Ah, virtual assistants! Nobody really knows where these are headed, but by now it should be obvious that the big three mobile platforms are intent on pushing the frontier forward in what is shaping up to be yet another battlefield. Quite frankly, however, while the industry as a whole has been checking up with Google Now and Apple's Siri every now and then to see how each is doing and how they compare against each other, it's only now that Microsoft has finally entered the space that this is starting to feel like a real race. But before we talk about specifics and discuss where each of the three is likely headed, it's important to first understand where each is coming from.Most of you would assume that Siri is the one we should start with -- after all, when Apple introduced the personal assistant with the iPhone 4S in 2011, it was the first to do so, and it kept that title for a while. But the truth is that Siri and Google Now (introduced in 2012), while technically older products, aren't exactly the veterans here, for Microsoft has been toying with voice recognition for over a decade now. Sure, the form factor was different back then, but the truth is that the company has (or should have) more experience in this particular niche than both of its competitors taken together.
And this shows with Cortana, which, despite its BETA tag, is shaping up to be a pretty impressive alternative, and quickly. Indeed, Microsoft has come a long way since this historical blooper, at least judging by its Halo-inspired virtual assistant which is now part of Windows Phone 8.1. Why, however, and what about the rest?
Wait, what? Voice recognition engines
Yeah, that's where we'll start, because guess what -- if your virtual assistant is unable to understand what you're saying to it with a very high degree of success, then the frustration alone will drive you away from using it and turn it into a useless product. As it happens, the trio of Google Now, Siri, and Cortana, all handle themselves well enough to keep you around, but they're not all equally good.
Phone Arena
Siri having some difficulties understanding what it's being asked
Without a doubt, Siri is the best... at being the least capable. Indeed, while the voice recognition engine it is packing is pretty darn good overall, it's starting to lag behind Google Now and Cortana. What's worse, both Google Now and Cortana will fix what they consider misunderstood queries on the fly rather successfully, while Siri will simply keep to what it "thinks" you said, and make no edits even when an obviously nonsensical query is formed. This means that Apple's virtual assistant is sometimes left perplexed, while its competitors rush to give you the right answer.
With Siri out of the horse race (in this category), it's down to Google Now and Cortana to battle it out. Gun-to-our-head, we'd say that Google Now wins this one, but we still can't deny that Cortana is close. Very close.
With Siri out of the horse race (in this category), it's down to Google Now and Cortana to battle it out. Gun-to-our-head, we'd say that Google Now wins this one, but we still can't deny that Cortana is close. Very close.
Helpfulness
Then again, even a flawless voice recognition engine is useless if the digital assistant in question is just not programmed well enough to adequately provide help with your agenda and answer your many questions. You know, the kind of things that make an assistant. And, the less you have to do, the better.
This particular category, however, is far more complex, and it's worth defining what 'helpfulness' really is in this context. The way we see it, a good virtual assistant should go beyond the basics of just being able to set an appointment, open an app, or call/text a contact. Obviously, these are essential, but they can't quite top getting an extended answer to queries such as "When is Independence Day", which causes Google Now to go into history mode, or being able to teach Siri how to correctly pronounce your name. It's also very helpful if the assistant in question can perform tasks without requiring any input other than your voice -- a bit like how Siri handles tasks like setting reminders, and not at all how Google Now will have you do the grunt work in that same scenario, even if that gives you more control.
This particular category, however, is far more complex, and it's worth defining what 'helpfulness' really is in this context. The way we see it, a good virtual assistant should go beyond the basics of just being able to set an appointment, open an app, or call/text a contact. Obviously, these are essential, but they can't quite top getting an extended answer to queries such as "When is Independence Day", which causes Google Now to go into history mode, or being able to teach Siri how to correctly pronounce your name. It's also very helpful if the assistant in question can perform tasks without requiring any input other than your voice -- a bit like how Siri handles tasks like setting reminders, and not at all how Google Now will have you do the grunt work in that same scenario, even if that gives you more control.
Hi! I am UmEr Wa(Arshad), A part time blogger and love blogging. I am blogging since start of 2014. My main aim of blogging is to provide knowledge and my self experience to everyone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.- Way2hackie
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