Microsoft Announces Cortana For iPhone Available Later This Year

[MacRumors]

Microsoft today announced that its Cortana personal digital assistant will be available for iPhone and Android smartphones later this year, after multiple rumors hinting at cross-platform expansion of the service over the past year. Windows 10 will also feature a new "Phone Companion" app as a central place for PC users to install Cortana and other Windows-related apps for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.

Microsoft unveiled Cortana on Windows Phone 8.1 last April as the company's answer to Siri and Google Now, and the company is also bringing the personal digital assistant to the desktop as part of Windows 10 this summer. Cortana's features include contextually-aware reminders, routing and mapping, current weather and traffic conditions, sports scores, biographies and more.

Some of Cortana's features on Windows Phone won't initially be available on iPhone and Android smartphones, including toggling settings, opening apps or "Hey Cortana" hands-free invoking of the personal digital assistant. Microsoft will also release an updated version of its Xbox Music app for iOS with free streaming playback of your music files and playlists from OneDrive in late June or July.

Article Link: Microsoft Announces Cortana For iPhone Available Later This Year

 

[MH01]

very cool. Good to have options.

 

[k1121j]

hmmm a little healthy competition

 

[newdeal]

I really really really hate Siri, I find she never can understand what I want and always gives me terrible results for navigation requests. Hopefully Cortana will be able to tie in with navigation because for windows phone Cortana did a great job for me (although Here maps was terrible so hopefully it works with something other than that)

 

[Mackinjosh]

Excellent. Both Cortana and Google's voice tool are much better than Siri.

 

[Traverse]

I've been impressed by Google's and Microsoft's voice assistants. Siri is really lacking by comparison, but is getting better.

Still, I rarely use it anymore. Certain things are just too slow. Like launching apps, I can navigate my phone and tap the icon in the time it takes her to process the command.

 

[KindredMAC]

Does anyone know if Cortana is going to be available for XBOX ONE?
The voice interface on XBOX ONE is completely wretched. If you don't say the EXACT phrase that it needs it will do nothing for you. It needs to have some leeway in understanding what someone wants to do.

 

[teslo]

i've never even actually fired siri up (on purpose, anyway). seeing my early adopter friends use it was plenty of experience.

 

[Crosscreek]

Two personal assistance on the same machine may cause relationship problems.

 

[brendu]

This is good and I'm glad to see it happening but unless you can make cortana replace Siri as the default AI in iOS I don't see this ever becoming too popular for iOS users.

 

[MacFather]

Deleted.

 

[jayducharme]

Some of Cortana's features on Windows Phone won't initially be available on iPhone and Android smartphones, including toggling settings, opening apps or "Hey Cortana" hands-free invoking

"Initially"? How about "never"? I can't see Apple relaxing iOS that much, giving an app access to system-controlling features such as launching native apps. And I also bet that you won't be able to start Cortana by holding the home button. Even apps like Launch Center work only with specific 3rd-party apps. I would bet that Cortana will launch MS apps, such as Office.

In other words, Cortana will be allowed very limited functionality in iOS, which will reduce its usefulness.

 

[Pagemakers]

As good news as this is, it's totally impractical unless Apple allow us to use it correctly. We are still waiting for them to do that with email and browser choice so I'm guessing this will be another great app that we can't fully utilise.

 

[TC400]

I am excited. Cortana works well and is quite fun to play with. I have high hopes for Apple's next version of Siri.

 

[Small White Car]

I'm glad that Microsoft finally started acting like a software company again. They're quite good at it.

 

[Rogifan]

"Initially"? How about "never"? I can't see Apple relaxing iOS that much, giving an app access to system-controlling features such as launching native apps. And I also bet that you won't be able to start Cortana by holding the home button. Even apps like Launch Center work only with specific 3rd-party apps. I would bet that Cortana will launch MS apps, such as Office.

In other words, Cortana will be allowed very limited functionality in iOS, which will reduce its usefulness.

And that should be surprising to no one though I'm sure some will still act shocked and outraged.

 

[zelman]

"Hey, Siri! Ask Cortana to remind me to..."

 

[keysofanxiety]

I've been impressed by Google's and Microsoft's voice assistants. Siri is really lacking by comparison, but is getting better.

Still, I rarely use it anymore. Certain things are just too slow. Like launching apps, I can navigate my phone and tap the icon in the time it takes her to process the command.

This, and many other examples, is why Apple seriously need to consider 'offline' Siri modes. For things like 'call xxxx' or 'open xxxx', these are not commands that need to be bounced off servers. Furthermore, people will likely be using these commands when in the car (moreso with the call/text commands), where you're not always going to have a stable Wi-Fi connection.

It's bitterly ironic that the iPhone 4, with its simple 'voice control', is far more suited to actually being functional in these instances.

 

[applepuree]

Windows 10 will also feature a new "Phone Companion" app as a central place for PC users to install Cortana and other Windows-related apps for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.

So it will be bypassing the App Store ?

 

[n-evo]

Not sure why I would use this over Siri. Simply because it will never have the same kind of OS level integration.

 

[jhromeror]

msft patches...

I'm glad that Microsoft finally started acting like a software company again. They're quite good at it.

I would like them to fix the xbox fitness app, 3 weeks after a core xbox patch and it won't work!

 

[iGeek2014]

"Hey, Siri! Ask Cortana to remind me to..."

There's a Windows Phone for that

 

[Saucesome2000]

I think this is a good thing and hopefully it pushes Apple harder to make Siri better. I use Siri a lot for a few different functions and as much as I love the feature, it could and should be so much better.

 

[Kabeyun]

"Initially"? How about "never"? I can't see Apple relaxing iOS that much, giving an app access to system-controlling features such as launching native apps. And I also bet that you won't be able to start Cortana by holding the home button. Even apps like Launch Center work only with specific 3rd-party apps. I would bet that Cortana will launch MS apps, such as Office.

In other words, Cortana will be allowed very limited functionality in iOS, which will reduce its usefulness.

I'd be surprised too. I thought that Apple has a prohibition against Apps that "duplicate core functions" of the OS and built in apps. Siri would certainly count. But then, much has changed and now we have keyboard alternatives. The App Store rules seem to be a moving target even for developers.

I must agree that Siri is a problem. It's hard to get her to do what you want, especially with directions and number lookups. She doesn't even recognize a contact name when said verbatim in a quiet room. (It's a company name and I think the AI logic forces her to look as personal names instead. Dumb.)

 

[bbeagle]

I'm glad that Microsoft finally started acting like a software company again. They're quite good at it.

Microsoft is quite good at making software? Really?

Please cite your proof with references.