Apple Reassures Siri Team Members Feeling Disappointed and Embarrassed by Apple Intelligence Delay

[Javert24601]

And while they need to deal with this latest problem it's not some order of magnitude greater than antenna-gate, bend-gate and so many other things that hit Apple just like things hit most companies.

I respectfully disagree with you for several reasons:
1) AI is cutting edge technology. It is available on Android and on Chinese competitor phones. Apple has no answer to it for the foreseeable future. Once someone finds the usefulness of it, s/he will want that in their next phone. That literally happened to me this past weekend when I used Grok3.
2) Siri spans across nearly all product lines. An enhanced Siri would improve product performance and customer satisfaction across all product lines. The converse would also be true. Furthermore, Apple is trying to roll out a home device (i.e. "HomePod with a screen"). What do you think the market acceptance of that new product line will be with a poorly functioning Siri? I was interested in this product because it would solve an issue for me, but I''m not going to buy it with the terrible Siri performance.
3) Because enhanced Siri was supposed to drive a new upgrade cycle, which both did not happen, Apple has to find a way to drive iPhone 17 sales. Suddenly with the Siri fiasco, we have started to hear about a major interface overhaul. Perhaps, one was planned for all along, but more likely, they are pushing forward the timeline of a future enhancement to drive upgrade demand. And, when something is rushed, it tends lead to more bugs and poor quality control, which most of us are tired of experiencing.
4) What if enhanced Siri turns out to require 16gb or 24 gb or 32 gb of RAM because it runs on the device? If Apple knew of the issue with iPhone 16, it could possibly address the hardware specifications for iPhone 17. Now, with the delay of enhanced Siri, Apple won't be able to pivot until iPhone 18, so a much larger percentage of their customer base is possibly affected. I am hypothesizing here, but since antenna-gate only affected one product cycle of iPhones, I am explaining why this Siri issue could be a much bigger problem for Apple.

So, yes, I think this inability to deliver an enhanced Siri is several orders of magnitude more important than antenna-gate. Siri affects most of Apple's products.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

Imagine if they just ran the same video as last year.

Apple should have just kept that video in the can for a year, and released it for the first time this year.

 

[Javert24601]

Well, I do think Tim Cook is doing as well or better than any other CEO. He just isn't Steve Jobs, but then who is?

Elon Musk

 

[chineseguy38]

How about Tim Apple? He should be issuing official apology for empty promises for iPhone 16 series. He only cares about money he's getting for his pocket and not delivering his promises.

 

[delsoul]

But look of what they did to “improve” the iOS Photos App 😂. Does anyone at Apple actually try to use the sh*t they’re developing?

I think it’s absolutely major league ridiculousness that they removed the ‘select all’ function for photos. It made transferring images off of your phone/ipad extremely easy, especially if you have a large photo library. Some ‘genius’ thought it was a great idea to remove it in the last iOS update and now it’s extremely difficult to save a large photo collection. I seriously wonder if Apple is intentionally trying to sabotage themselves on their products and software. My only guess is they’re trying to force people to use iCloud…and I’m not using that nonsense. Apple used to talk about simplicity and making life work easier. Apple is NOT about these values anymore and it’s quite obvious.

 

[Night Spring]

And while they need to deal with this latest problem it's not some order of magnitude greater than antenna-gate, bend-gate and so many other things that hit Apple just like things hit most companies.

I see another poster has already addressed this, but I'd add that unlike those earlier "gates," this was a totally predictable and avoidable problem. Apple got swept away by the AI hype, and tried to add it to the iPhone on an impossible schedule. That is a very different issue from unforeseen hardware issues like antenna gate and bend gate.

I would say it would be closer to 60% currently for me. Apple said they put in an improved microphone into the 16PM, but I see no evidence of that because Siri went from 70% to 60% on this phone and iOS version. Just today, I had to keep saying "Siri", "Siri", "Hey Siri", "Siri", and "Siri" right into the microphone before Siri finally responded. Very frustrating!

Me, I've been waiting for years to be allowed to use a different word to activate Siri. Because of my speech disability, that's a word I just can't say reliably. They finally added it with iOS 18. It's been how many years? In the meanwhile I've gotten used to using "type to Siri" instead, so I haven't set up an alternate activation word.

 

[Night Spring]

Elon Musk

He seems a little busy with other projects.

I was talking about who they could have gotten to run Apple after Jobs. Sorry if that wasn't clear in my post.

 

[maxoakland]

If they can demo it to employees, why can't they demo it publicly? The biggest issue is the perception that it's vaporware. That would help a little to clear it

 

[regroll]

Siri workers at Apple? The most at risk jobs from AI that ever were and should finally make Siri what everyone wants it to be. Console them? Probably the only team that should’ve been axed for ten years running.

