
7,766
2,553
I can understand using Siri to actually 'look up' information, but purchasing things? A lot of people would feel more comfortable taking control of the device and just using their fingers..

All it does is open the Fandango app where you buy it as normal.
 

rwilliams

macrumors 68040
Apr 8, 2009
3,740
1,006
Raleigh, NC
I'd be more impressed if you could actually buy the tickets through Siri without needing to go to the Fandango app. But I suppose you have to have some layer of security preventing anyone from just buying up tickets via voice alone.

It would also be nice if Fandango added more theaters that could use mobile ticketing through Passbook.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
Just what I want. The ability to take wildly unreliable software and give it my credit card.

The other day my friend told Siri to call me and it interpreted that as "Call 911." These sort of stories are bound to get even more hilarious once money is involved.
 

Cougarcat

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2003
7,766
2,553
Just what I want. The ability to take wildly unreliable software and give it my credit card.

The other day my friend told Siri to call me and it interpreted that as "Call 911." These sort of stories are bound to get even more hilarious once money is involved.

Read the article. Siri never has your credit card info. It just routes your request to the Fandango app where you buy it.
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Wow, I totally forgot about this feature being a part of iOS 6. I don't go to the show very often, but maybe this will get me to go more than once per year.
 

RoboCop001

macrumors 68000
Oct 4, 2005
1,561
451
Toronto, Canada
Besides international support, I kind of wish it was a little more automated.

Ask Siri to buy tickets for a movie. Then it replies vocally to confirm, stating the movie's name and how many tickets (maybe with the ability to differentiate between general admission and children's tickets, etc). You can glance at the screen to be totally sure.

Then you confirm vocally and it charges your iTunes account.

Or perhaps instead of charging your iTunes account, there could be an API for movie ticket apps. You install Fandango or Cineplex or whatever, register one of the apps with Siri, and when Siri buys tickets it charges your CC via the app. But the app never appears on screen. Maybe the API can be smart enough to choose which app to use based on what theatre you're going to. Cineplex obviously won't have AMC tickets.

Something like that :D
 

kavika411

macrumors 6502a
Jan 8, 2006
617
3
Alabama
I'm glad they are pushing forward with having Siri do more and more. That said, after reading the articles last week on how much better Google's voice-search app is than Siri (in terms of understanding your voice, better query responses, etc.), I'd much prefer in this new Post-Scott Forestall (sp?) era that Apple convince me that it is doubling down on Siri's basics rather than let me know I can now more quickly spend money on a movie ticket.
 

ECUpirate44

macrumors 603
Mar 22, 2010
5,750
8
NC
How about something useful? Like Siri speaking the weather to you when your alarm goes off. Oh that's right, I have to jailbreak for that.:rolleyes:
 

tasset

macrumors 6502a
May 22, 2007
572
200
Cool and all, but Fandango already charges $1.25 per ticket service fee for the privilege of getting tickets reserved. Not bad if only buying one ticket but adds up when you buy for an entire group or family.
Pretty much all of my local theaters have outside kiosks already for ticketing so for me Fandango isn't much of a convenience.
 

frayne182

macrumors 6502
Oct 1, 2012
416
0
Canada
Cool and all, but Fandango already charges $1.25 per ticket service fee for the privilege of getting tickets reserved. Not bad if only buying one ticket but adds up when you buy for an entire group or family.
Pretty much all of my local theaters have outside kiosks already for ticketing so for me Fandango isn't much of a convenience.

Wow what a joke.
 

jclardy

macrumors 601
Oct 6, 2008
4,138
4,318
I'm surprised apple doesn't want a 30% cut of the movie ticket. Or do they?

30% is only for digital content. Buying physical goods and services do not fall under that category. Hence Starbucks, Fandango, airline tickets, Amazon shopping (not ebooks), etc.
 

extricated

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2011
448
65
Arkansas
I can understand using Siri to actually 'look up' information, but purchasing things? A lot of people would feel more comfortable taking control of the device and just using their fingers..

Remember, you have to click the "buy movie tickets" button to complete the purchase. If Siri pulled up bad info (not unheard of), you still haven't commited to a purchase.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.