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According to a Digitimes report, Apple will be coming up with an enhanced version of Siri to coincide with the launch of its flagship phone by September. The report also suggests that Apple is doing this to make Siri more competitive against the big players within the A.I. field, after it has fallen behind strong competitors such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Both Google Assistant and Alexa are now being incorporated to other devices, appliances, and apps. Because of these A.I. assistants’ flexibility, Siri could soon be biting the dust if Apple does not act and improve on it immediately.
One of the first steps to making Siri smarter is already in the pipeline. Included in the release notes for iOS 10.3 beta testing is the option to share users’ iCloud data, which the company hopes will help in improving Siri.
Other Phone Manufacturers Jumping In On The A.I. Bandwagon
Last year, Google achieved a lot of success when it launched its new line of Pixel smartphones and incorporated Google Assistant in the phones. Although it is still in its infancy, Google Assistant is now being courted by other smartphone vendors. In fact, the LG G6 is rumored to be the first non-Google handset to be equipped with Google’s A.I.
On the other side of the pond, Samsung acquired Viv Labs, an A.I. startup, late last year. Viv’s founders also happen to be Siri’s creators who left Apple in 2010 to build their own company. The Samsung subsidiary is now in the process of developing Bixby, which will become one of the main features of Samsung’s next-generation flagship.
3 Things Apple Needs To Do To Make Siri Better
Jay McGregor, a tech contributor for Forbes, says that Apple needs to do three things in order for Siri to compete — and at the same time, differentiate itself — from the likes of Alexa. First, it needs to have the capability to adjust the settings of a phone through voice commands. Being able to do things such as adjusting the brightness of your phone’s screen or changing your notification settings with your voice could make a big difference, says McGregor.
Another is to order items without having to subscribe to a service. Currently, you’ll need to have an Amazon Prime subscription in order to purchase something on Amazon with Alexa’s help, so Apple should think about partnering with another major online retailer. Also, Apple would greatly benefit from extending Siri’s support for third-party apps such as music, weather, and other non-Apple software.
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