Why Google Assistant Can't Beat Siri for iPhone Users
Google Assistant brings Google's AI smarts to the iPhone, but Siri is still better for Apple users.
Photographer: Bloomberg
Some people think Google's virtual assistant beats Siri in reliability and capability. That may be true on Google's own devices, like the Pixel smartphone, but the Assistant is hobbled on the iPhone.
During the keynote at the Google I/O conference this week, the internet giant unveiled a version of its Assistant as an app for the iPhone. It has a slick design, integrates the company's ubiquitous search engine, and taps into Google services like Gmail and Google Calendar. The crowd of developers in the audience cheered: millions of new iPhone users to reach for innovative voice-based interactions.
But the reality for iPhone users is that the Google Assistant will probably never beat Apple Inc.'s Siri on its home turf. That's bad news for the Alphabet Inc. unit, which wants its voice-based technology everywhere. Here are some of the limitations: