Amazon Alexa vs Siri

August 12, 2023 | Author: Adam Levine
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Amazon Alexa
Alexa lets you be more productive throughout your day and stay focused on important tasks. Alexa can help you manage your schedule, keep track of your to-do list, and set reminders. Alexa can automatically dial into your conference calls and make phone calls for you. Alexa can help quickly find information for you, like the latest sales data, or the inventory levels in your warehouse.
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Siri
Talk to Siri as you would to a friend and it can help you get things done — like sending messages, placing calls, or making dinner reservations. You can ask Siri to show you the Orion constellation or to flip a coin. Siri works hands-free, so you can ask it to show you the best route home and what your ETA is while driving. And it’s connected to the world, working with Wikipedia, Yelp, Rotten Tomatoes, Shazam, and other online services to get you even more answers. The more you use Siri, the more you’ll realize how great it is. And just how much it can do for you.
Amazon Alexa and Siri are both popular voice assistant platforms, but they have distinct differences in their capabilities and ecosystems.

Amazon Alexa, developed by Amazon, is known for its extensive compatibility with smart home devices and third-party integrations. Alexa offers a wide range of skills and capabilities, allowing users to control smart devices, play music, get weather updates, set reminders, and more. Alexa's ecosystem is open to developers, resulting in a large number of third-party skills that expand its functionality.

Siri, developed by Apple, is tightly integrated with Apple's ecosystem of devices and services. Siri offers a range of features such as voice commands, task automation, searching for information, sending messages, and more. Siri's strength lies in its deep integration with Apple apps and services, allowing users to control their Apple devices and access information specific to the Apple ecosystem.

See also: Top 10 AI Assistants
Amazon Alexa vs Siri in our news:

2023. Amazon brings generative AI to Alexa



Amazon is introducing a generative AI model to enhance the functionality of its Echo devices. This novel model will enhance conversational interactions by considering factors such as body language, eye contact, and gestures. It will collaborate with APIs to facilitate new smart home features, deciphering descriptions like "spooky" lighting to provide meaningful responses. Moreover, it will imbue Alexa with a more prominent and opinionated personality. Amazon states that this advanced generative AI model can adapt its tone and responses to convey emotions such as agreement, excitement, laughter, and surprise, aligning with a person's natural pauses and hesitations to create a more fluid conversation.


2023. Apple introduces bilingual Siri



Apple has unveiled its initial set of public beta versions for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma. These releases showcase several new features, including the ability to capture full-page screenshots, a bilingual Siri option, and enhanced SMS sorting for dual-SIM users. Notably, the company based in Cupertino has integrated support for bilingual queries into Siri, starting with select Indic languages. This advancement enables users to interact with Siri using a blend of English and Hindi, as well as English with Telugu, Punjabi, Kannada, or Marathi. While Apple's implementation arrives later than Google Assistant's multilingual support in 2018 and Amazon's introduction of similar capabilities in 2019, it holds significant value for users based in India who commonly converse in a mixture of languages throughout their daily interactions.


2018. Amazon Alexa virtual assistant now available on Windows 10 PCs as a standalone app



Alexa made its debut on select Windows 10 laptops earlier this year, being integrated into a variety of newly released HP, Asus, Acer, and Lenovo notebooks. Now, Alexa is available for download on all compatible devices, expanding its accessibility. With its presence on Windows 10, Alexa aims to enhance work productivity, reflecting its growing utilization in office environments. This trajectory is reminiscent of the iPhone's rapid transition from individual users to becoming a staple tool in the workforce back in 2007. Furthermore, Amazon is actively establishing partnerships with corporate entities. Several companies, including Salesforce, SAP SuccessFactors, Concur, Ring Central, and ServiceNow, have plans to integrate their applications with Alexa for Business. This service was launched last year to assist companies in effectively managing a large number of Alexa devices in the workplace. The collaboration between Alexa and these corporate partners demonstrates the increasing role of voice assistants in optimizing workplace efficiency and streamlining business operations.


2018. Alexa for Business opens up to third-party device makers



In a prior year, Amazon introduced a new initiative known as Alexa for Business with the objective of integrating its voice assistant technology and Echo devices into corporate settings. Today, Amazon is taking a significant stride by expanding the platform to encompass device manufacturers who are developing their own solutions incorporating Alexa. This expansion allows device makers to create products that can be registered with Alexa for Business and managed as shared devices throughout the entire organization. Notable device management capabilities include configuring room assignments, specifying locations, monitoring device health, and controlling the allocation of public and private skills to the shared devices. According to Amazon, numerous businesses, including Express Trucking, Fender, and Propel Insurance, have already embraced the integration of Amazon Echo devices alongside their existing office equipment since the program's inception, with thousands of companies actively participating in this initiative.


