Hands On: Siri's Translation Features in iOS 11

[aaanorton]

Yes... I have set siri to the right language..
It happens when it has a slight delay and closes the communication while listening after open .

This sounds like the Siri/home button relation change in iOS 10. Used to be that Siri would just listen for a bit after holding the home button long enough to invoke command. You could release the home button once Siri began. Now, Siri works better by simply holding the home button for the whole time you are speaking. Or by enabling "hey Siri".
Works for me anyway. Now if Siri on Apple TV would just get more reliable.

 

[PsykX]

I have iOS 11 installed here, and IMO Siri still doesn't cut it.
The natural voice and different languages are awesome, but it's way behind other assistants in terms of comprehension, possibilities, and worst of all, mandatory network requests. Apple has a LOT of work to do here.

 

[Floris]

This sounds like the Siri/home button relation change in iOS 10. Used to be that Siri would just listen for a bit after holding the home button long enough to invoke command. You could release the home button once Siri began. Now, Siri works better by simply holding the home button for the whole time you are speaking. Or by enabling "hey Siri".
Works for me anyway. Now if Siri on Apple TV would just get more reliable.

It's when I say hey siri
[doublepost=1498848025][/doublepost]

Why can't you find the screenshot on your device? It's always the newest photo in your photo library.

Simply already threw it out. Didn't think I would be scrutinised on this site over it.

 

[DoctorTech]

I can't wait to read about the first International incident started by a Siri translation error.
"Siri, how do you say 'I want a bowl of soup' in Chinese?"
Siri in Chinese "I am going to shoot"

 

[mickhyperion]

She can't even understand English. Give me a break.

 

[MacAddict1978]

I'm guessing you haven't used it in a while.

I use siri (well, voice dictation ... same difference for these purposes) for any text messages I send when:

1. It's going to be longer than a short-ish sentence, and,
2. I'm not at my computer to type it out

Yeah, I'll have to occasionally correct a word or two, but as long as I don't go out of my way to speak like I have mouth full of marbles, it usually works pretty well. Certainly a lot faster than tapping out a long message.

This doesn't speak to the fact that Siri is still half-retarded. She understands fine (well, as long as you don't use words with more than 2 syllables), it's comprehending she sucks at.

How is this news? Google and Microsoft's AI's translate into almost every language, both ways, and even show you how to write it.

I would NEVER trust Siri's translation. While traveling if asked, "How I say "Thanks for the cab ride. Where I can I go for supper?" I'd be afraid she would have me telling the cab driver "I'm going to go make your sister suffer and stab her in the cooch."
[doublepost=1498938320][/doublepost]

Google translate is great for stuff like that and it shows the translation in big letters when in landscape plus it can do sounds and translations, even translate live images on the spot, use it all the time to see what the chinese have printed on my packages or in the asian markets and the biggest positive is offline download of languages.
[doublepost=1498800226][/doublepost]
this reminded me of the older days of ios apps the navigation apps you could put different voices like vader, etc very fun!

Why does Apple really need to replicate better apps with their own sub-par version? *Shakes head." They should just scrap maps (Go back to Google Apple, seriously. Your users do!), scrap Siri, and .... well, I'd say spend the R&D money and effort on making other things better, but they obviously don't spend much on Siri. There is no money to be made. These things have not been a selling feature and have probably been more the tie breaker when someone was deeply torn between an new Galaxy or an iPhone.

I know these are 2 of many reasons why I left the iPhone behind. I really didn't want to be directed onto an airfield.

 

[SeattleMoose]

Siri, ATV, and Mac Mini....Apple's "ugly kids" that get the least love.

With Siri I'll believe it when it actually works. It has always been about 80% effective for me.

 

[Carlanga]

This doesn't speak to the fact that Siri is still half-retarded. She understands fine (well, as long as you don't use words with more than 2 syllables), it's comprehending she sucks at.

How is this news? Google and Microsoft's AI's translate into almost every language, both ways, and even show you how to write it.

I would NEVER trust Siri's translation. While traveling if asked, "How I say "Thanks for the cab ride. Where I can I go for supper?" I'd be afraid she would have me telling the cab driver "I'm going to go make your sister suffer and stab her in the cooch."
[doublepost=1498938320][/doublepost]

Why does Apple really need to replicate better apps with their own sub-par version? *Shakes head." They should just scrap maps (Go back to Google Apple, seriously. Your users do!), scrap Siri, and .... well, I'd say spend the R&D money and effort on making other things better, but they obviously don't spend much on Siri. There is no money to be made. These things have not been a selling feature and have probably been more the tie breaker when someone was deeply torn between an new Galaxy or an iPhone.

