siri vs android voice commads - smart phone smakdown

But you're talking about the phone really listen

Most of us have spoken highly of our smartphones before, but hope that no one is listening . ( I can not think of a few sentences of choices that I uttered when calls drop or batteries are exhausted. ) But when you tell your phone to do something , such as finding directions to the coffee Peet nearest the name of the song playing on the radio or post a Facebook update - and it does the same - feels like you 've hit the jackpot in a lottery for smartphones.

TALK SMACK DOWN

For smartphone smackdown today , we face some top phones against each other in a " voice overs " on voice commands. For a month, I had about three smartphones - delivering a tirade of demands to prove SVoice in GS4 , Voice Command on Moto -X and Siri on the new iPhone 5S (iOS 7). Why three instead of two ? Without going too much into the weeds here , speech recognition varies dramatically , even among androids , since some phones have their own opinion about it. While Siri Moto -X and offer similar experiences in general lags behind SVoice .

Just What is Voice Commands ?

If you have not used voice commands recently - or take some time to learn on the device - it can be a bit of a mystery what it can actually tell the phone to do for you . When used well, can dictate emails or text messages, make calls, open programs , listen to music and find information. Android and iPhone can use a lot of similar commands and your choice of platform is not likely to make or break your experience voice command - although, as I mentioned above - the opportunity to phone.

What a difference one DROID CAN DO

If this were a single Android smackdown speech would Moto -X knockout of GS4 quite early - in. When used alone , GS4 is fine, but on the evidence side by side , often took twice as long to respond , and it was very difficult to use if there is no outside noise or environment. An airplane , background music, even the faintest sound , pulled out.

But Siri and Android Voice Command on Moto -X was often linked to how quickly you responded and what were the answers. Everything from the weather outside (what is the temperature outside right now) to baseball score (which is to win the World Series ) , and the effective control of web searches, including random (what is this wave ever surfed more or how to peel garlic) Large, were often similar results were obtained. You can see this demonstrated in various ways in the video that we made ​​to go with this column.

BUT ON IPHONE Android phone ?

The biggest surprise when biting Android against the iPhone is that all three phones were much better than I thought they would be - and more closely matched that even a few months ago . For example, Android phones now tell jokes when asked, used to be a Siri - one trick. And while Siri may be the only mobile personal assistant with a real name ish , Android voice control started to develop a personality too. It's a surprisingly nice touch when you spend a lot of time trying to communicate with an object.

SIRI WHEN IS MY GO -TO GAL ...

But the thing that really matters , Siri does the best job of talking to you like a normal person facing a robot. " She " has a very solid job dictate emails, read and send text messages , post updates on social media , and do it all with punctuation. She's my go-to gal when I want to make an appointment , check my calendar , make a dinner reservation or find a movie for children playing nearby. And she - has a great new " IT " voice option (Settings -> General -> gender voice).

Address ? ANDROIDS still win by a mile

When you need reliable directions, Voice Command and Android S Voice victory - by a mile - but Siri is not as bad as it used to be. ( A year ago in Florida, my iPhone took me to a swamp in the middle of nowhere instead of the airport hotel I tried to find in the middle of the night . Funny and scary. ) Android Voice Command also provides the best in the detailed web searches, it should not be a surprise since it is Google.

The winner hands down for truly hands-free is ... The Androids again , since you can open your voice, and said , "Okay Google now " or " Hi Galaxy " to GS4 . With Siri, you have to touch the button and hold the home screen. This is an especially important feature when you are driving. Another great trick , the voice commands you can ask your phone what song is playing , and is told . With Siri, you have to use an app for that .

Lost in Translation

Both Siri and Voice Command is still very ... interesting ... what they get wrong and you have to be careful about what is lost in translation. Earlier this week , Siri "tin ear" I ask him,

"Tonight, September reminder to log video for battery script edit and finish writing segments for tomorrow."

Instead, she repeated - loudly on speakers with my family in the car - well, let's say that I was far away and very inadequate in a family setting .

And now, for the winner

Coca- Cola vs. Pepsi . Republicans vs. Democrats. Darth Vader vs. Obi- Wan. In the world of the remarkable rivalry , "winner" often comes down to personal opinion. For this smartphone smackdown , find a clear champion has been particularly difficult because of the latest voice recognition on the iPhone and Moto -X is really that good . Part of what makes it so good is that I now have a better understanding of how to work them , so be sure to follow the instructions on your phone to get more information about what voice commands can do for you .

Okay, I stand .

I hate to do it, but I will have to declare a tie. Or maybe a better way to think of it is that the only clear winner - you are. As our phones are getting smarter - there is a good chance that not only talk about them more - but soon , we are actually listening .