“Can you find a good coffee shop where I can work?” I asked my iPhone.
“I’ll need to use ChatGPT for that,” Siri replied. This was my experiance with Apple’s voice assistant last week. Google’s Gemini assistant performed as expected, providing the help I needed.
Gemini is set to enhance iPhones soon, filling in the gaps where Siri struggles. During a recent trial about Google’s search dominance, CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned that discussions with Apple could lead to Gemini being available on iPhones within months.
A Bloomberg report stated, “Pichai noted he has had multiple talks with Apple CEO Tim Cook throughout 2024 and aims to finalize an agreement by mid-year.”
The Current State of Voice Assistants
google is working on replacing its Assistant with gemini across all devices, including Android phones and Chromebooks.This change is important because Gemini offers much more than the current assistant.
Gemini can perform extensive research, manage tasks across various apps, analyze documents, and create original content within Google Workspace. It represents a major advancement in virtual assistants' capabilities.Amazon has also made strides with its Alexa+ assistant.
Siri has fallen behind in AI advancements despite being one of the first voice assistants available.The situation became so concerning that Apple partnered with OpenAI to allow ChatGPT to fill some of Siri's shortcomings.For questions beyond Siri's abilities, it redirects users to ChatGPT.
This integration allows ChatGPT to assist users with writing tools and general knowledge inquiries; however, it isn’t perfect yet. Users still need to open the ChatGPT app for certain tasks since Siri cannot handle them directly.
The Importance of Google's Partnership
If Google and Apple finalize their deal, Gemini will support Siri similarly to how ChatGPT currently operates within Apple's system.Think of it like choosing Chrome as your default browser but for AI assistants on your iPhone.
This isn't the first time we've heard about integrating Gemini into iPhones natively.After last year's WWDC event, Craig Federighi from Apple hinted at creating a system allowing users to select their preferred AI model—mentioning Gemini specifically.
In subsequent months,reports surfaced about ongoing discussions between Google and Apple regarding this integration. Earlier this year, someone discovered references in Apple's code suggesting that Gemini might be enabled at a system level soon after Pichai's comments where made public; an proclamation could come during June's WWDC conference.
Currently, while iPhone users can access Gemini through its mobile app or by setting up widgets on their home or lock screens; this method isn’t integrated into the operating system itself yet. I've tried using these non-native options extensively—they are already more effective than what Siri offers now—even newer options like Perplexity’s voice assistant outperform her capabilities significantly.
I hope once integrated into iOS natively; users will be able just by saying “Siri” activate it without hassle when they need assistance beyond her reach—allowing Gemini take over those tasks seamlessly on all Apple devices until there are improvements made for Siri herself down the line!
