Apple's Siri tells users Nokia Lumia 900 is 'best smartphone ever'
When asked to find the "best smartphone ever," the Siri personal assistant software on the iPhone 4S will tell users to check out the competing Lumia 900 smartphone made by Nokia.
The issue, highlighted by The Next Web, stems from the fact that, when provided with the question, Siri returns results from WolframAlpha. Searching the same query, "What is the best smartphone ever?," directly from the service's website returns the same result.
The Nokia Lumia 900 4G from AT&T, with a cyan exterior, is recommended by WolframAlpha based on a total of just four user reviews, with an average score of 5 out of 5. The site offers an extensive list of details on the Windows Phone-based device, including its price, dimensions, features, and comparisons to other smartphones.
In fact, WolframAlpha's full list of mobile phones ranked by customer review doesn't include the iPhone. In addition to three Nokia Lumia handsets, the top 10 user-ranked phones listed includes the discontinued HP Touchpad — which is a tablet, not a phone.
Apple's lack of involvement in Siri's search results also came to light last November, when the company was criticized for Siri's inability to field requests regarding birth control and abortion clinics. A spokesperson for Apple said the omissions were "not intentional" after the ACLU took issue with the fact that Siri could answer questions about where to have sex or find a local escort service, but referred users seeking information about abortion to pregnancy crisis centers.
"Our customers want to use Siri to find out all types of information, and while it can find a lot, it doesn't always find what you want," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said. "These are not intentional omissions meant to offend anyone, it simply means that as we bring Siri from beta to a final product, we find places where we can do better and we will in the coming weeks."
Apple's official website continues to advertise Siri as a "beta" service, and it is currently only available on the iPhone 4S.
The issue, highlighted by The Next Web, stems from the fact that, when provided with the question, Siri returns results from WolframAlpha. Searching the same query, "What is the best smartphone ever?," directly from the service's website returns the same result.
The Nokia Lumia 900 4G from AT&T, with a cyan exterior, is recommended by WolframAlpha based on a total of just four user reviews, with an average score of 5 out of 5. The site offers an extensive list of details on the Windows Phone-based device, including its price, dimensions, features, and comparisons to other smartphones.
In fact, WolframAlpha's full list of mobile phones ranked by customer review doesn't include the iPhone. In addition to three Nokia Lumia handsets, the top 10 user-ranked phones listed includes the discontinued HP Touchpad — which is a tablet, not a phone.
Apple's lack of involvement in Siri's search results also came to light last November, when the company was criticized for Siri's inability to field requests regarding birth control and abortion clinics. A spokesperson for Apple said the omissions were "not intentional" after the ACLU took issue with the fact that Siri could answer questions about where to have sex or find a local escort service, but referred users seeking information about abortion to pregnancy crisis centers.
"Our customers want to use Siri to find out all types of information, and while it can find a lot, it doesn't always find what you want," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said. "These are not intentional omissions meant to offend anyone, it simply means that as we bring Siri from beta to a final product, we find places where we can do better and we will in the coming weeks."
Apple's official website continues to advertise Siri as a "beta" service, and it is currently only available on the iPhone 4S.
Comments
Har!
Too funny!
looks like someone at M$ ad company actually had a good ideal and made sure it come up that way. Give that guy a bonus
What kind of moron would ask their iPhone 4S what the best smartphone in the world is?!?!
That's actually not Siri's personal response... That's a response pulled from Wolfram Alpha, which is the backup resource if Siri can't find the info herself.
Forgive Siri. She is young and believes everything she's told.
It's difficult to duplicate. And it isn't actually Siri's response.
Though it makes no difference, anyway. It isn't as if this'll help WP7's mindshare. Not even Siri has an answer for THAT problem.
Um… this isn't news. Now if Apple overrode Wolfram Alpha and had Siri say the iPhone was best, then that would be news.
If Apple wanted to be cute, they would have trapped this kind of request and had Siri respond like this:
"Well...I'm partial to the iPhone...but here are some other reviews for you..."
It's only actually if you phrase the question exactly like that. If you say "What is the best smartphone?" (without the "ever") - Siri replies "The one you're holding."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajc
What kind of moron would ask their iPhone 4S what the best smartphone in the world is?!?!
The kind that was hoping to get to stroke about it in front of their friends and then got embarassed
Quote:
Originally Posted by SSquirrel
The kind that was hoping to get to stroke about it in front of their friends and then got embarassed
In that case the answer should have been...
"Are you a moron!"
Humble. I like that.
Consumers don't need telling which is the best smartphone ever. They already know it is iPhone 4S.
Ok so i ask SIRI this same question and her an her response was "Your Kidding Right"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny Castro
Ok so i ask SIRI this same question and her an her response was "Your Kidding Right"
That isn't the same question. You must ask "What is the best smartphone ever" exactly or else you won't receive the result which is the basis for this "article."
Now Microsoft/Nokia if quick and smart enough can come up with the best smartphone commercial ever and push it on TV instead of the stupid "Beta Testing" campaign.
Ok so I asked her the exact way that the article worded it " What is the best smartphone ever" and tried it about 12 times and couldn't get Siri to answer the way she did in this article...she just looks up listings with smartphone in them ..here is a pic. Maybe there is a little bit of BS here