Is this the end of Siri?
This leaves us with the big question – can Google Now actually kill Siri?
While Siri stores user voice data for analysis, Google Now works the most efficiently when users give Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) permission to access their user data. With a linked account, Google can analyze a user’s search history, bookmarks, calendar entries, location and even content from a Gmail account to deliver a customized experience. Google Now can fill the phone’s home screen with customized stock quotes, sports scores and local weather without being asked to do so. In addition, Google Now proactively makes localized, customized suggestions before users actually need them, in contrast to Siri, which answers user requests. On many levels, however, Google Now is considerably more intrusive than Siri.
Although Google Now is a fairly seamless experience on Android devices, it isn’t as cohesive on iOS until Google’s other apps, such as Maps, are installed. Another issue is the conversational nature of the two devices. Siri will repeatedly ask for clarification until a clear directive is stated, whereas Google Now tends to simply pull up web pages via Google search if the request is unclear. However, that may be Google’s intention, since sending users online via its search engine helps it generate display ad revenue.
Lastly, Google Now offers many of the same voice commands as Siri, such as setting alarms or looking up the weather, but it lacks the developed personality and sense of humor of Apple’s software.
As for which app is actually more advanced, initial reports indicate that Google Now works better as a supplement to Siri, rather than as a full replacement, which means there may be room for both to coexist peacefully (for now).
Next generation devices
Lastly, voice search will likely be a primary feature of Google and Apple’s upcoming devices. Both companies have a number of confirmed and rumored devices in their pipeline, such as Google Glass, Apple’s smartwatch and iTV. All of these devices are expected to use voice search on some level, which means Google Now and Siri could define future product releases.
Google Glass, which is the only confirmed product of the three, heavily uses voice search for launching apps and using “augmented reality” directions. Analysts have speculated that if Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) releases a smartwatch or smart television, both could benefit greatly from Siri integration, which could tie together the iPad, iPhone and other devices together across the iCloud for a more seamless, intelligent search experience.
The Foolish bottom line
In conclusion, Google’s launch of Google Now’s voice search capabilities for iOS is merely a symptom of a much deeper conflict between Google and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and not the simple voice search battle that many analysts and tech reviewers have been discussing.
Google wants to weave itself into Apple’s ecosystem as tightly as possible, utilizing the popularity of its own ecosystem to demand a presence on iOS devices. For Google, which controls 49.3% of the U.S. smartphone market with Android, maintaining a presence on iOS, which controls 43.7%, is an absolute necessity. Meanwhile, Apple is trying unsuccessfully to push Google away, since it has no interest in spreading the popularity of Google’s ecosystem and boosting Google’s ad revenue.
Although Apple and Google shareholders are still firmly at odds with each other over their companies’ strategies, the competition between their voice search apps could yield some impressive new products. Accelerated research and development to create the better voice search app could transform both Siri and Google Now evolving into true virtual assistants bordering on artificial intelligence in the next few years. By then, typing in search results could seem as outdated as using a physical encyclopedia to look up information.
The article Google vs. Apple: Let the Voice Wars Begin! originally appeared on Fool.com.
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