May only show with iOS 5 launch

The fact that Apple didn't announce anything using Nuance or Siri technology at yesterday's WWDC keynote is simply because Siri integration wasn't finished in time, according to a source quoted by Robert Scoble. Apple was forecast to use the combination of Nuance and Siri's tech to provide more complex voice functions in iOS 5, such as searching for reservations at a nearby restaurant. iOS devices currently support just a limited number of commands, related to phone calls and music playback.

Scoble speculates that the technology may still be ready in time for the launch of iOS 5 and/or the next-generation iPhone in the fall. It might even potentially be useful to Apple as a way of grabbing extra attention, since iOS 5 will be relatively old news by then, and new hardware alone might not be enough to attract strong publicity. The next iPhone is rumored to be a modest upgrade, for instance sporting an A5 processor and an eight-megapixel camera, but not LTE. It could have support for NFC payments, but conflicting reports have been circulating.

by MacNN Staff