I know these are 2 of many reasons why I left the iPhone behind. I really didn't want to be directed onto an airfield.

you don't have to be directed nowadays, you can use both or delete the official apple app.

 

[EdT]

Siri, ATV, and Mac Mini....Apple's "ugly kids" that get the least love.

With Siri I'll believe it when it actually works. It has always been about 80% effective for me.

My results have been higher, but not high enough. If it is at 90% that means 1 out of 10 words it gets wrong. And some words or phrases it will get consistently wrong, no matter how many times you use and correct that word.

You need to be above 99% to make this a keyboard replacement feature. 99% means you still have (on average) 1 wrong word out of every 100. And that's assuming an average accent with no regional idioms.

 

[precogincog]

Right now Siri can't even understand basic english

"Open Safari"
(cuts off after open: WHAT YOU SAY? OPEN WHA?)
"Open Safari"
"There is no app called 'open safari' ..."

So I have very little hope on having this work outside in the busy streets where you play tourist.
I rather point it at a sign that says "this is a taxi spot" and i dont have to ask someone where if this is where i wait for the bus or can find a cab .. (random example).

This is every interaction I have with siri.

I mean the functionality to dictate is pretty good (I believe that everyone does this well now so this is a minimum), but that is really only ever useful when I happen to be driving and shouldn't be sending text messages in the first place.

 

[oldwatery]

If it can't understand Siri phone home...what chance. Siri is crap!

 

[tongefactor40]

How does it perform in regards to conjugation or sentence structure though? That was the biggest hiccup for the older version of Google translate when we were in Europe. It was more of a direct word-for-word translation.

 

[PsykX]

"Open Safari"
(cuts off after open: WHAT YOU SAY? OPEN WHA?)

Yeah I also have this problem when trying to play songs in the car, it's unbelievably frustrating and even more distracting from the road.
I can't remember if I had it with iOS 10 or not. Do you know if it's just in iOS 11 betas ?

 

[Tech198]

If it can't understand Siri phone home...what chance. Siri is crap!

Siri is not quite E.T. yet

 

[dilbert99]

I'm still waiting for Siri to understand the Scottish accent

 

[kdarling]

Siri can translate English to Mandarin, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, but not the other way around.

Wait, what? A one way conversation from English speaking tourist to a native with no response possible?

Compare that to the Android Google Translate app:

• Translate between 103 languages by typing
• Tap to Translate: Copy text in any app and your translation pops up
• Offline: Translate 52 languages when you have no Internet
• Instant camera translation: Use your camera to translate text instantly in 30 languages
• Camera Mode: Take pictures of text for higher-quality translations in 37 languages
• Conversation Mode: Two-way instant speech translation in 32 languages
• Handwriting: Draw characters instead of using the keyboard in 93 languages
• Phrasebook: Star and save translations for future reference in any language

 

[Tech198]

I'm still waiting for Siri to understand the Scottish accent

Now ya talkin,, bring on the Scottish accent.

 

[PaulRustad007]

Voulez-vous se coucher avec moi, c'est soir?

 

[Feenician]

I'm still waiting for Siri to understand the Scottish accent

Does a lot better with mine these days but, mind you, that’s Scotland via London, Paris and the US for almost a decade. Still, she does at least as well or better than around 25% of Americans I talk to. I have definitely had a few moments of... frustration here...

Always relevant (but a little NSFW language so be careful)

 

[ErikGrim]

This will be pretty useless if Siri won't translate English other than American on launch, considering less than 5% of US citizens travel overseas.

 

[antolex]

Siri works quite well for me...when I'm the only person in the room. Mainly use it to set the alarm (love how it'll ask "do you mean today or tomorrow?" after midnight), and to take notes and set reminders on my phone. Much more efficient than typing things out on the iPhone 5's tiny keyboard.
But it's completely useless when there's background noise, like in a cafe or any places with people talking. So unless they improve its ability to ignore background noise I'm not positive Siri Translate will work in a normal conversation context any time soon.