A new iPhone app promises to outdo Siri and bring similar voice activated features and functionality to older iPhones. But CIO.com blogger James A. Martin says the app lags far behind Apples virtual assistant and doesnt match up to the Speaktoit Assistant for Android app. Me: “What is the current temperature?” Speaktoit Assistant for iPhone: “I’m not too certain either way.” Me (repeating slowly): “What is the current temperature?” Speaktoit Assistant for iPhone: “I can’t really say at the moment.” And so it went with my tests of Speaktoit Assistant, a popular Siri-like Android app that made its iPhone debut last week. While the Speaktoit iPhone virtual assistant was indecisive, I’m not: The current iPhone version (0.2), which I tested, is essentially beta software that does a frustratingly inept job of speech recognition. The iPhone app costs $2, while the Android version is free—and does a far better job. Speaktoit Assistant for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (by Speaktoit LLC) promises to be “the most complete virtual assistant available” and do things Siri can’t, such as run on older iPhones. (Siri is currently limited to the iPhone 4S.) Speaktoit can also update your Facebook status, unlike Siri. In my tests, however, Speaktoit Assistant for iPhone didn’t complete a single task or answer one question satisfactorily. Some additional examples: Me: “Where is the closest grocery store?” Speaktoit Assistant for iPhone: “I’m not too certain either way.” Me: “Where is the closest Starbucks?” Speaktoit Assistant for iPhone: “I’m not too certain either way.” Me: “How many inches are in five feet?” Speaktoit Assistant for iPhone: “I’m not too certain either way.” Starting to See a Trend Here? Like any bad relationship, I began to wonder: Is it me? Or more specifically, is it my Southern accent? So I posed the same questions to Speaktoit Assistant on Android as well as to Siri on the iPhone. Both answered my questions accurately and quickly. For example, the Android Speaktoit Assistant showed maps of nearby grocery stores and Starbucks locations and delivered a Google search that immediately answered my inches-to-feet conversion question. Being a Southerner, I had to ask Speaktoit Assistant on iPhone and Android where the closest Piggly Wiggly is located. The iPhone avatar replied, “I’m sorry. I’m having trouble understanding the question.” When I asked again, the app showed me a map pinpointing a business called DemandTec Inc., a cloud-based analytics company that IBM acquired. (Is there a secret connection between Piggly Wiggly and Big Blue?) On my Android, however, Speaktoit Assistant located a laundry called Piggly Wiggly Wash in Millbrae, California—something not even Siri accomplished. One thing I like about Speaktoit Assistant is the ability to customize your avatar’s appearance—right down to the eyebrows. I transformed my male avatar into Harry Potter, just because I could. But that’s where my enthusiasm for the current iPhone version ends. If you’re jonesing for Siri on an older iPhone, I recommend Vlingo (by Vlingo Corporation). It’s free. It lets you send texts, emails, social media updates, dial by voice, and complete other tasks. And it does an excellent job of speech recognition. Will Speaktoit Assistant on the iPhone get better over time? Will Apple release Siri for older iPhones, thereby making apps like Speaktoit Assistant largely irrelevant? As the Speaktoit avatar would say, “I’m not too certain either way.” But I’m sure I won’t be replacing Siri with Speaktoit Assistant on my iPhone anytime soon. Related content Opinion How can CIOs protect Personal Identifiable Information (PII) for a new class of data consumers? Enterprises and data owners must ensure customer data privacy while training their machine learning models. Let us learn how. By Yash Mehta Mar 22, 2023 10 mins Data Privacy Data Science Machine Learning News ServiceNow continues workflow platform expansion with Utah release The company also doubles down on its customer success automation efforts, but bucks the trend by omitting GPT. By Peter Sayer Mar 22, 2023 7 mins CIO Build Automation Enterprise Architecture BrandPost Don’t buy into the hype of network observability to realize digital transformation success Just collect the right data and follow it to where it leads you. By Jeremy Rossbach, Chief Technical Evangelist, Broadcom Mar 22, 2023 3 mins Networking Feature How culture and strategic partnerships help fuel transformation Marc Hale, CTO for AIA New Zealand, recently spoke with Cathy O’Sullivan, editor for CIO New Zealand, about navigating the complexities of digital transformation, and focusing on culture to enable healthier outcomes for customers. By CIO staff Mar 22, 2023 7 mins CTO Digital Transformation Change Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe