iPhone 4S' Siri and Samsung's
Voice Talk are two similar features on two of 2011's hottest mobile phones.
Both features allow users to send text messages, make phone calls and play
music among other things. Siri and Voice Talk come in handy when you can't use
your hands, but they also add a bit of futuristic dazzle to help build up the
hype. That's not to say they are gimmicks, just that neither Apple nor Samsung has perfected the voice command
technology just yet.
Siri is touted as being better able to
understand what you are saying when you give it instructions. With Voice Talk,
there are certain commands that you have to use in order for it to work. You
have to say, "Hi, Galaxy" before the Voice Talk function begins.
Below is a Voice Talk video tutorial. With Siri, you have to hold down the home
button and wait for two quick beeps before speaking. The difference is Siri is
supposed to understand what you are telling it without using a set of keywords.
Siri and Voice Talk also both have their own voices and can talk
back to you. They both sound somewhat human, but with a definite robot cadence.
They are also both female sounding voices. They talk back when reading messages
to you or asking what message you want to send. Of course, Siri is now known
for having a tiny bit of sass, and there are untold number of silly questions
she has unexpected answers for.
Furthermore, iPhone 4S and Galaxy S2 make use of the
software to help you navigate and launch apps. But, because the voice
technology is far from perfect, both systems have had their share of bugs to
work out. Siri famously went kaput in late October for many users, and she was
rendered unresponsive on many devices. Voice Talk users have
been complaining that the application launches at random or
responds at very high or low volume. So the systems are pretty evenly matched.
Siri is the better system for now because
of it's dictation function. You can use it to write notes and update your Facebook status or to tweet.
Tell us in the comments if you have used either or both systems
and if they make things easier for you.
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