Blatant Siri Ripoffs Emerge in the Android Market Place

[Phillip Swanson]

Siri has its detractors, but compared to other voice recognition systems on Android and other platforms, Siri exhibits a clear advantage in terms of usability and polish. Which is why it comes as no surprise that the Android Market Place's Wild West of App development has spawned a few blatant Siri ripoffs.

Perhaps the most obvious is the application “Siri for Android” that popped up on the Android Market Place Wednesday. The app copies Siri’s logo without a single change, and the description even boasts “Siri, now for your Android device!” However, all the app does is act as shortcut to launch Google’s own built-in voice recognition software. The developers named themselves “Official App,” most likely in an effort to appear legitimate despite having “This application is a Siri icon that opens ‘Google’s Voice Actions’ app” in the description.



At the time of this article it appears “Siri for Android” has been pulled from the Android Market Place. Numerous searches for the app have turned up nothing, see if you can succeed where I failed. However, before the app was pulled thousands of Android users downloaded the app, many of them rating it poorly to ensure the app didn’t gain popularity.

While “Siri for Android” appears to be dead, a Korean Siri ripoff called “Speerit" is still available and has 1,134 ratings including 833 five-star ratings. The application uses Siri’s icon as well and attempts to mimic Siri’s UI. The similarities end there though as the app uses none of Siri’s underlying technology or Apple’s servers. Currently the app only supports Korean responses, but the developers have promised to support English in future updates.

Well, at least the powers that be dealt with one Siri impostor. Apple and Android both deal with their fair share of impostor applications, but Google’s lax approval policies (are they any?) create a hot bed for misleading applications and downright fraudulent ones.

Source: 9to5Mac

[teej1410]

Funny

[Painkiller006]

Even if they had approval policies, people will still be able to download and install them. Just one example is the Pokemon Tower Defense game that was removed from the Market yet people can still download it and install it. Besides, Iris has been around before Siri.

[GrandMstrBud]

Can't find it,

[r34dth15]

Haters Just keep hating

[celeron]

Haters Just keep hating

This.

[epikarus]

Lets count the many cydia apps that introduce android features to iOS!

[GTOhaas07]

Even if they had approval policies, people will still be able to download and install them. Just one example is the Pokemon Tower Defense game that was removed from the Market yet people can still download it and install it. Besides, Iris has been around before Siri.

You do realize that Iris was created in response to Siri, hence after, right?

[joshb2118]

Siri Ripoffs? Umm, what about the Notification bar from Android? Seriously, whenever something is brought to Android that is even close to similar, Apple users post it everywhere, and get mad, but whenever Apple does something that Android already had, Android users just say "meh, we had that already...", grow up...

[Kil0111]

my reply was deleted? Lol wack ***** mo-fo's

[kwine]

Seriously, why so many android users in an APPLE forum ????

[shigh]

Screw android. I got a captivate and i cant get gta 3. Whats with that? Or maybe its samsungs fault. All they do is drop a phone n then move to the next one leaving the consumer with "the phone that got forgot".

[expl0itfinder]

You know MMi, i do realize that this is an idevice forum, but you need to be a bit less biased. Apple ha ripped off many products like countless jailbreak tweaks and the notification center from android. I think after iOS 5, it's androids turn to rip apple off

[kwine]

See it how you wnt but Apple is the best out there once jailbroke. I've bought 2 android phones, one for my wife and one for my daughter and had nothing but software glitches with both!

BTW they are both using iphones now lol

[Painkiller006]

You do realize that Iris was created in response to Siri, hence after, right?

Correct, my mistake i got the words confused xD

Seriously, why so many android users in an APPLE forum ????

Seriously, why does it matter? Some people own both an Android and Apple product.

Screw android. I got a captivate and i cant get gta 3. Whats with that? Or maybe its samsungs fault. All they do is drop a phone n then move to the next one leaving the consumer with "the phone that got forgot".

You do realize they make different kinds of models right? And it's more than one company that uses the Android OS so of course they will continue to come out with something better and better. Apple on the other hand doesn't, therefore you get stuck with the same form factor for how many versions of the same phone. Lastly, why on earth would you wanna play a game like GTA on a smartphone

[ericwall]

Haters will hate, potatoes will potate.

[joshb2118]

Screw android. I got a captivate and i cant get gta 3. Whats with that? Or maybe its samsungs fault. All they do is drop a phone n then move to the next one leaving the consumer with "the phone that got forgot".

I don't think it'll be able to run on the Captivate, the graphics are High-End and it's mostly Dual-Core that can run the game, probably will be ported to single core soon, but if you wanna try it, why don't you just download the .apk? Google I/O announced that companies (at least most major ones, including Samsung, HTC, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.) starting 2012, would have to support the phone in software updates, etc. for at least 18 months from release, if the hardware allows, of course. Either way, their is a immense amount of android support on forums like xda, androidcentral, and more, take a look around the inter-webs, you are bound to find something...

[s0ulp1xel]

Uh? apple is gonna have a fit

[suav257]

Well I don't care about apples feelings just like they don't care about mine so here is a FREE PUBLIC SIRI Server http://powermove.webs.com and click on the donation page. NO DONATIONS are required but accepted to help keep the server FREE leave comments money lol happy new years world.

[Sasukekun77]

Seriously, why so many android users in an APPLE forum ????

Hahaha finally someone that understands my exact feelings!!!!!