4 ms·

Sounds like it's an evolution over Android's voice stuff, and better integrated. But the tech isn't what stops me from using Android's voice commands, generally

Sounds like it's an evolution over Android's voice stuff, and better integrated. But the tech isn't what stops me from using Android's voice commands, generally. It's that I'm not often enough in a situation to use it without feeling embarrassed (not going to do it at work or out and about, if I'm at home, I'm usually in front of the computer), and I usually forget about the function. Same goes with location reminders. I have an Android app that does them, but I never remember to actually set the reminders, because I don't have frequent enough opportunity to use it. The car is probably the only place I use voice commands frequently, but I don't drive that much. And really, aren't the bluetooth headsets a big enough scourge? Do we really need a bunch of people walking around talking to their phones without even having someone on the other end?

jeffclark 15y ago
"I don't use it, so nobody will use it." Slippery slope, man. Easy to forget there are a billion others you haven't met yet.
- joebadmo 15y ago
  Oh, I wasn't trying to imply that it will fail. Just relating my experience that social norms and robopsychology are bigger hurdles than the technology, imo.
- drats 15y ago
  I imagine of the ~7 billion people alive today, perhaps 6 billion are not potential Apple customers at all due to price. Quite a few billion are potential low-end Android phone users though. As I said in another comment in this thread it costs to put luxury seats into a cheap car to attempt to catch up to a BMW, it doesn't cost to put a great many features into budget Android phones though. This is why Apple is starting to use patents, because they actually don't have much when you boil it down. Even an Apple fan would be hard pressed to say Apple is 20% "better" than the latest Android. They will mostly point to a few UI features and say 10% better. I would say Android is easily better than iOS, as do many others, it seems to be largely a matter of taste. The tidal-wave of Android phones will swamp Apple in the end unless they can sue tons of people.
  - ceejayoz 15y ago
    > I imagine of the ~7 billion people alive today, perhaps 6 billion are not potential Apple customers at all due to price. Quite a few billion are potential low-end Android phone users though. The 3GS is now free with a contract, just like the low-end Android phones.
    - whatusername 15y ago
      My 32GB 3GS was free with a contract 27 months ago. I would expect the 4S to be the same on the 14th.
    - mikeash 15y ago
      "Free with contract" is still a roughly $1500 commitment. For the real low end, you need to look at what it costs for budget prepaid carriers, and in the iPhone's case I believe that you still simply can't get one there.
      - joebadmo 15y ago
        And you're still restricting yourself to the US market. Globally, your second sentence is a lot more representative, I think, because handsets aren't bundled with contracts. So the real prices of the handsets are reflected more accurately.
      - Steko 15y ago
        Who buys a smartphone for 2 months? If you're someone who wants a smartphone odds are even if it was off contract you'd end up paying the $1500 anyway. You might switch carriers more often but honestly all 4 carriers give the same "I wish it was somewhat better but I'm fine with any of them" service where I live.
        joebadmo 15y ago
        It's not for serial upgraders, it's for prepaid/regional carrier accounts. I have a friend who bought a Motorola Triumph recently and pays something $30/mo. for unlimited voice and data. There are also people who want a smartphone with just a voice plan because they only plan on using data while on wifi.
hack_edu 15y ago
Do we really need a bunch of people walking around talking to their phones without even having someone on the other end? Actually, walking down the street is the speech-to-text situation for me. Sending a quick text or Gtalk reply with voice is a hell of a lot easier and safer than trying to pound one out when I'm in the crosswalk.
- joebadmo 15y ago
  Maybe I'll give it a shot. [Edit: I just tried it on my lunch break. Felt very awkward. Different strokes, I guess.]
  - dazmax 15y ago
    Did you pretend like you were talking to a real person? I could see the conversational style that Siri supports breaking down some of the awkwardness of this. I would feel less awkward saying "Hey Siri, what's the weather going to be like tomorrow?" into my phone than "WEATHER. TOMORROW."
    - joebadmo 15y ago
      Yeah, it's a weird issue. It sort of depends on the context, but I think I would feel silly/awkward either way, but for different reasons. If I'm at home, I feel less silly giving commands like "WEATHER. TOMORROW." I guess because I don't want to feel like I'm talking to something that's not human as if it's human? I'm not sure. If I'm out and about, I want to use natural conversation so I don't look like an idiot, but would still feel internally strange, I guess for the reason above. It may just be a matter of socializing the behavior enough for it to be acceptable. Maybe I won't feel as weird if everyone does it all the time.
shoota 15y ago
It actually looks like it has similar capability to Vlingo for Android. Vlingo can do deeper integration into Android due to the intents and permission system making it comparable to Siri.