 

[GermanSuplex]

This may be the first intentional leak I've seen soliciting sympathy.

As for the 60-80% accuracy for new features, I would love that with the features they shipped back with the original Siri like "Call Mary" which does not work 60-80% of the time.

Here's one from recently on my Apple Watch:

View attachment 2492163

Just one example, but there's random stuff like that that doesn't make sense all the time.

The most annoying for the last year or so is when I do "Call John" on my iPhone and for whatever reason it thinks I am saying my own name (let's say that's David) and it thinks I say "Call David" and it then proceeds to tell me it has no phone number for David—and yet my contact card certainly has my number.

They aren't delivering now what they were supposed to have delivered even pre-Siri with Voice Control back in 2009.

They're not delivering now what IVR phone systems delivered in terms of accuracy back in the 1990s.

Me: “Play ‘Dreamer’ by Prince”
Siri: “Now playing ‘I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing’ by Aerosmith on Apple Music.”

This isn’t a one-off. Crap likes this happens on this supposed “intelligent” Siri more than it did on iOS a decade ago.

 

[Javert24601]

I thought this article does a pretty good job of explain how Apple works.

Above Avalon: Apple Isn't a Tech Company

Apple continues to be misunderstood. With the company's cash cows showing signs of maturity, Apple's interest in new industries is growing. Questions are swirling as to where Apple may be headed next. The answer is found by assessing how Apple views itself and the role it has to play in the

www.aboveavalon.com

Basically, it’s one way of keeping politics out so you don’t have rival hardware factions fighting with one another.

Abazigal,

I appreciate the link, and I did read the article. Yes, I believe we have all understood on some level that Apple is also a "lifestyle" (aka "design") company. I have not always appreciated the design language, but it is what it is. If we accept the underlying assumption of the article, then the blame falls squarely on Tim Cook, and he should be fired by the Board. The issue with Apple being a design company is that there are too many products these days. In the past, Apple had to deal with the Mac, MacBook, iMac, Airport, and their printer (I'm sure I am missing several products). These days, Apple also has the iPhone, iPad, AppleWatch, HomePod, HomePod mini, etc., etc.. There are literally too many product to be controlled/limited by a small design team, and we see evidence everywhere about products not being updated in a timely fashion, Mac Pro for instance. Arguably, the design team needs to be enlarged.

Furthermore, technology is advancing much more quickly these days. My first major computer was an Intel 386. How long did Intel stay on the i386 processor? Now, we are dealing with a new generation of CPU yearly. AI is advancing by leaps and bounds every couple of months. For a company to be lead by its design team requires that design team to be up to date on all technological advancement. Apple clearly missed the boat on AI. Apple was lead astray on its AppleCar project (I'm okay with a company trying something different and failing because a company should try to be innovative). Apple pursued AppleVision even though it was already clear that the technology isn't available for it to be feasible. The design team either isn't listening to the operations/technology team and/or isn't keeping up with the evolution of technology.

A small design team would explain why Apple has to focus on a couple products at a time, but again given the multitude of Apple products currently, it should have been obvious that the design team is too small. If the design team is the limiting factor, then why does Apple have all of those employees? This is why I am saying the fault lies with Tim Cook for not recognizing the issue and proactively addressing them.

Finally, given how quickly technology evolves, how quickly AI has become expected in products, and how Siri is part of almost every major product, Apple's failure to deliver an enhanced Siri in a timely fashion has the potential to be disastrous to the company. I am actually worried that Apple could be a dinosaur in 5-7 years. The example would be Nokia, which was the leading phone manufacturer, but when it missed the boat on smart phones, how quick was its demise? That is the threat to Apple at the moment - its very survival. So, it is ludicrous about Robby's lack of urgency on this issue. Sure, Apple is sitting on a lot of money, but that will only delay the inevitable.

 

[Javert24601]

He seems a little busy with other projects.

I was talking about who they could have gotten to run Apple after Jobs. Sorry if that wasn't clear in my post.

Elon is overwhelmingly busy these days.

Yes, Jobs selected Tim probably because there was no other suitable candidate, and I don't think Ives was interested in the job. Tim has been an asset to Apple, but his shortcomings have led to this situation. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there is anyone in Apple currently who is a "complete package" that could replace Tim. With that being said, the Board should hold Tim accountable for the current, self-inflicted fiasco and the poor handling of it and start a search for a new CEO.

 

[Col795]

Take your time.

 

[yabeweb]

Apple acts like they are doing something no one else did, and make you think the need time to make it perfect.
Apple nowadays is only a marketing company.

I also guess this shows that remote working is a way of losing quality.

 

[audiophilosophy]

Why is Apple tolerating mediocrity? Siri is 10 years behind Android. We all know what Steve would have done.....

