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Microsoft plans to bring Siri competitor Cortana to iOS devices, with focus on predictive intelligence

Microsoft is planning on making the next generation of its Siri competitor, Cortana, available on iOS and Android devices sometime after the fall, reports Reuters. The focus, says the company, will be on an intelligent assistant that predicts the help you need, rather than simply responding to user requests.

Cortana could tell a mobile phone user when to leave for the airport, days after it read an email and realized the user was planning a flight. It would automatically check flight status, determine where the phone is located using GPS, and checking traffic conditions.

Google has majored on this kind of proactive approach through its Google Now service, which aims to work out what you will want to know when, and Apple began implementing similar functionality into the Today view in Notification Center in iOS 7, but Microsoft believes that integrating everything into the digital assistant is the future … 

Microsoft aims to launch the advanced version of Cortana first in Windows 10, in the fall, with iOS and Android apps to follow.

Microsoft believes its work on speech recognition, search and machine learning will let it transform its digital assistant into the first intelligent ‘agent’ which anticipates users needs. By comparison, Siri is advertised mostly as responding to requests.

Microsoft’s head of research Eric Horvitz claims that the company is “defining the competitive landscape” of intelligent digital assistants, arguing that while none of the individual elements are new, bringing everything together through Cortana represents a breakthrough.

Microsoft has made a habit of mocking Siri in Cortana ads, largely focusing in the lack of contextual reminders. But this latest move may represent recognition that Windows Phone has little or no future (check out this interesting opinion piece on Mashable), and that Cortana’s only chance of survival is on rival devices.

Apple is of course expanding the role of Siri, using it within both car and home environments. Siri is the key to Apple describing CarPlay as a “smarter, safer way to use your phone in the car,” and HomeKit will allow voice control of home automation devices like heating, cooking, lighting and door locks.

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Comments

  1. Milorad Ivović - 9 years ago

    I really don’t understand this. It seems about as pointless as the Google app. Once you’ve put down your groceries, unlocked your phone, opened the app, you may as well just type your search.

    Or, could just ask Siri to google it for you.

    This will be no different. These voice assistants are useless without integration.

    • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

      True but if it finally pushes the advancement of Siri then I call it a good thing.

      • iSRS - 9 years ago

        Bingo. I am all for pushing Siri.

        One thing I noticed in the apple watch demo Monday was it seemed that Siri did keep a history of the conversation. There was a part when there was the initial query and then a less specific follow up that normally results in “I don’t understand” type responses. Hopefully contextual awareness is coming.

      • Ben Lovejoy - 9 years ago

        The follow-up question has been there a while. Try “How tall is the Empire State Building?” followed by “And when was it built?” (albeit in that example you get the same page)

      • airmanchairman - 9 years ago

        Siri got “Rhesus Monkey” and “Angela Ahrendts” first time around… I’m impressed!

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

        I think what’s going on at these companies is they are trying to figure out what’s useful and Apple starts with the basic functions and then adds more as they see more need. Microsoft takes the throw in as much as you can, even if it becomes annoying.

        I know someone that bought a Windows phone and the first week they were in rapture over Cortana as it’s constantly reminding you of this and that. Fast forward a couple of weeks, what was first neat and cool became annoying because it’s constantly talking to you when you don’t want it to. Then it becomes “How do I shut this damn thing OFF?”

        I hope that with Apple and IBM’s partnership that Apple can get Watson integrated with Siri. I think that might be a very useful back end.

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

      Actually Siri uses Bing, not Google. :-)

      Maybe Apple needs to come out with VoiceKit for voice app integration.

      • Milorad Ivović - 9 years ago

        ACTUALLY, it uses Bing if you say “search the web for”… which is way more syllables than just saying “google ” … if you say google, she’ll google.

  2. Jason Yap - 9 years ago

    I’ll admin, I only use Siri when I’m driving to make a call. Other than that, it’s faster to just type. So I am all about competition coming to my devices. Anything to push Siri to improve is more than welcomed.

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

      Siri does create calendar events really well. I use that a lot now. I set up wake up reminders and schedule future events. I find that useful. For me, it’s taking me time to get used to talking to the phone rather than talking to another person.

      The problem is using voice activation technology in noisy environments. Regardless of whether I use Siri or Google Now, they both have problems where there is too much ambient noise to hear what I’m saying.

  3. Mike Skocko (@themaclab) - 9 years ago

    “…The focus, says the company, will be on an intelligent assistant that predicts the help you need, rather than simply responding to user requests.”

    And immediately, “Clippy” sprang to mind.

    • philboogie - 9 years ago

      Plus I want to know why the egg nog recipe option is there.

    • strawbis - 9 years ago

      You mean that annoying little **** from Word that sprang up with a “boing” and stole the focus mid-flow to ask if you needed help? grrrrr.

  4. scumbolt2014 - 9 years ago

    Putting Cortana on iOS devices is the only way M$ will get this in people’s hands.

    • I’m no lover of Microsoft but as far as I know Windows 10 comes with cortana on the desktop. And using M$ to indicate that they are money-centric is a bit hypocritical when your on an Apple website don’t you think?

  5. dComments (@dComments) - 9 years ago

    I’ve used android(4 years) and Wp devices and now am using an iPhone 6. I can say that Siri is by far the worst of the three services and I will always try to use Google because it gives me accurate results. I continue to be puzzled by Apple when they develop and release something amazing, but then just let it sit and fall behind.

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 9 years ago

      I only use Siri to make appointments and things like that and for that it works well. I’m just not at the point where I use Voice commands all that often. None of them work in noisy environments. I tried. Google Now sucked just as bad as anything else in a noisy environment.

      I don’t think Apple is letting Siri fall behind, it’s just that they are continuing development and when they are ready to release an update, then we’ll see it. Apps don’t get developed in a vacuum. Maps has been getting improvements over time and I see less and less problems. In my local area I prefer Maps over Google Maps as Apple’s shows more restaurants. Remember Google has been developing Maps for a long time and it’s taken them a while to get where they are. Once Apple catches up with Google Maps, then Google Maps will be dead.

      The thing that people fail to realize, is that Google and Microsoft are both in or going into the Freemium model and they HAVE to have their software running on as many phones as possible, otherwise they lose ad and ad click revenue. Apple’s not in the Freemium model. Which one is better? Apple in terms of profits. None of the Android or Windows h/w OEM mfg make decent profits. If down the road Apple is able to get users from using Google Search, Google Maps, Google YouTube, then Microsoft is able to get Android users to use more Microsoft Services, then Google’s revenues dry up.

    • g04uld - 9 years ago

      Got to agree with you on siri, it’s just unusable as it fails to recognise regularly what you ask. For me it just falls into the novelty category and has been quickly forgotten.

  6. strawbis - 9 years ago

    Cortana on an Apple device will need launching and will have to run in the background continuously to be truly helpful to this degree – How much battery drain that will cause could be an issue.

  7. So a competitor is going to duplicate a feature of the phone, i thought that was not allowed… I don’t care, it makes no difference to me as there is no way i would download it anyway, just seems that they are assuming apple will even allow it on the iOS devices…

  8. NerdShouts - 9 years ago

    I don’t think so that Microsoft is going to make any difference. Google has already tried making its way to iOS, and see how they have failed. It is not going to work smoother.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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