jeffclark 15y ago

"I don't use it, so nobody will use it." Slippery slope, man. Easy to forget there are a billion others you haven't met yet.

joebadmo 15y ago
Oh, I wasn't trying to imply that it will fail. Just relating my experience that social norms and robopsychology are bigger hurdles than the technology, imo.
drats 15y ago
I imagine of the ~7 billion people alive today, perhaps 6 billion are not potential Apple customers at all due to price. Quite a few billion are potential low-end Android phone users though. As I said in another comment in this thread it costs to put luxury seats into a cheap car to attempt to catch up to a BMW, it doesn't cost to put a great many features into budget Android phones though. This is why Apple is starting to use patents, because they actually don't have much when you boil it down. Even an Apple fan would be hard pressed to say Apple is 20% "better" than the latest Android. They will mostly point to a few UI features and say 10% better. I would say Android is easily better than iOS, as do many others, it seems to be largely a matter of taste. The tidal-wave of Android phones will swamp Apple in the end unless they can sue tons of people.
- ceejayoz 15y ago
  > I imagine of the ~7 billion people alive today, perhaps 6 billion are not potential Apple customers at all due to price. Quite a few billion are potential low-end Android phone users though. The 3GS is now free with a contract, just like the low-end Android phones.
  - whatusername 15y ago
    My 32GB 3GS was free with a contract 27 months ago. I would expect the 4S to be the same on the 14th.
  - mikeash 15y ago
    "Free with contract" is still a roughly $1500 commitment. For the real low end, you need to look at what it costs for budget prepaid carriers, and in the iPhone's case I believe that you still simply can't get one there.
    - joebadmo 15y ago
      And you're still restricting yourself to the US market. Globally, your second sentence is a lot more representative, I think, because handsets aren't bundled with contracts. So the real prices of the handsets are reflected more accurately.
    - Steko 15y ago
      Who buys a smartphone for 2 months? If you're someone who wants a smartphone odds are even if it was off contract you'd end up paying the $1500 anyway. You might switch carriers more often but honestly all 4 carriers give the same "I wish it was somewhat better but I'm fine with any of them" service where I live.
      - joebadmo 15y ago
        It's not for serial upgraders, it's for prepaid/regional carrier accounts. I have a friend who bought a Motorola Triumph recently and pays something $30/mo. for unlimited voice and data. There are also people who want a smartphone with just a voice plan because they only plan on using data while on wifi.

hack_edu 15y ago

Do we really need a bunch of people walking around talking to their phones without even having someone on the other end? Actually, walking down the street is the speech-to-text situation for me. Sending a quick text or Gtalk reply with voice is a hell of a lot easier and safer than trying to pound one out when I'm in the crosswalk.

joebadmo 15y ago
Maybe I'll give it a shot. [Edit: I just tried it on my lunch break. Felt very awkward. Different strokes, I guess.]
- dazmax 15y ago
  Did you pretend like you were talking to a real person? I could see the conversational style that Siri supports breaking down some of the awkwardness of this. I would feel less awkward saying "Hey Siri, what's the weather going to be like tomorrow?" into my phone than "WEATHER. TOMORROW."
  - joebadmo 15y ago
    Yeah, it's a weird issue. It sort of depends on the context, but I think I would feel silly/awkward either way, but for different reasons. If I'm at home, I feel less silly giving commands like "WEATHER. TOMORROW." I guess because I don't want to feel like I'm talking to something that's not human as if it's human? I'm not sure. If I'm out and about, I want to use natural conversation so I don't look like an idiot, but would still feel internally strange, I guess for the reason above. It may just be a matter of socializing the behavior enough for it to be acceptable. Maybe I won't feel as weird if everyone does it all the time.

shoota 15y ago

It actually looks like it has similar capability to Vlingo for Android. Vlingo can do deeper integration into Android due to the intents and permission system making it comparable to Siri.