Apple Working on 'Enhanced Siri' Capabilities for Next-Generation iPhones

[MacRumors]

A collection of the world's top-selling smartphone makers, including Apple, Samsung, Huawei, LG, and Xiaomi, are all planning to double down on artificial intelligence features on handsets launching this year, and beyond.

According to industry sources (via DigiTimes), the companies are hoping an improvement to AI assistant capabilities will "ramp up market shares in 2017."

For Apple, that means the company is gearing up to add in an "enhanced Siri" to next-generation iPhone devices, although it's unclear whether that means the upcoming 2017 iPhone 8, or another model launching after this year. It's not specified what exactly an enhanced version of Siri will be able to accomplish, but an overall improvement to voice recognition and better contextual understanding of user requests might be part of the update.

DigiTimes' report specifically references Apple's acquisition of machine learning and AI startup Turi last August as a way that the company intends to bolster Siri's reliability with consumers, "as well as the market share" over other AI assistants like Amazon's Alexa, Microsoft's Cortana, and Google Assistant.

Smartphone vendors, including Apple, Samsung Electronics, Huawei, LG Electronics and Xiaomi Technology, are likely to introduce models featuring AI (artificial intelligence) applications as a means to ramp up market shares in 2017, according to industry sources.

Apple acquired Australia-based machine learning startup Turi in August 2016, aiming to further strengthen the functionality, as well as the market share, of its Siri intelligent personal assistant. Meanwhile, market sources have also indicated that Apple's next-generation iPhone devices are likely to come with enhanced Siri.

In terms of competition, Huawei -- as the third-largest smartphone maker in the world -- is reportedly ready to battle Apple and Samsung, with AI as a leading feature. Huawei recently launched the Mate 9 in the United States with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant pre-installed, giving users an easier way to navigate the smartphone, and representing its first move in the fight to overcome Apple and Samsung in the AI space.

Google last year launched its Google Pixel smartphone with Google Assistant, and other smartphone vendors have already been looked at to promote adoption of the Assistant, including Xiaomi. In a comparison video that pitted Siri against Google Assistant, YouTuber Marques Brownlee ultimately discovered that while Siri gave him more information, Google Assistant was the more personable and enjoyable AI experience.

Samsung is believed to be launching the Galaxy S8 sometime in Spring 2017 as an attempt to put the Note7 in the past for good, and the new smartphone is currently rumored to include an AI assistant named Bixby, "which is likely to become a main feature of Samsung's next-generation flagship model," according to industry sources.

LG is said to be in talks with both Google and Amazon to leverage each company's voice assistant in LG products, including the addition of Alexa into a collection of LG home appliances, as well as its upcoming smartphone the LG G6.

AI assistants have become increasingly popular over the past few years, and Apple has only gained competition in the space as Siri remained largely unchanged over the past few iOS updates. The company is rumored to be launching an Echo-like speaker as well, which would place Siri as a constant present in the user's home and include the ability to play music, get news headlines, and more, without needing to interact with their iPhone. In response, last year it was reported that Amazon is working on an updated Echo with a 7-inch touchscreen to "fend off competition" from Apple and Google Home.

Article Link: Apple Working on 'Enhanced Siri' Capabilities for Next-Generation iPhones

 

[levitynyc]

Maybe it'll be usable this time.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Competition is always good for us consumers.

 

[Santabean2000]

Good news. Voice has a place. And Apple needs to step it up.

 

[deadlystriker]

Must we buy new Mac hardware as well to get this "enhanced" Siri?

 

[Thunderhawks]

Maybe it'll be usable this time.

I think everybody who so far has been critical and been frustrated really wants it to work.

So far, I have given it several tries and it is till useless at this point.

Put it from Beta mode into gamma mode and we'll evaluate.

 

[Moorepheus]

Maybe it'll be usable this time.

Still don't know if I will use it. I do use the VOICE to TEXT feature on the iPhone, but not SIRI, most of the time, she never gets what I am saying, so I don't bother....

 

[tigres]

So, it will work going forward? maybe?

 

[maflynn]

Any improvement will be welcome, I barely use Siri now just because its not that useful.

 

[kissmo]

Ah so wait? iPhone 7 will not benefit from those? Sounds strange especially that the AI i server based and not running on your device.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Has anyone else never liked Siri? Maybe to say text or call someone, but I already have my phone up so why even use it? Yes I know Hey Siri is a thing, but I never have anything to ask
[doublepost=1485264898][/doublepost]

Ah so wait? iPhone 7 will not benefit from those? Sounds strange especially that the AI i server based and not running on your device.

