SB13X

Android Expert
Jun 24, 2010
930
225
113
Wigan, UK
Having read this article over on CNet Crave UK I couldn't help but compare it to the standard voice offering within Android.

To get the results of the test for Siri and S-Voice look here:

Samsung Galaxy S3's S Voice vs Siri on iPhone 4S | CNET UK

Here is me doing the same test with Google Voice:

Here is my response to the article:

Test One: Call Luke Bailey, the standard Google voice recognition on my HTC One X hits this one out the park... RESULT: Success

Test Two: Whats the weather like today? Another instant success with the standard Google Voice offering, bringing up Google Search with a 5 day forecast for my location in Wigan, UK. RESULT: Success

Test Three: Do I need an umbrella today? This trips up the standard offering by just doing a Google Search for the statement but the first result is half way to success by giving me the option to input my location (which I do again with Voice on the keyboard and it returns a successful YES response) RESULT: Fail

Test Four: Text Luke Bailey, again instant success using the standard Google Voice recognition offering. No problems understanding my Northern Monkey accent when I say "Text Luke Bailey, You will need an Umbrella today." :D RESULT: Success

Test Five: Slight change of question to suit myself I ask "Find a Good pub nearby" The standard offering understood what I asked but hesitated slightly and gave me five options to pick from. The top being correct required me to use my hands but then swiftly brings up Google and having used location services brings up various pubs.
However even with 15+ pubs within a mile of my house it only brings up those with Google listings the nearest of which is 5 miles away. RESULT: Neither success or fail but requires work.

Test Six: Directions to Wigan Town Hall, it doesn't fail to accurately understand my command and brings up Google Maps with the right directions. RESULT: Success

Test Seven: Set Alarm for...unfortunately due to Google Voice not integrating with the Clock App on my HTC One X this results in a web search when asked to set the Alarm for 1023pm. However Google do list this as a valid command... RESULT: Fail

Test Eight: How High is Mount Everest? 29,029feet bang on and instant answer. RESULT: Success

Test Nine: Tell me a joke? Asking the standard Google Voice to talk to me made me one. RESULT: Fail

Test Ten: Search Bonobo Apes, apparently my Northern Monkey accent isn't helping here and after two attempts I give up but it does seem to think they are Noble Apes lol RESULT: Fail

Test Eleven: Google Voice does not integrate with the Calendar app and offers no commands for it. However I can open up Google Calendar in my browser via Voice to input manually.
Still...RESULT: Fail

Test Twelve: Again as the standard Voice offering is not designed to talk back to you all this does is make me look like a twonk. However for me this beats S Voice and Siri hands down as the web search this results in gives me the YouTube Video for Crossing the Bridge of Death in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Result: FAIL but laced with WIN :D

Test Thirteen: What's the best smart phone? Well having asked Google Voice it returns with a web search and in the top sponsored results I find the HTC One X with an average of 4 and half stars out of 5 from over 120 seller reviews. Not perfect as it doesn't take consumer reviews into consideration however as I get a result which neither Siri nor S-Voice does I say... RESULT: Success

Test Fourteen: Update Twitter, Again lack of app integration means another web search RESULT: Fail

Test Fifteen: Speed? What is the Capital of Iraq? Answer: Baghdad in 3 seconds flat...RESULT: Success

Conclusion: With seven successes and having read how the Siri and S-Voice offerings don't really fare much better my conclusion is that voice commands only serve their purpose while doing other tasks such as driving and you can't hold your phone. Leaving me with the same opinion I had at the outset, if you either brag about having Siri or I see you talking to your phone as they do in the ads in public, I reserve the right to tell you, you look like a tw*t.
 

Great article :D Truthfully though looking forward, because Apple has a stranglehold on the ecosystem of iOS, I can see Siri if done properly being the outright winner as it should have the ability to interface with any iOS app.

Google Voice Actions and S Voice on the other hand will always be a step behind in that regard as people use various calendar apps, clock apps, note apps etc etc. Its a bigger task to undertake to get either offering to integrate and interface with the rest of the apps available. I can only see it keeping up if Google make certain code lines a basic requirement to allow voice to work correctly with the mass of apps out there. Then still its going to be up to each dev to implement and update their respective creations.

Still I managed to wow and amaze an iPhone 3GS owner colleague enough to convince her to go for an android device for her first ever contract phone with Voice Actions :D
 
Google confusingly named their call routing service "Google Voice." I'm not sure what they intended to call the voice search function on Android.
 
I just tried Skyvi (Siri for Android). It does seem to behave like Siri, based on what I’ve been led to believe. It would play specific songs from my giant collection. I asked it how many quarts were in gallon, it said about a hundred. I asked that again, it said more than you can imagine. I said I can imagine four. It said so can I.

It gets some things right and some things wrong -- worse than getting everything wrong. But the creepy part, right from the Siri ads, is that it tries to keep me company. I think I have reached an edge of technology that I’m not willing to cross.

I haven’t tried or found Google Voice Actions and am now unsure if I even want to.