Skip to main content

UK magazine Stuff gives an impressive demo of Siri on the iPhone 4S

Siri-iPhone-4S-AssistantWhile there may have been a fair amount of disappointment surrounding the lack of an all-new iPhone 5 at the recent unveiling of the iPhone 4S, there was one software upgrade that clearly stole the show. The built-in Siri voice-activated assistant easily took the cake for innovation at Apple’s iPhone event, with Apple claiming that you will be able talk to Siri in a normal voice and she will grant just about any request. The smart robot woman inside your new phone will be able to send emails and texts, bring up weather forecasts, google anything, get you directions, set alarms and reminders, and schedule meetings all with a tap of the home button and the sound of your voice. 

The iPhone 4 has basic voice command technology and all we had seen of Siri until now was a very well-produced Apple video and a live demonstration at the iPhone event, which we all know was carefully planned and tested. Many have speculated that perhaps Siri won’t work as well in the real world as it did on the Apple stage, and that iPhone users won’t have much use for it anyway. With this new hands-on video with Siri from the UK’s Stuff magazine, we get a feel for how well the software performs in real life and just how helpful it could be in daily use. We’re very impressed by how well Siri interprets natural voices (even with strong accents) and performs almost every imaginable task. The beeping is a little annoying if you ask Siri to do this many things in a row, but hopefully that can be adjusted or turned off. 

We’ll give you a full report of our Siri impressions when we get our hands on the iPhone 4S, but our hopes are pretty high for the new technology, especially with this new evidence in hand. It could be strange to see people telling their phones what to do all the time, but if we got used to Bluetooth phantom calls, we can probably get used to that. How would you use Siri in your daily life? 

Editors' Recommendations

Kelly Montgomery
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelly Montgomery is a magazine journalism graduate from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications…
iPhone 16: news, rumored price, release date, and more
A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

We're more than six months removed from the launch of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, so you know what that means: iPhone 16 rumors are in full force. Talk is heating up about everything from design leaks and rumored specs to camera changes and more.

Read more
How to transfer photos from an iPhone to a computer
The Apple iPhone 15 Plus's gallery app.

As the old saying goes, the best camera is the one you always have with you. If you're like most iPhone users, that means you've likely amassed a sizeable collection of photos on your device. However, while Apple's Photos app is a great way to manage and view your photo library, it's never a good idea to keep all your eggs in one basket. After all, suffering a lost or broken iPhone is painful enough without also losing all your precious digital memories in the process.

Even if you're backing up your iPhone to iCloud or your computer, it's a good idea to keep your photos backed up separately. After all, opening a folder or a photo management app is a much easier way to get at your photos than trying to extract them from an iCloud or iTunes/Finder backup, which requires either restoring them to another iPhone or relying on special software tools.

Read more
How to schedule a text message on your iPhone
Close-up photo of the Messages app on an iPhone.

Do you often send text messages to a friend or family member across the pond? Or do you want to message someone when you know they’re off work and are able to get to you in a reasonable manner? Maybe you want to send a message every day at the same time, to let your significant other know you’re on the way home and to ask if they need you to pick up anything.

If you said yes to any of these scenarios (or other ones you have in your head), you may be looking for a way to schedule text messages on your iPhone. After all, this is a feature that Android users have, and it can often prove incredibly convenient.

Read more