Android and Apple fans have always argued about which phone is better. Now they can debate which digital assistant is better.
Using your voice to give commands to a computer once seemed like science fiction. Now we expect our phones to provide such assistants.
Siri from Apple and Google Assistant from Google both try to answer users' questions. The two companies each hope that by offering the best digital assistants, they will sell more of their products and services.
Siri
Siri first came to the iPhone in October of 2011 with the iPhone 4s. Now Siri is available on many other Apple products, such as iPad, AppleTV, Mac computers, and more.
You can use Siri to:
Control Apple Music
Open apps
Set a timer
Check your email
Get directions
Add an appointment to your calendar
Send a text message
Start a video call
Check your calendar for your next appointment
Search the Internet
Set a reminder
Find photos
Get scores from sporting events
Tell you a joke
Check the weather and
Ask Siri what it can do
One thing you should not do is ask Siri to divide zero by zero!
Beginning with iOS 10, Siri can now be used with apps from companies other than Apple.
You can now ask Siri to:
Make reservations at a restaurant using OpenTable
Get a ride with Uber
Send tweets using Twitter
Discover the best local places on Yelp
Start a run with Nike Run Club
Make a call on Skype or Whats App
Post to Facebook
Tell you what song is playing using Shazam
Google Assistant
Google Assistant is a new digital assistant, having recently arrived on the Pixel and Pixel XL phones and the Google Home smart speaker. Google Assistant works with other Google services such as Gmail, Google Flights, Google Photos and Google Maps.
The more you use Google, the more useful Google Assistant becomes.
You can use Google Assistant to:
Get a Daily Briefing of news
Find out your travel schedule
Set reminders
Send videos to your Chromecast streaming TV device
Get the weather
Find out the travel time to work
Check your calendar
Find photos on Google Photos
Ask Google Assistant what it can do
Both Siri and Google Assistant can be very useful in many situations. But their usefulness depends on how much you use their compatible products.
If you use Apple products, Siri is the assistant that will work best for you. If you use Google products, then Google Assistant will work better for you.
The choice between an iPhone that has Siri and an Android phone that has Google Assistant should not be based on the assistant it uses.
Assistants can be improved through updates that add new powers. Choose the phone that works best for you and learn what its assistant can do to help you the most.
I'm Caty Weaver.