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How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

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Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#201

Post by simonh »

x0x0 wrote: post #165
IBM wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So Forstall and his direct report were responsible for two botched product launches, Siri and Maps. This is a big blow to the camp suggesting firing Forstall was a mistake.

I think Job was responsible for the maps debacle. When you set hard deadlines for software release dates because you want to have tentpole features for IOS releases, and you mostly refuse to do widespread beta tests because then it won't be surprising, you're creating the maps debacle. Now I'm sure maps was harder than it looked, but I'd also bet lots of people on the inside knew that. They should have let the date s…

This is all moot with respect to Jobs. He resigned due to health reasons 20 months before Apple Maps was launched and died almost a year before it was launched.

They couldn't let the date slip, because the deal with Google was set to expire and not having a built-in maps application at all was not an option.

The question you need to ask is, did a pushy management style make Apple Maps better than it would have been otherwise or worse. I think it's hard to argue that pushing the team hard didn't produce a better product than they would have had otherwise.

Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#203

Post by [deleted] »

CharlesW wrote: post #43
Twisell wrote: post #28

Something always make me scratch my head. Is there any proof that actual people use and value Google and Amazon assistant more than Siri? Or is the leadership only designed by autoproclaimed experts and funky ad-hoc metrics? I totally confess that I use Siri for only 3 things: -Desactivating all wake up alarm during my morning poo -Setting timers while baking -Sending a « I’m coming » text to my loved one before ridi…

> Is there any proof that actual people use and value Google and Amazon assistant more than Siri? I found at least one measurement report: As of July 2017 Verto Analytics showed Siri on top[1] with 41.4M unique users per month (but falling), and Alexa with only 2.6M (but rising fast). [1] https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/11/siri-usage-and-engagement-...

[deleted]

Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#204

Post by na85 »

ddingus wrote: post #151
hellofunk wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I want to like Siri but I spend so much time correcting what it has misunderstood, it's nearly not worth using it. The Google alternative is, from what I understand, something that just works .

But it's not personified to the degree Siri is. I noted this elsewhere in the thread. Doing that bit of theatre, with some humor, pop culture relevant things, even just good responses, appears to matter more to people than "it can do it", and "it actually did it" hit rates. OK Google needs a name. Google is this big, smart thing. People get that. But, "Ask Siri" has less friction and appears easier to identify with t…

Personification is an antifeature to me. I find the named Siri and Alexa to be juvenile and mildly embarrassing.

Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#205

Post by aluhut »

ebikelaw wrote: post #76
CharlesW wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Is there any proof that actual people use and value Google and Amazon assistant more than Siri? I found at least one measurement report: As of July 2017 Verto Analytics showed Siri on top[1] with 41.4M unique users per month (but falling), and Alexa with only 2.6M (but rising fast). [1] https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/11/siri-usage-and-engagement-...

Honestly my own experience makes me wonder how many of those "users per month" either accidentally invoked it by holding down the button on their phones or had Siri just pop up and start yakking because its hotword detection went wrong.

My company had to switch from Microsoft to IPhones. I hear Siri every day. Usually followed by swearing.

When I got mine, I was trapped in some Siri -> Lock Screen -> Siri combination. "Siri go away" and "Siri show me the home screen" didn't help either. I just wanted to get on the home screen but since there is no Back-Button...well it's disabled now.

Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#206

Post by awiesenhofer »

eltoozero wrote: post #182

Wow so much Siri bashing in here. I’m a daily driver and I suppose an outlier working on a now aging 6S+ but Siri has been way reliable and generally fast outside of what I’d call “harsh” environments like outside on a busy street or with poor reception. I’m able to consistently perform: - Reminders with or without location tags “add eggs to grocery list” “remind me to check oil when I get home” - Calendar events “cr…

> or with poor reception.

Call me oldfashioned but I find it neither smart nor acceptable to require reception for should-be-simple things like time telling, reminders or math/calculations.

