Apple's iOS 7 Software Update Sees Siri Finally Exit Public Beta
by Joe White
September 15, 2013
It seems that with iOS 7, Apple's Siri has lost its "beta" tag, which has accompanied all mentions of the service online at Apple's website since its original launch.
As a reminder, Apple's on-board personal assistant software first launched with the iPhone 4s back in 2011. However, during the months and years that followed the "intelligent" service was indeed listed as being available in a public "beta," explaining why certain users found that their accent, their language, and even their iDevice might have been incompatible with Siri.
Fortunately for iDevice users, Apple announced at WWDC 2013 that serious improvements have been made to the service in iOS 7, and as such it seems that almost two years down the line, Siri has finally exited its public beta.
As 9to5Mac explains, all mentions of Siri's "beta" stage of development have now been removed from Apple's website. Consider the below paragraphs, which highlight the change:
Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation) and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.Now, however, the word "beta" has been removed:
Siri is available on iPhone 4s or later, iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation) and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.The same can be said of Apple's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Web page for Siri, along with the iOS 7 Siri page (compared with the iOS 6 Siri page). Here's hoping the change is indicative of the countless improvements Apple is said to have made to Siri. Indeed, in our own investigation of iOS 7, we found the refreshed personal assistant service to perform much better than its iOS 6 counterpart. Apple's iOS 7 is set to launch on Wednesday, Sept. 18. For more information on Siri in iOS 7, see: Siri, Spotlight Search And Notification Center Revamped In iOS 7 Beta 4, Hands-On iOS 7: How To Change Siri’s Voice From Female To Male, and Hands-On Comparison: Is Siri In iOS 7 Better Than Siri In iOS 6?.
