Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
“This is what I found on the web” can finally be put to good use. I put the old and new versions of Apple’s Siri assistant through some real-life questions on my Apple Watch(s) to see how they stack up. Spoiler: I’ll keep the new one, thank you very much.
with WatchOS 27 The public beta launches this week, and I wanted to take Siri AI for a spin where it matters most: the Apple Watch. Apple’s digital assistant has long needed an upgrade, but nowhere have its shortcomings been more apparent than on your wrist. Previously, all the old Siri could do on the Apple Watch was display web results, leaving me to wait for pages to load on a small screen that wasn’t designed for browsing.
To start, i iOS 27 public beta downloaded On my iPhone first (it’s fairly stable, but I still wouldn’t recommend it on a primary device), then install the WatchOS 27 beta on my device Apple Watch Ultra 3 Through the watch application. From there, I made sure Siri AI was activated in my iPhone’s settings; It has defaulted to the new version on the watch as well. She kept me Series 11 It runs on the latest WatchOS 26 with legacy Siri.
Keep in mind that Siri AI and WatchOS 27 are early software and far from the final version that will be released this fall.
Read more: Win a new Apple Watch in CNET’s big guessing game contest
Test 1: Phrase table
I started with a question that my old Siri had previously failed to answer: “When is the next ferry from Vallejo to San Francisco?”
Old Siri: “Here’s what I found on the web.”
This low-level response excites me. Waiting for a website to load on a small screen is not helpful when I’m actually trying to catch a ferry.
Siri AI: “The next ferry to San Francisco leaves Vallejo at 4:10 p.m.”
Winner: Siri AI
Test 2: Kitchen Help
Next, I tried another situation where I didn’t have to reach for my phone and risk getting it covered in whatever I was cooking. “What ingredients do I need to make yogurt?” (A surprisingly popular question now that I’m making frozen yogurt in the Ninja Creami.)
Old Siri: “Here’s what I found on the web.” Argh! At least it’s consistent.
Siri AI: “To make homemade buttermilk substitute, you need milk and acid. The standard ratio is one tablespoon of acid per cup of milk.”
The general “acid” suggestion was a bit vague (and a bit alarming), but fortunately, I’ve done it enough times to know that he was referring to lemon juice or vinegar and not some Dark Web-type acid. I could also have asked a follow-up question to clarify (which the old Siri couldn’t handle either).
Winner: Siri AI
Test 3: World Cup
In my last quiz, I asked something I’ve been checking a lot this summer (I asked it on Monday, July 13). “When is the next World Cup match, and in which stadium will you play?”
Old Siri: “The next World Cup match is France and Spain tomorrow at noon PT.” She answered the first part of the question but ignored the entire pitch.
Siri AI: “The next World Cup match is France vs. Spain tomorrow at noon PT at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.” He even asked me if I wanted to set a reminder. The size of the pitch was a key part of the question, as some matches were played in extreme temperatures, which affected the teams’ performance.
Winner: Siri AI
Bonus round (not shown in the video)
You also asked a question that really intrigued me: “Why was Erling Haaland substituted in the final minutes of the England-Norway match?”
Old Siri: “Here’s what I found on the web.”
Siri AI: He was suffering from severe fatigue and a “dead leg injury”, prompting his coach to withdraw him during the World Cup quarter-final match against England.
Winner: Siri AI
Final thoughts
This is the first time I’ve intentionally wanted to use Siri on an Apple Watch, and I think it could be a game-changer.
The WatchOS 27 public beta is available now, and the full release is expected this fall along with upcoming big product announcements from Apple. I’ll continue to test Siri AI as the beta develops, but based on these early results, I won’t be going back to the old version anytime soon.
