The new features of VoIP Phone system really improve my business communication, but getting a phone system for free and still saving over a thousand dollars a month in phone service made me wish I met them sooner!
Why Does Only The iPhone 4S Have Siri?
Why Does Only The iPhone 4S Have Siri?
February 6, 2012
Siri on iPhone 4S
I've wondered this myself...
When you ask most iPhone 4 owners why they didn’t get Siri in a software update for their devices when the almost-identical iPhone 4S came out, the common answer is extremely cynical: Siri is the arbitrary, software-only feature that Apple decided to limit to the iPhone 4S simply to differentiate it from the iPhone 4 in marketing,
The truth? Apple may not be as cynical as all that. In fact, according to a new report from a chips analyst, it all comes down to special noise-reduction circuitry unique to the iPhone 4S’s A5 chip.
CNet reports:
Apple’s A5 processor includes noise-reduction circuitry licensed from a start-up called Audience, and a chip analyst believes that fact resolves an iPhone 4S mystery and explains why the iPhone 4 lacks the Siri voice-control system.
Audience revealed details of its Apple partnership in January, when it filed paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO) of stock. Teardown work from iFixit and Chipworks revealed a dedicated Audience chip in the iPhone 4, but the iPhone 4S integrates Audience’s “EarSmart” technology directly into the A5 processor, the company’s S-1 filing said.
DON'T MISS
While the iPhone 4 does have noise-reduction circuitry, it only works when you place the iPhone to your ear. The EarSmart tech built into the A5 processor can handle what is called “fair-field speech:” in other words, it filters out noise a few feet away.
Obviously, at the end of the day, the iPhone 4 is still technically capable of running Siri. Look no further than the Cydia-only ports of Siri (like Spire) that run just fine on older hardware. The point, however, is that only the iPhone 4S’s noise-reduction technology met Cupertino’s exacting standards, while hackers will take what they can get.
Original article posted from cultofmac.com. To view entire article, click here.