It will, it's working on enhanced Siri for the release of the next iPhone, so the next generation iPhone has a better Siri

 

[Xavier]

I use Siri everyday to make calls, send texts, find things on the internet, set reminders, etc. It really has improved since the beginning and any more improvements are welcomed!

 

[arggg14]

I find that Siri is dreadfully slow on anything other than the current generation of device. I don't even use it on my 6+ because all it does is load that damn bar going back and fourth and sometimes it just closes after that. If it only works 6/10 times, it's not worth using.

 

[nt5672]

Let the technology lie dormant for years then wonder why you are not the star of the product space. These people running Apple just do not appear to have very much in the way of smarts the last few years. And this Apple restriction of only being able to do one thing at a time just sucks. I really hope, but do not expect that Apple will get themselves figured out. I suspect it will take someone else other than Cook.

 

[BillyBobBongo]

Must we buy new Mac hardware as well to get this "enhanced" Siri?

Ask a stupid question...

Nice to know it's being worked on though, currently for me it's nothing more than a gimmick. My three year old has a tendency now to tell me that "Siri Can't" every time I try to use it. Says enough really.

 

[4jasontv]

I use Siri to request directions and reminders, and she gets it 90% of the time. S Voice, on the other hand, is useless.

I don't see how Apple can expand on the functionality. Will the new iPhone give me more personal time? Will it make the streets less crowded? Unless I can make voice commands by holding it to my larynx and pretending to speak, how can they increase functionality of a service that should only be used in private?

 

[twinlight]

Siriously needed. Many improvements that can be made! I want to tell Siri on my watch to play music on my ipad and connect to my bluetooth speaker

 

[fortheus]

Must we buy new Mac hardware as well to get this "enhanced" Siri?

Nah, a dongle will do

 

[4jasontv]

Any improvement will be welcome, I barely use Siri now just because its not that useful.

See I've found some features useful so long as you're alone. I just find it would be rude most of the times I want to use it. If it's inappropriate to talk on the phone than it's going to be inappropriate to use a voice assistant.

 

[179202]

Siri's biggest flaw is it's speed. Use an Echo or a decent Android device to see the difference. It's nuts. Echo is especially good because of how sensitive to speech it is too. Just speak at a normal volume. If Siri had the speed and sensitivity, people may actually start using it.

 

[Supermacguy]

Why is this even news? I mean, Apple should ALWAYS be working to make Siri better, and those improvements shouldn't be tied to one particular phone.

 

[Zedcars]

One constant annoyance with Siri is when I am listening to a podcast (possibly any audio for that matter), it is very difficult to trigger Siri as the audio coming out of the iPhone speaker seems to cause interference with my "Hey Siri" prompt. The only way it works is I wait for a gap in the conversation and say it quickly.

I don't understand why Apple cannot program the Siri buffer to cancel out the audio coming from the speaker using phase reversal. It would then only hear non-iPhone generated sounds and respond much better.

 

[Juicy Box]

Siri wouldn't be so bad if:

1. Siri understood simple directions.

2. Siri did not refer me to the internet for simple information.

3. Siri could do the above without having me to look at my phone.

 

[69Mustang]

I use Siri to request directions and reminders, and she gets it 90% of the time. S Voice, on the other hand, is useless.

I don't see how Apple can expand on the functionality. Will the new iPhone give me more personal time? Will it make the streets less crowded? Unless I can make voice commands by holding it to my larynx and pretending to speak, how can they increase functionality of a service that should only be used in private?

Just my opinion, but Siri just sucks. S Voice? Sucks would be a compliment for S Voice. It's hoRRRRRible, and like you said, useless. Probably why Sammy bought Viv. Not sure it's going to help because most on Android just use Google. Amazon however, may just upset Google's apple cart. Their expansion of Alexa has been scary.

 

[maflynn]

See I've found some features useful so long as you're alone. I just find it would be rude most of the times I want to use it. If it's inappropriate to talk on the phone than it's going to be inappropriate to use a voice assistant.

My kids use it more then I do, they don't think twice about saying "Siri facetime <insert name>" in public or in any situation I guess it might be a generational thing where I'm also a little sensitive about that.