2018. Alexa-Cortana integration is now available



Microsoft has introduced a new feature that enables owners of Alexa devices to summon their own virtual assistant, Cortana, and vice versa. With this integration, customers can now access Microsoft's Cortana through their Echo devices and activate Amazon's Alexa on Windows 10 devices and Harman Kardon Invoke speakers. In the future, this functionality will also be available on mobile platforms such as iOS and Android. Once activated, this integration allows Cortana users to utilize Alexa to shop on Amazon, manage their Amazon orders, and utilize some of Alexa's third-party skills. Likewise, Alexa users will have access to Cortana's expertise in productivity features, including calendar management, daily overviews, and email management.


2018. Alexa gets smart meeting scheduling



Amazon's Alexa has introduced enhanced capabilities for business users, simplifying the management of personal schedules through voice commands. The new feature, called Smart Scheduling Assistant, enables users to easily reschedule appointments and arrange meetings based on the availability of participants. While Alexa already allowed the creation and cancellation of appointments, this addition provides users with greater control, significantly reducing time and effort. To initiate the scheduling of one-to-one meetings, users need to link a calendar to their Alexa account.


2017. Amazon Alexa comes to office


Amazon has introduced its latest digital voice assistant, Alexa for Business, designed to enhance productivity and focus on important tasks throughout the day. With Alexa, you can efficiently manage your schedule, keep track of to-do lists, and set reminders. Moreover, Alexa is capable of automatically joining conference calls and making phone calls on your behalf. This move by Amazon aims to solidify its dominant position in the market, surpassing competitors like Apple's Siri, Google's Assistant, and Microsoft's Cortana. Analysts believe that this market has the potential to revolutionize the way people interact with technology. The Alexa for Business Starter Kit, which includes seven smart speakers, is available for $709, providing businesses with a comprehensive solution for leveraging Alexa's capabilities.


2017. iOS 11 gets windows and file system. Siri gets a translator


Apple has introduced the highly anticipated iOS 11, which includes notable features specifically designed to enhance productivity for Windows users. One key addition is the Files app, which brings a desktop-like file management experience to iPad users. With Files, you can conveniently organize all your files with support for nested folders, tags, and powerful search capabilities. The app also offers seamless integration with iCloud and popular third-party storage providers like Dropbox and Google Drive. Additionally, Apple has introduced windows-view and drag-and-drop functionality, allowing for enhanced multitasking and seamless content transfer between different app windows. In an effort to make language translation more accessible, iOS 11 has also expanded Siri's capabilities. Users can now ask Siri to translate specific English phrases into various languages, including Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, with more languages expected to be added in the future. These updates aim to further empower users with a seamless and efficient mobile experience on Apple devices.


2016. Siri lands on the desktop



Apple has recently launched the latest version of its desktop operating system, macOS Sierra, which can be obtained as a free download from the Mac App Store. One of the notable enhancements is the introduction of Siri on the Mac platform for the first time. This intelligent assistant is capable of replacing several features of Spotlight, allowing you to effortlessly locate files and search through photos. Additionally, Siri enables you to interact with your Mac by performing tasks like activating or deactivating Wi-Fi, initiating FaceTime calls, setting reminders, and adjusting the volume. The integration of Siri on the Mac emphasizes multitasking capabilities, allowing you to continue working on a task, such as finalizing a document, while instructing Siri to send a message to a colleague, all without interrupting your workflow.


2015. Siri becomes Proactive to compete with Google Now



Apple has unveiled a new Siri feature called Proactive Assistant, positioning it as a competitor to Google Now. This feature combines elements from Google Now and similar tools with the goal of enhancing users' lives by intelligently anticipating their needs at any given moment. Leveraging its acquisition of Cue, Apple's Proactive Assistant can now provide timely suggestions such as when to leave for the airport, based on calendar events or stored boarding passes in Passbook. Additionally, location-tagged calendar entries can prompt notifications reminding users to depart for specific destinations. During dinner time, Proactive Assistant can also offer location-based recommendations for restaurants. Notably, all notifications will include deep links that seamlessly redirect users to the originating apps, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted experience.

Author: Adam Levine
Adam is an expert in project management, collaboration and productivity technologies, team management, and motivation. With an extensive background working at prestigious companies such as Microsoft and Accenture, Adam's in-depth knowledge and experience in the field make him a sought-after professional. Currently, he has ventured into entrepreneurship, owning a thriving consulting and training agency where he imparts invaluable insights and practical strategies to individuals and organizations, empowering them to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. You can contact Adam via email adam@liventerprise.com