What to expect from the 'younger, peppier' Siri in new Apple iPhone iOS 11
Apple will launch a suite of new products and software in Australia on Friday including the iPhone 8, a buggy Apple Watch, Apple TV 4K and a “more human” sounding Siri.
The release has led to the annual migration of Apple fanboys and girls to footpaths outside Apple stores as they look to get their hands on the latest gadgets.
But those true fans holding out for the release of the flagship iPhone X will need to stay camped out until the end of October.
Or they could pre-order their phones and skip the queue.
Apple will also release its new phone operating system iOS 11, which will include a new, more responsive, more natural-sounding Siri.
However, many reviewers who have got to know the new Siri say she just sounds younger and peppier.
Siri will now be able to answer follow-up questions, provide multiple results to queries and translate from English phrases to Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, with more languages to be added.
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Tech reviewer Val Quinn from gadgetguy.com.au told Sunrise that while the new iPhone was “probably the best iPhone on the market” it was not the “cutting edge”.
“This looks very similar to the iPhone 7 but the iPhone 8 has got the glass back for wireless charging, more power, a better camera, cool photography features,” Quinn said outside the Apple Store in Sydney where a small number of people had pitched tents in anticipation of the release.
“It is probably the best iPhone on the market but, if you want that cutting-edge device, wait for the iPhone X.
“That is probably why the queue is not so big.”
As well as the much-highlighted Face ID, the new iOS 11 operating system will also have a number of new features, including the ability to customise the functions in the Control Centre.
Storage capability will be enhanced to assist with the chronic problem of running out of room on the iPhone, with cloud functions optimised so older files are automatically stored online.
Even before it hit shelves, the new Apple Watch was hit with poor reviews after the tech company admitted the cellular feature does not work as it should.
Several prominent reviewers said on Wednesday they could not recommend the device because of a Wi-Fi glitch that causes cellular connectivity problems when trying to connect to public networks.
The Watch Series 3 starts at $459 and is being launched alongside the new iPhone, but unlike previous versions of the watch, it has cellular network connectivity built in.
The bug should be fixed through a software update, but the revelation hurt Apple stocks, which did not bode well for the company ahead of its big release day.
