Smartphones are such incredible pieces of machinery that we oftentimes forget that the very basest use for the device is that of an actual phone. Who has time to actually TALK on the phone though when there are Angry Birds to launch, Twitters to tweet, and let’s not forget, those Snapchats aren’t going to snap themselves. Still, there are some who like to talk on the phone and will – whether you want them to or not – leave a voicemail when you don’t answer the phone. Google Voice users have been able to receive text transcripts (with some success) for quite some time, now Apple is jumping into the transcribed voicemail mix with Siri and iCloud.
Apple’s solution to the voicemail problem is similar to other solutions already in use but obviously with quite a few more Apple bits. In this instance, Siri will answer your phone rather than allowing the call to go to your carrier’s voicemail system. From there she can deliver special messages to certain people – where you are, why you aren’t answering, etc. – and then record the caller’s message. Once complete, the voicemail will likely be sent to Apple’s voice servers to be converted to text before being delivered to your iPhone.
There are plenty of fun examples floating around where Siri doesn’t quite understand what you are asking her, though she’s scheduled to get some much-needed updates as part of iOS 9. It stands to reason that Apple would want to work out a lot of the kinks with their digital assistant before delivering their new voicemail replacement to the world. Reports show Apple employees are testing the system out now, and conservative estimates have the Siri-powered, iCloud-supported voicemail transcription system possibly rolling out as part of iOS 10.
iPhone users – are you happy about the chance to put one more nail in the coffin of actual voice communication? Let us know what you think in the comments below, or on your favorite social media site.
[button link=”http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-siri-voicemail-transcription-service-2015-8″ icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Business Insider[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