Cook doesn’t prioritize hiring A players like Jobs did. Jobs (in a mid-1990s TV interviews) gave the formula for success. It was all about hiring only A players. Cook saw that and just said, “Naaaaaw.”

Digital Grass Innovation & Technology | Apple CEO: Diversity is ‘the future of our company’

digigrass.com

 

[Macaholic868]

… I am not banging the doors of Apple HQ demanding an apology (for what?)

False advertising. You might be OK with a company breaking US federal law to steal money from unwitting consumers but I’m not.

Apple showed commercials they have now had to pull to sell the iPhone 16 using features that didn’t exist and will not be out until after the iPhone 16 is no longer their flagship product. In fact, it’s even worse than that as there is no guarantee from Apple that we’ll see these features in iOS 19 at all either. All Apple is now saying is that it’ll likely be next year.

If I bought an iPhone, especially a Pro or Max that cost north of $1,000, based on false advertising I’d be upset. So enough with this “I don’t see what they did wrong” or “they don’t owe anybody anything” garbage. If you bought a phone based on these features being publicly advertised and touted by Apple or decided to pass on a phone from another vendor in favor of keeping your iPhone 15 Pro or Max based on Apple’s false advertising then Apple does owe you something. Period. End of discussion.

If Apple hadn’t actively advertised and promised these features other than to say they are on the roadmap and won’t ship until they are ready then you’d have a point but they didn’t do that. They used these non-existent features as a selling point for a product that wouldn’t have sold as many units had they been honest. That’s illegal.

 

[Fraserpatty]

As usual, it is the Siri team that needs to be consoled for what is essentially a managerial fault. Looking at you, John G. and Tim Cook. The actual truth of the matter is that Siri brought in no money. Had Siri not been ignored and neglected for so very many years of disappointment, people would be much more forgiving now.

 

[svish]

Not expecting Siri to improve all on a sudden. Over the next 2 to 3 years, to will hopefully be much better than how it is today.

 

[F-Trunks]

nah, let them be embarrassed. Siri is a ****ing joke.

 

[Fraserpatty]

We have other commitments across Apple to other projects," Walker said, citing new software and hardware initiatives. "We want to keep our commitments to those, and we understand those are now potentially more timeline-urgent than the features that have been deferred." He said decisions on timing will be made on a "case-by-case basis" as work progresses on products planned for next year.
/////////////////////////////////////////

So, new software and hardware initiatives are more urgent than the features that have been deferred, the ones which were used to market iPhone 16....

Ok, more Tim Cook ethics and to hell with the customers as long as the shareholders love me. Quit now Tim.

Yes, I zeroed in on that too. It sounds like a big break will be taken from the Siri initiatives until some of the other things that we have not been waiting years for will be prioritized . As I said before, if they had not neglected Siri for so long things would be different. But as it is, Siri ought to be the prime objective now. I guess we are supposed to be diverted by New displays and other new features. When are people going to realize that the majority of us are too smart for diversionary tactics to work? It just makes me angry when we get treated like children in that manner, and not only by Apple.

 

[Fraserpatty]

How is it possible that Giannandrea still has a job? Siri has been treading water for a decade or more now. I just don't get it.

Absolutely.

 

[9081094]

You may have some points here, but using “Timmy” made it really hard for me to take anything else you wrote in good faith. Disrespectful.

The only thing disrespectful is the way Apple treats its customers.

 

[TechnoTiger3000]

Apple totally missed the boat on streaming until they suddenly didn't and Apple Music is a perfectly fine competitor to Spotify. Likewise they totally missed the boat on watches until the Apple Watch came out and made everything else obsolete...etc, etc, etc.

It'll be fine, agreed.

What are you talking about? Apple Music isn’t another Apple Maps disaster, but it’s nowhere near Spotify. And they were never behind on watches. There wasn’t even a real smartwatch market before the Apple Watch. Pebble and Samsung had some niche attempts, but Apple built the boat.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

...I asked Siri when the iPhone 6 was released. This was the response I got: View attachment 2492251

I asked the same question but prefaced it with ChatGPT. I got this response:
View attachment 2492252

It’s pretty pathetic that Siri can’t answer a simple question like that. And it doesn’t even hand off to ChatGPT to answer it.

Yup, I got the same result. I then asked Siri: "I recently read that you were given a database of all of Apple’s products, enabling you to answer questions about them right from my iPhone, so that you wouldn’t have to direct people to the Internet for answers to questions about Apple’s product lines. Is this true?" Siri answered: "I didn’t get that. Could you try again?"

In other words, either what we've read about this isn't accurate, or this database of Apple products that Siri now supposedly contains is actually very limited, possibly only to current models, so that asking about the iPhone 6 threw it for a loop. Meaning it's not a replacement for the Mactracker utility.

 

[9081094]

I use Siri many times per day. Zero problems.

Maybe you you ask it the same question over and over multiple times a day 🤓