AppleInsider Staff
Microsoft on Friday released a short ad bashing lack of enhancing Siri when it released the latest iPhone 6 models, expectedly touting Windows Phone-based Cortana virtual assistant technology.
Like a commercial aired in July, the short 30-second spot shows Cortana and Siri, apparently pals at this point, chit chatting about the new iPhone 6.
"Hi Siri, looks like you're in a new phone. Congratulations," Cortana says. Siri responds, "Yes, I got bigger," in speech noticeably more stilted than Microsoft's personal assistant.
Cortana is curious as to whether Siri was granted enhanced functionality with her new home, asking "are you more like me now?" Does Siri schedule reminders based on calls and texts or adjust for time using traffic report data?
Siri, in deadpan monotone, repeats that "she just got bigger," a jab at Apple's new 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus sizes.
"That's OK, happens to everyone this time of year," Cortana quips, referring to the holiday season.
The dialogue is obviously staged, as neither Cortana or Siri are advanced enough to carry on basic conversations beyond programmed responses, but Microsoft's portrayal is unsurprisingly less forgiving of Apple's digital assistant than its own solution.
Today's ad is the latest in a string of aggressive commercials targeting Apple's popular iOS device business. Microsoft first went after Siri earlier this year when it promoted Windows 8 tablet capabilities in an ad titled "Less talking, more doing." With Cortana now a tentpole Windows Phone feature, it seems Microsoft no longer adheres to that mantra.
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70 Comments
Heh. How the tables have turned.
The fools in Redmond don't seem to understand that a new Cortana bullet-point is NOT a selling-point.
What's next?
Lumia . . . er . . . Windows Phone . . . er . . . Microsoft Phone(?) KILLER FEATURES:
- They turn on
- Speakers
- Can make calls
Only a matter of time before MS axes this dead platform completely. But, Zune-like, they love to prolong the bleeding. It was already too late at the close of Windows Phone's first year on the market. THAT was their window of opportunity. In current market dynamics, that's all you've got. It's just a black hole now that swallows marketing dollars.
I actually have to give it to Microsoft on this one... at least insofar as the advertisement. Its pretty effective, even made me giggle and I love Siri. I have no doubt however that when Siri is updated next it will be a major update that blows all the competition out of the water in the same way the very launch of Siri did. Also, this further illustrates that Apple is in a league of their own. Both Microsoft and Pretty much every Android manufacture continue to aim 100% of their advertising at more successful Apple products. Meanwhile Apple keeps running advertisements highlighting the best features of their products... ignoring the noise from competitors entirely. I believe the next major Siri update will come with the launch of Apple Watch. In either case, Cortana wouldn't even exist without Apple.
[quote name="Quadra 610" url="/t/183547/microsoft-highlights-lack-of-new-siri-features-to-promote-cortana-in-new-ad#post_2643268"]The fools in Redmond don't seem to understand that a new Cortana bullet-point is NOT a selling-point. Only a matter of time before MS axes this dead platform completely. But, Zune-like, they love to prolong the bleeding. It was already too late at the close of Windows Phone's first year on the market. THAT was their window of opportunity. In current market dynamics, that's all you've got. It's just a black hole now that swallows marketing dollars. [/quote] Yeah, I remember Microslut's first phone after the iPhone. Was it the Kin... or was it the Windows 7 phone... one they buried in a landfill and the other they stopped upgrading before a year was out. [quote name="pigybank" url="/t/183547/microsoft-highlights-lack-of-new-siri-features-to-promote-cortana-in-new-ad#post_2643270"]I have no doubt however that when Siri is updated next it will be a major update that blows all the competition out of the water in the same way the very launch of Siri did. [/quote] I thought Apple opened Siri up to 3rd-party developers to access... but anyway I have not forgotten the demo Apple did over a year ago that offered more life-like female voices for Siri... WTF ever happened to that!!?
Really, let's list Siri features and then have her say she's just bigger? By the way, the days of who's got the best virtual assistant are over.