Siri On Older iPhones? No Siree

If you're hoping to one day install Apple's new voice -activated data assistant on your old iPhone, the answer is likely no siree. Or, no Siri.

According to a report, Apple has confirmed that the application -- which lets you manage your schedule, search for Web sites or get quick answers to questions via voice commands or inquiries -- is for new hardware adopters only.

No Current Plans

"Siri only works on iPhone 4S and we currently have no plans to support older devices," Apple apparently told a user in response to a bug report, or user message, which was posted on the blog of Michael Steeber, a Mac enthusiast.

The response was to a suggestion from the unnamed user that Apple create a special version of iOS 5, released on Oct. 12, that would allow iPhone 4 users and fourth-generation iPod Touch users to access Siri for a $19.99 fee.

Apple did not respond to an e-mail inquiry about using Siri on older devices in time for publication.

Siri has proved to be an enormously popular application and the primary differentiator between the 4S and its predecessor, in addition to a better camera, faster processor and improved antenna design. Originally offered via the App Store with more limited capability, Siri was acquired by Apple in April 2010, which prevented its development for other platforms. The program is now integrated into iOS 5 to allow interaction with many other apps and features.

The popularity and high usage may be one reason why the Siri server shut down briefly last week, causing the system to apologize to users by saying, "Sorry I am having trouble connecting to the network ," a temporary embarrassment to Apple that likely will have no effect on sales of the iPhone 4S.

Whether or not the improved Siri will work on older iOS versions or older devices running iOS 5 has been the subject of much speculation and quite a bit of jailbreaking attempts, seen in videos posted online that seem to show older devices running a port of the application.

Can It Work?

But many believe that Siri needs the right work environment to be effective, and Apple, as typified by the late CEO Steve Jobs, is famously obsessive about the quality of its user experience.

"Siri is processor intensive and the 4S is likely the minimum it will reliably run on," said Rob Enderle, principle technology analyst at Enderle Group. "They will carry it forward, I doubt they will push it back."

The 4S has a dual-core, A5 processor that Apple says delivers twice the processing power of the iPhone 4's A4.

Enderle also noted that Siri on an iPhone 4 would decrease the rationale for an upgrade.

"In the end, Apple is in the business of getting people to buy new hardware," Enderle said. "They have little incentive to upgrade old hardware anyway."
 

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