So, I have been using Siri on my iPhone 4S for three weeks now, and I have to say I am pretty impressed. Not only does Siri react very responsively to my commands, but it also does some really useful things. A prime example is creating reminders - something I never bothered doing previously. Siri makes it so simple to just say "Remind me to call Billy tonight", that I almost forget that I don't know anyone named Billy.
However, Siri is still in beta, and that means that there is still plenty of new functionality to come. Here is my list of the top five developments I want to see for Siri in the next few months.
Five: "Siri, Tweet that my new website is up and running." The 4S has made great leaps in its integration with Twitter, allowing me to publish photos direct from the album. Now please let me tell Siri to do it for me.
Four: "Siri, launch Angry Birds." Yes, I want Siri to open up any app I choose with a mere utterance of its name. What's more, I want to be able to switch between, and close them too.
Three: "Siri, change 'docs' to 'ducks'". All smartphone users have autocorrect disasters (see damnyouautocorrect.com if you don't believe me), and Siri is no different. Having to dictate the whole message again when I make a verbal typo sucks, and makes me less likely to use it.
Two: "Siri, are you there?" I understand that I can't get up-to-the-minute weather reports when I am on the Tube, but does that really mean I shouldn't be able to set a reminder, or prepare a draft e-mail? Until 3G and/or Wi-Fi are completely ubiquitous, Apple need to let Siri reside at least partly on the handset.
One: "Siri, open your arms to the rest of the world." I know multi-million dollar business deals take time, but is it really so hard to find a UK business search partner? The sooner I can ask Siri to find me a good Thai restaurant, and then get me a taxi home, the better.
So there we go, my Siri Christmas wishlist. No one outside Cupertino knows when, or if, we might see any of these developments, but they cannot come soon enough for me.