Siri
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Siri is widely criticized by Reddit users, with many describing it as lagging significantly behind modern AI competitors. While it remains functional for basic utility tasks like setting timers and alarms, users frequently report a decline in reliability for voice commands, navigation, and answering general questions, with some claiming the service has regressed over time.
Pros
- Reliable for basic utility tasks such as setting or deleting alarms and timers.
- Strong integration with macOS and CarPlay compared to some alternatives.
- Effective for simple smart home commands like controlling lights.
- Capable of handling back-to-back questions in certain contexts.
Cons
- Perceived regression in intelligence and reliability over several years of updates.
- Poor at answering general questions, often failing to read web results aloud while driving.
- Frequent failure to recognize contact names or specific voice commands.
- Lacks the conversational depth and accuracy of modern AI models like ChatGPT.
- Inconsistent device control, occasionally executing drastic actions like device shutdowns by mistake.
Caveats
- Users often report needing to use 'strange' pronunciations to get the assistant to recognize specific names.
- Functionality is often limited to a narrow set of 'safe' commands; straying outside these leads to high failure rates.
- The experience may differ significantly between 'legacy' Siri and newer versions integrated with external AI.
Best for
- Basic hands-free utilities like timers and alarms.
- Users committed to the Apple ecosystem who prefer to avoid Google-based services.
- Simple smart home adjustments.
Avoid if
- You require a sophisticated AI assistant for complex information retrieval.
- You rely heavily on voice commands for detailed navigation and research while driving.
- You expect a consistent experience that improves with every software update.
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. The evidence is older, with a median source age of approximately 395 days. Because Siri is a fast-changing software service, this older data may not fully reflect the most recent updates or 'Apple Intelligence' features.
Sentiment
10 positive (17%) · 3 mixed (5%) · 45 negative (78%)
Trust + time weighted score: -59% · raw score -60%
What redditors said (10 of 58)
What really hooked me, though? Two words: “Hey Siri.” ... Siri feels like it’s actually part of macOS.
Meanwhile, legacy Siri
Siri has made me hate any form of voice interaction with a device. Any time I try to use it it pisses me off.
And Siri can handle back-to-back questions at least.
Parent context: For several reasons I use an iPhone as my primary phone not necessarily because I want to but because everyone I know does and it just makes it easier. Siri is pathetic these days. I don't have a heavy accent. As a matter of fact a number of people have told me through the years that I have a good " radio voice ". Even with that, Siri gets a disgusting amount wrong. Reply: "A little"? Lol, it's not even close. Siri and voice recognition is a joke on iPhone in comparison
Siri is a hot pile of garbage. When driving, I'd say, "Call (Person X)." And the road noise would be enough for Siri to just hang because it thought I was still talking.
He is right on some points though like Siri being slow. She was much quicker in the past.
Voice commands with Google Assistant work so much better than Siri.
I use Siri to set timers and to turn on some lights (when it doesn’t see them as fucking speakers)
Siri. It’s actually, truly, fully dogshit in today’s world of modern AI.