Finally, to compete on even ground with Apple Siri and Google Assistant, Microsoft has pushed its own Cortana V2.0.1 app to Google Play store for Android devices. The iOS version on iTunes is still 1.9.12, but we should see that coming through soon.
Siri has been around for quite a while and Google has long had voice interaction capabilities. But the new version of the Cortana app has been getting fairly decent reviews on Google Play – not the best, but certainly not bad enough for users to shrug it off as inconsequential.
The Cortana that you’ll see in its latest mobile form is supposedly much faster than its earlier iterations. The user interface has also received a refresh with a much simpler design than before.
The challenge for Microsoft now is to try and make Cortana as popular on iOS and Android phones as Siri is and Google Assistant will soon be. That’s not going to be an easy task when you consider the fact that Siri and GA are essentially native applications that can access nearly all of the device’s hardware capabilities.
Another point of concern is accuracy. While Siri and Google Assistant do have their own set of challenges, Cortana will be put under a much brighter spotlight than either of her rivals.
Though Siri might be a little easier to beat because it has only been getting incremental enhancements since its launch. That’s disputable, but Google Assistant is a different ball game. The benefit of leveraging Google Search and other Google apps potentially gives it a much more robust portfolio of abilities. Of course, Cortana has “Bings” and whistles of its own, so we’ll have to wait and see how popular she can become.
The real challenge is to get iOS and Android users – especially on the new Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL – to download and try the Cortana app for themselves so they can see for themselves how it compares to their existing voice assistants.
“Hi, I’m Cortana…get my app for your phone and never miss a beat!
I’ll help you keep track of the important stuff wherever you are, across your devices.
Set a reminder on your PC to pick something up at the store and I’ll alert you on your phone when you get there.
Miss a call on your phone and I’ll let you know on your PC, and even send a reply text for you.
If traffic’s a mess and you need to leave early to make that meeting, I’ve got your back!
If you need to find a fast answer or info on a flight or package, just ask.
I’ll get to know you better all the time to help track the things you’re passionate about, like your favorite artist or sports team, and give you smarter recommendations.
And I’m always happy to chat!”
Get Cortana for iOS on iTunes (iOS 8 or higher – V1.9.12 only)
Get Cortana for Android on Google Play (Android 4.4 and higher)
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