The last one always irks me in browsers too, when I try to calculate or convert something in the adressbar and it doesn't do anything because my wifi dropped.

Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#207

Post by iDemonix »

Jdam wrote: post #195
eltoozero wrote: post #182

Wow so much Siri bashing in here. I’m a daily driver and I suppose an outlier working on a now aging 6S+ but Siri has been way reliable and generally fast outside of what I’d call “harsh” environments like outside on a busy street or with poor reception. I’m able to consistently perform: - Reminders with or without location tags “add eggs to grocery list” “remind me to check oil when I get home” - Calendar events “cr…

I use it to set the alarm, a pretty basic task. Works in 6/10 cases. This is totally unacceptable in the age of “smart”.

Are you doing it wrong? I set my alarm every night with Siri in my 4-year old iPhone 6 and I can't recall ever having an issue...

Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#208

Post by Mister_Snuggles »

melling wrote: post #73
spullara wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All of those Siri can do. Anything else?

Yeah, Siri doesn’t hear as well. It can’t pause music by me asking it. It also has some annoying bugs: http://h4labs.org/siri-next-monday-isnt-christmas/ Another one is when Siri tries to update an existing reminder when I say “create reminder” I have Apple Music and I’ll often use my little Echo Dot when I want to play a song just because I can simply talk to Alexa from across the room and it will hear me.

I’ve started using Siri to control music when I drive. “Hey Siri” followed by “pause music”, “next track”, “go back”, “play music” all work as expected.

Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#209

Post by Angostura »

sjwright wrote: post #160
tinus_hn wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Siri may have stalled now but it definitely wasn’t a botched launch. And Apple maps may not work great in all cases but it did succeed in forcing Google to provide decent maps on iOS. Before Apple Maps the vector maps were an Android exclusive.

Apple Maps is like Bing: almost as good as the #1 service, but almost is not enough to make anyone care. Apple Maps is remarkably good today, doing nearly all of the important things well. Here in Australia, it's on par with Google Maps for driving (slightly worse for novel route planning, slightly better for guidance) and when travelling to major world cities I've found Apple Maps is frequently better than Google Ma…

almost is not enough to make anyone care.

It's good enough that I use it primarily on my phone over Google Maps, in the UK

Re: How Apple let Siri fall behind the Google Assistant and Alexa

#210

Post by Angostura »

veesahni wrote: post #36
Twisell wrote: post #28

Something always make me scratch my head. Is there any proof that actual people use and value Google and Amazon assistant more than Siri? Or is the leadership only designed by autoproclaimed experts and funky ad-hoc metrics? I totally confess that I use Siri for only 3 things: -Desactivating all wake up alarm during my morning poo -Setting timers while baking -Sending a « I’m coming » text to my loved one before ridi…

Google's voice recognition is excellent. I trust Assistant to help me throughout my day with a number of things now: - Cooking & laundry timers - Reminders (remind me to do X when I get home) - Directions (Take me to the nearest X, take me home, etc) - Checking hours of business (what time does X close today) - Initiating phone calls (Call X) - Checking weather (is it going to snow today? How cold is it right now?) -…

I use Siri a fair amount from the Phone (mainly in the car or kitchen to be honest).

Going through those:

- Cooking & laundry timers - Yes. Works well

- Reminders (remind me to do X when I get home) - I find Apple geofenced alerts to be unreliable.

- Directions (Take me to the nearest X, take me home, etc) - Pretty good, search isn't as good as Google, but good enough these days.

- Checking hours of business (what time does X close today) - Never tried, doubt it would work.

- Initiating phone calls (Call X) - Yes - Works well

- Checking weather (is it going to snow today? How cold is it right now?) - Yes, works well

- Conversions (what's X ounces to ml) - Never tried. Just tried now - works OK

- Quick stock checks (what's X stock price) - As above works OK, says whether there has been a fall or rise.

- Playing music around the house (play X on the kitchen speakers)- works very well.

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