Siri for Android
Apple recently set the tech world on fire with their Siri voice-controlled virtual assistant on the iPhone 4S. Inevitably, the Android market cried out for an alternative to Siri and valiant programmers rose to the call.
In the Android Market, consumers can choose from dozens of Siri-like programs, ranging from simple voice recognition dialers to full-featured apps that try to duplicate all of Siri’s features. Android owners shouldn’t despair at the thought that they will never have all the features of Siri on their phone, since most of what makes Siri so flashy has been around in the computer world for a long time. Apple just put it together in a smooth package.
At www.market.android.com, users looking for a Siri-like virtual assistant app will find the AndroidMarket. There they can buy and download all the different programs which attempt to act as a Siri for Android. Here’s a list of the some of the more highly rated and better known.
This app claims to be the original voice-powered Virtual Assistant on Android. With an average of 4.5 stars out of five, with 32,395 reviews, it seems to be quite popular with the Android Market. Vlingo will let you dictate text messages or even update Facebook. It also finds local restaurants and businesses and searches the web through voice commands. The best part about Vlingo is that it is free.
Skyvi is a program which bills itself as Siri for Android. With an average 4.5 star rating out of 26,942 reviews, it looks to be succeeding. Skyvi is also free. Skyvi seems to be a chatty program. It likes to crack jokes and make witty remarks. Maybe it makes jokes about its own name. You can’t text with Skyvi, but it will find local places and businesses for you and get you driving directions, all through voice commands. You also can access Facebook and Twitter with voice commands.
This last program, Evi, is one of the better hyped Siri for Android apps. Featured in many blog posts, Evi seemed to be set to take over the market. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to follow through on many of its promised features. It can’t send texts or set reminders. Users also have complained about too-often received error messages, instead of answers when Evi is asked a question. Right now, Evi only is receiving an average rating of 2.5 stars out of 649 reviews. But since Evi is free, it probably can’t hurt to try it out and see if the creators can eventually fix all of their program’s problems.