# iPhone 4s owners: how's Siri?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 24, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593 "2011-10-24T01:03:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/41 "2011-10-25T17:09:34Z")
I’m told that Canadian users like myself can’t (yet?) use the map functions–“Find me the nearest gas station,” or “what’s a good restaurant around here?” that sorta jazz–so it’s not fully functional yet. That doesn’t explain the problems **truppa** describes.
I’m seriously thinking about getting the iPhone 4s come christmas time, but RIM is kissing my feet, and has promised to give me Vlingo in a few weeks as its apology for three days of outage. Wondering if any Android users care to compare the two for me?
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/42 "2011-10-25T17:30:26Z")
I know two people who have had both an iPhone and an Android. One prefers the iPhone and the other the Android. Big help, huh?
Go to the store and play with both. You’ll find the one you like the best.
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### Author:  [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/43 "2011-10-25T17:36:30Z")
> [@Candyman74](#):
>
> For some time? How long have you had it?
I don’t know. It’s an iPhone 4. I’ve had the phone about a year now. No idea when this voice thingy popped up. I have, apparently, hip-dialed the home key and activated the voice thingy, but it wasn’t until I read this thread that I realized that my last system upgrade must have enabled it. For example, with my old iPhone, I upgraded to the new O/S and got the multitasking screen capability. So your system updates will sometimes give you the latest and greatest, apparently, but as we’ve determined, the functionality is somewhat limited.
Note: No idea when I last updated my phone – a few months ago maybe?
ETA: Oh, I didn’t mean to imply I had Siri. I know I don’t. That’s an app you have to download right? Presumably, it comes with the new 4s phones. I just meant, I’d noticed this voice command function and tried it out to compare to this Siri app. Sounds like the app works better.
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### Author:  [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/44 "2011-10-25T17:38:48Z")
My wife and I have the Find My Friends app installed. She asked Siri, “Where’s **Lightnin’**?”, and Siri replied with “ **Lightnin’** should be nearby”, as we were both in the house at the time.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/45 "2011-10-25T18:06:27Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#):
>
> I don’t know. It’s an iPhone 4. I’ve had the phone about a year now. No idea when this voice thingy popped up. I have, apparently, hip-dialed the home key and activated the voice thingy, but it wasn’t until I read this thread that I realized that my last system upgrade must have enabled it. For example, with my old iPhone, I upgraded to the new O/S and got the multitasking screen capability. So your system updates will sometimes give you the latest and greatest, apparently, but as we’ve determined, the functionality is somewhat limited.
It’s been around since at least the iPhone 3G. You just didn’t know you had it. The same thing happened to me. I didn’t know about it for months.
> [@](#):
>
> Oh, I didn’t mean to imply I had Siri. I know I don’t. That’s an app you have to download right? Presumably, it comes with the new 4s phones. I just meant, I’d noticed this voice command function and tried it out to compare to this Siri app. Sounds like the app works better.
It used to be an actual ap but then Apple bought Siri and now you can’t download the ap anymore. It comes available on the 4S and is no longer available on older models.
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### Author:  [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/46 "2011-10-25T18:11:10Z")
What’s the point of including functions on a phone and, of course, not including a user’s manual to the phone so the users don’t actually have any idea of what all the phone is capable of?
:: sigh ::
Friggin’ Apple.
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### Author:  [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/47 "2011-10-25T18:46:51Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> It used to be an actual ap but then Apple bought Siri and now you can’t download the ap anymore. It comes available on the 4S and is no longer available on older models.
That kinda sucks for those of us with a less-than-year-old iPhone 4. I didn’t even know the app existed and now I can’t have it. ☹
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/48 "2011-10-25T18:52:41Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#):
>
> What’s the point of including functions on a phone and, of course, not including a user’s manual to the phone so the users don’t actually have any idea of what all the phone is capable of?
Type “iPhone user manual” into Google.
Why should they print like 50 million manuals when almost everyone is just going to chuck it into the trash?
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### Author:  [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/49 "2011-10-25T19:17:11Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> Type “iPhone user manual” into Google.
>
> Why should they print like 50 million manuals when almost everyone is just going to chuck it into the trash?
