Siri processing - will it always be cloud?

MuGeN · 25 Nov 2011 at 21:14

Does anyone know if the voice processing for everything will always be done in the cloud?

Only reason I ask is that I generally don't have a 3G signal so when I'm driving I can no longer say "call home" or anything like that since it just says "I am moving problems connecting to the network"

In essence, the only time I need voice commands (rather than using them as a novelty), I can't anymore... Is this simply the way its going and even basic stuff like "call xxx" won't be processed on the handset?

MagicBoy · 26 Nov 2011 at 00:17

Jimbeam3678 · 26 Nov 2011 at 00:19

MagicBoy said:
Yes.

Source? I would say basic commands like you have said may be locally stored in the future but I really am only making an educated guess I'm afraid.

MagicBoy · 26 Nov 2011 at 00:22

It's all an educated guess. If Apple could have made it work on the handset I'm sure they would have done. The accuracy via the Cloud processing will be much higher.

iOS 4 had voice dialling built in and it was rubbish.

uchuff · 26 Nov 2011 at 00:38

I don't have a 4S but I believe you can turn Siri off and get old style Voice Control back.

Mattus · 26 Nov 2011 at 03:39

I'm guessing it takes quite a lot of processing power or disk space at the server end to do natural-language voice control. Certainly the accuracy of the device-based voice control on my iP4 is so atrocious that it's next to useless.

Swarfega · 26 Nov 2011 at 09:45

I love the fact Siri is still being classed as Beta software.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/siri.html

"Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply."

Sick of Siri telling me it cannot search for restaurants or businesses in the UK.

Darkman · 26 Nov 2011 at 10:06

You have to smile. Apple parade Siri as a feature to get you to buy the 4S but still try to claim it's beta software.

Like the OP I've found unless I'm in a big town or city 3G coverage is next to non-existent. 3G arrived in 2003 - it will be at least 10 years old before 4G arrives. If the networks can't get 3G to work reliably after 8 years it's not filling me with hope.

MuGeN · 26 Nov 2011 at 10:50

Shame

the fact is the main use for Siri is hands free functionality, when do you need hands free? When your driving, and if your driving a lot of the time you're between cities where's there's no bloody Internet :mad:

Don't know what it's like in America, but this model just doesn't fit the uk

Tunney · 26 Nov 2011 at 13:04

The US is the same, if not worse, for rural signal.

Plus, the speed that you're travelling at can affect your signal too.

The Siri processing is done by huge server farms. I doubt we'll see a locally processed version any time soon.

Vertigo · 26 Nov 2011 at 13:25

MuGeN said:
Shame the fact is the main use for Siri is hands free functionality, when do you need hands free? When your driving, and if your driving a lot of the time you're between cities where's there's no bloody Internet

That's a bit of a big generalisation. Sure, if you're in a rural area there may well be no 'net, but most of the main motorway corridors have decent coverage.

Skyboat · 26 Nov 2011 at 18:21

You'd think there should be a cache feature of previous commands processed. The actual voice recognition is done on the phone, it's only sent to Apple for the natural language processing to determine the correct response.

Mattus · 26 Nov 2011 at 18:24

Darkman said:
If the networks can't get 3G to work reliably after 8 years it's not filling me with hope.

It's not a matter of reliability; it's a matter of cost-effectiveness and practicality. 3G coverage needs more masts than 2G because the signal doesn't penetrate as far. It's not worth investing in 3G coverage in an area where a low number of people will use the service/where it won't attract people to your network.

Plus everybody wants good signal, but nobody wants a phone mast in their back garden!

Darkman · 26 Nov 2011 at 18:43

I'm well aware of the limitations of higher frequency to penetrate buildings, cars etc and I'm not talking about rural areas out the back of beyond. Many small towns I've tried to get a reliable 3G signal in have not had anything but 2.5G and let's face it GPRS was painfully slow even when WAP was being billed as the next big thing. Edge is an afterthought when 3G didn't come along as expected.

Now in 2013 when the 800MHz spectrum finally becomes available it should be better than the 900/1800/1900 we have now but that will only be a part of the network and the rest will be even higher frequency than we have now.

Cost effectiveness has led to 2 Networks attempting to pool their resources already (with a laughable name given this discussion). Hopefully there will be more resource sharing outside busy urban centres when so called 4G arrives. But would you bet on it?

Vonhelmet · 27 Nov 2011 at 08:33

Swarfega said:
I love the fact Siri is still being classed as Beta software.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/siri.html

"Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply."

Sick of Siri telling me it cannot search for restaurants or businesses in the UK.

Who would have thought that the task of interpreting millions of different voices and accents might actually be quite difficult.