Neil Hughes
Apple is apparently working to open up Siri, its voice driven personal assistant, to third-party iOS applications, an improvement in services believed to be tied closely to the development of an anticipated "iWatch."
Apple's efforts are focused on allowing Siri to point users to third-party applications, according to a new report issued Monday by The Information. While this would allow Siri to do more advanced functions like booking a hotel reservation, the report suggested it could also be closely tied to integration with a so-called "iWatch."
"The technology being developed at Apple can also be applied to determine what app to show a user when they have limited screen space, as they would when using a smartwatch the company has been developing, according to people familiar with the effort," the report reads. "If a user starts running, for example, Siri might show them a fitness app that could help them track their workout while moving other apps into the background."
The report would suggest that voice controls will play an important part in Apple's anticipated wrist-worn accessory. Previous rumors have suggested Apple's device will also be focused on biometric feedback, providing users with health and fitness data obtained from the wrist.
Those claims have been bolstered by the fact that Apple has hired a number of experts from the medical sensor field. Even Apple itself has fueled speculation, as the company filed for ownership of the "iWatch" trademark in a number of countries around the world last year.
With rumors about a smart watch from Apple continuing to grow, speculation has pegged the launch for such a device to occur in late 2014.
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17 Comments
So an iWatch won't be for me, then? Siri more often then not misinterprets what I say. Surely Siri will be an optional convenience for some.
There is no iWatch (waves hand like Obi-Wan Kenobi).
I hope Apple doesn't think Siri is something more than an augment for any device other than the car. I don't want Siri blurting out crap in public, especially something personal.
[quote name="Ireland" url="/t/162578/siri-integration-with-third-party-apps-expected-to-play-key-role-in-apples-iwatch#post_2481867"]So an iWatch won't be for me, then? Siri more often then not misinterprets what I say. Surely Siri will be an optional convenience for some. [/quote] Despite English not being my mother-tongue (I began speaking English at the cusp of when a person is linguistically malleable- at the age of 13), I've no problem being understood by Siri 99% of the time. I don't even have to self-consciously enunciate each word to get the right response. Admittedly, I've no detectable accent but still even if I were to mumble through a sentence, 80% of the time it will be understood. I would say Siri probably understands me better than my partner of 7 years.
I wish Apple would stop launching everything at the end of year. They always end up with supply constrain at the peak of the holiday season, which is bad planning imo...