Microsoft has packed a wealth of features into the Windows Phone platform. It has live tiles that keep you constantly privy to what’s happening, notifications on the lock screen, and even Office integration. But it still lacks one crucial element that has helped both Android and iOS rise to the top: an all-knowing personal digital assistant.
Let’s face it, Windows Phone 8’s current offering pales in comparison to Siri and Google Now. There’s some light at the end of the tunnel, though: Recent rumorssuggest that Windows Phone 8.1 will be unveiled at the Build conference in April, and that a key feature will be a new voice assistant, code-named Cortana. You know, like Master Chief’s AI sidekick in the Halo franchise. In fact, rumors have it that the new assistant will even be voiced by Jen Taylor, the popular voice actress who has played Cortana in all the Halo games.
The service is expected to do more than respond to simple voice commands. And although we don’t have much concrete info to go on, we know the bar Microsoft has to clear. If Cortana is to be more than just Microsoft’s version of what Apple and Google did two years ago, it will need to deliver big in the following six key areas.
No comments:
Post a Comment