Siri Voice Recognition Arrives On the iPhone 4S

siri examples
As one of the main features of the iPhone 4S, Apple today introduced Siri a personal assistant that can
answer questions and perform for tasks for users based on voice input.

Siri on iPhone 4S lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk. Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean, and even talks back. Siri is so easy to use and does so much, you’ll keep finding more and more ways to use it.


Apple covers a number of examples of Siri's flexibility on the feature page and describes them in its iPhone 4S press release:

Siri understands context allowing you to speak naturally when you ask it questions, for example, if you ask “Will I need an umbrella this weekend?” it understands you are looking for a weather forecast. Siri is also smart about using the personal information you allow it to access, for example, if you tell Siri “Remind me to call Mom when I get home” it can find “Mom” in your address book, or ask Siri “What’s the traffic like around here?” and it can figure out where “here” is based on your current location. Siri helps you make calls, send text messages or email, schedule meetings and reminders, make notes, search the Internet, find local businesses, get directions and more. You can also get answers, find facts and even perform complex calculations just by asking.

Siri is launching as a beta with support for English (US, UK, and Australia), French, and German. Additional languages and features will be added in the future.

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
top stories 2025 04 26

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Air Rumors, Apple Watch Turns 10, and More

Saturday April 26, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
We've known for quite some time about Apple's plans for a thinner "iPhone 17 Air" coming later this year, but wow, the latest dummy models give us our best look yet at just how thin this phone is going to be. Other Apple news and rumors this week included another iOS 18.5 beta, the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, and more management reshuffling in Apple's Siri division, so read...

Top Rated Comments

generationxwing Avatar
177 months ago
Agree, this was very disappointing..

How? How on Earth was any of this disappointing? The rumour mill comes up with the most impossible products every year, and every year what you dream of never happens. Every single year! My God, if you haven't learned by now there is no hope for you.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
generationxwing Avatar
177 months ago
This is siriously underwhelming. They didn't even bother renaming it! What have they been doing all those months? The stock is plummeting and all I can say is: well deserved.

Well, this about sums it up correctly. If an Apple nerd hates it, it'll be a hit in the market.

People around here hated the iPod, hated the iPad and just about every other product Apple releases.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamesr19 Avatar
177 months ago
this looks really good, shame it seems to be limited to the iPhone 4S hardware!!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AtariMac Avatar
177 months ago
No surprises this time...
...16 months wait for an antenna that works, no redesign & a crap gimmick you can only use when it's silent around you...
Goodbye crapple...i'm pretty disgusted & feeling let down, but not surprised at all...
Fanboys are so loyal and apple just p*ss on them every time because they know they can...

Your sense of entitlement is refreshing! I know Apple owed it to you to provide you with exactly what you imagined! I cannot believe they screwed you like this!

Dude, go get some fresh air. You may find it, um, refreshing.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmgregory1 Avatar
177 months ago
Yes, start by taking a hammer to any and all Apple hardware you now own - they purposely let everyone down by not introducing a new design iPhone with a bigger screen and super duper faster processor and 4G speed and and and.

Very odd that people have such strange expectations - if you want a bigger screen, either buy an android phone or try to get a job at Apple as a industrial designer or product manager and make the suggestion for a bigger screen.

I'm pretty sure Apple has looked at just about every aspect of every possible spec for a smart phone. They chose what they chose for reasons they don't necessarily need to explain to you or anyone for that matter.

You don't know and don't think big picture (not big screen) the way that Apple does. If all you care about is specs, please go get yourself any other manufacturers phone and enjoy you got the spec you wanted.

And for those people who say voice control is available already - it's not in the same integrated way just introduced by Apple.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
campingsk8er Avatar
177 months ago
I honestly don't know why all you crybabies are complaining. The made an excellent phone even more excellent. Or are you just upset that Steve Jobs didn't announce it, or the fact that there wasn't one more thing. I'm glad there wasn't one more thing because then you would all say, Tim is a copy cat. It seems apple can never please any of you. Well I was pleased
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)