For the past couple of years watching the
introduction of a new Pixel phone, it was easy to
imagine an iPhone user looking at the camera features
and results and thinking, “I wish my iPhone did that!”
This year, while the Pixel 4’s camera capabilities
might be better than the iPhone 11’s, Apple has at
least caught up enough for it not to be the envy of an
iPhone user’s eye.
This year, the thing that makes iPhone users say, “I
wish my phone did that,” is Google Assistant. It’s past
time for Apple to step up Siri in a big way.Siri’s squandered lead
Siri was first released as an iPhone app in early 2010.
Apple knows something groundbreaking when it
sees it, and snapped up the company that originally
created Siri, before Android and BlackBerry (remember
BlackBerry?) versions could be released. A year later, it
debuted as a beta feature of the iPhone 4s.
It proved wildly popular. So popular that the Siri
back-end infrastructure couldn’t keep up with demand.
No other phone had an assistant like Siri. Apple had a
several-year head start on what would become a core
feature of all smartphones and, eventually, smart home
devices. As it sometimes seems to do, Apple failed to
recognize that its advantage was tenuous and must be
vigorously defended. It didn’t invest nearly enough in
its assistant technology, allowing Google – and some
would say Amazon – to catch up and eventually pass it
by. Now, Google Assistant on the Pixel 4 looks like the
future, and Siri just feels like a more polished version of
what we’ve been using for years.Forthepastcoupleofyearswatchingthe
introductionofanewPixelphone,itwaseasyto
imagineaniPhoneuserlookingatthecamerafeatures
andresultsandthinking,“IwishmyiPhonedidthat!”
Thisyear,whilethePixel4’scameracapabilities
mightbebetterthantheiPhone11’s,Applehasat
leastcaughtupenoughforitnottobetheenvyofan
iPhoneuser’seye.
Thisyear,thethingthatmakesiPhoneuserssay,“I
wishmyphonedidthat,”isGoogleAssistant.It’spast
timeforAppletostepupSiriinabigway.
Siri’ssquanderedlead
SiriwasfirstreleasedasaniPhoneappinearly2010.
Appleknowssomethinggroundbreakingwhenit
seesit,andsnappedupthecompanythatoriginally
createdSiri,beforeAndroidandBlackBerry(remember
BlackBerry?)versionscouldbereleased.Ayearlater,it
debutedasabetafeatureoftheiPhone4s.
Itprovedwildlypopular.SopopularthattheSiri
back-endinfrastructurecouldn’tkeepupwithdemand.
NootherphonehadanassistantlikeSiri.Applehada
several-yearheadstartonwhatwouldbecomeacore
featureofallsmartphonesand,eventually,smarthome
devices.Asitsometimesseemstodo,Applefailedto
recognizethatitsadvantagewastenuousandmustbe
vigorouslydefended.Itdidn’tinvestnearlyenoughin
itsassistanttechnology,allowingGoogle–andsome
wouldsayAmazon–tocatchupandeventuallypassit
by.Now,GoogleAssistantonthePixel 4 lookslikethe
future,andSirijustfeelslikeamorepolishedversionof
whatwe’vebeenusingforyears.