Oh, you can get one for free from Amazon if you download the Kindle app. Or one of those e-reader apps (maybe it’s iBooks, I have like six of ‘em) gives you the owners’ manual. Obviously, if I read the damn thing, I didn’t remember anything about the voice activation feature, or I assumed it would barely work, or I couldn’t imagine any situation in which I’d use it.
Or something.
Your point about printing 50 million manuals _is_ well taken. I will concede that I downloaded the PDF and still barely looked at it.
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### Author:  [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/50 "2011-10-25T19:48:53Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#):
>
> Ask it what a genie is. 🙂
What’s it supposed to say? I got a dictionary page when I asked.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/51 "2011-10-25T22:01:10Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#):
>
> So how much should these things cost, anyway? Someone upthread said $500. But Walmart’s website has the 4s for $188. Takes a two year plan but our contract is up at the end of this year, anyway.
Right. They’re $200 with a two year contract, and you can then go out on the street and sell it for at least $500 cash. You can then buy an iPhone 4 for ~$250 from someone out on the street as well, with no contract, and have your carrier (provided it’s either AT&T or Verizon, and you’ve bought the corresponding phone) activate it.
If you don’t want a 2 year contract AND want a 4S, you can either pay someone $500+ for one, or pay Apple $600 for one.
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### Author:  [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/52 "2011-10-26T00:46:59Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> Type “iPhone user manual” into Google.
Yes, do this on the phone.
Or get the iBook version for free on the phone. It’s right there in the phone that way.
Or print it out. I have a laser printer that can print on both sides - a Brother that cost less than $150 last year - just because I often print things like this out. It’s only 1/4" thick this way.
The manual is a nice one and it’s easy to get and keep.
Besides, the iPhone box is only about twice the size of a pack of cigarettes, and wouldn’t even hold a small CD.
Friggin’ Apple makes the nicest products.
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### Author:  [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/53 "2011-10-26T07:38:19Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#):
>
> What’s it supposed to say? I got a dictionary page when I asked.
You are using Voice Actions? On Android?
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### Author:  [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/54 "2011-10-26T14:15:50Z")
Whoops. Thought you meant SIRI.
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### Author:  [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/55 "2011-10-26T14:33:07Z")
Thanks to my should I/ shouldn’t I dithering my 4S just arrived this morning. It’s sitting there in a cardboard box taunting me, but if I get started I won’t get anything(work) done today.
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### Author:  [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/56 "2011-10-26T16:42:27Z")
It is your precsiousssssss. Open the boxssssssssssss.
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### Author:  [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/57 "2011-10-26T16:50:57Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#):
>
> Thanks to my should I/ shouldn’t I dithering my 4S just arrived this morning. It’s sitting there in a cardboard box taunting me, but if I get started I won’t get anything(work) done today.
Today? You better scratch out the rest of the week. It’s like crack, once you start …
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### Author:  [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/58 "2011-10-26T17:00:34Z")
Fine fine I’m holding it and it’s pretty 🙂 I need a new sim card though since I’m upgrading from a 3GS so only stroking til 4:30.
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### Author:  [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/59 "2011-10-26T18:00:36Z")
Siri saved my butt yesterday. I have a weekly appointment that varies across two days and two start times (one week it’s Monday at 4, the next week it could be Tuesday at 3) and I always forget which it is. Even when I write it down, I get it in my mind that it’s a certain way and I’m so sure of that I forget to check my notes. I saw the commercial for the iPhone and Siri the other night and the person was using it to set appointments, so I pulled out mine, checked my notes, and set appointments for half an hour prior to each one.
Yesterday I was sitting at my computer, oblivious, when my phone beeped. I, of course, had thought the appointment was at 4…and here was Siri, going off at 2:30 to tell me, “Hey, nitwit! You’d better get yourself in gear or you’re going to be late for your 3:00!”
Thanks, Siri. I owe you one. 😃
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### Author:  [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-4s-owners-hows-siri/600593/60 "2011-10-26T18:06:07Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#):
>
> Fine fine I’m holding it and it’s pretty 🙂 I need a new sim card though since I’m upgrading from a 3GS so only stroking til 4:30.
I don’t think that is the case. There was no SIM swapping when we upgraded. Since you mention a SIM I assume you use AT&T; when you register the new device the system will deregister the old one automatically. You will use the microSIM that is already in the new iPhone. Your old SIM will no longer be used.
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