Should Siri get Steve Jobs' voice?
People have been talking about how the current Siri voice leaves a lot to be desired. We joked on [iPhone Live that we might want, Darth Vader, Mr. T or Laura Croft as the voice. But I think that we missed out on the most fitting voice of the iPhone. The greatest memorial to Steve Jobs and all of those who loved him so dearly would be to allow Steve Jobs to live on as being the voice of Siri.
Steve has always been the heart of Apple and the iPhone and it only serves purpose that he also be its voice. Yes it would take a long time to work through but wouldn't it be worth it.
So Jailbreak developpers, make it so and I will be there in a heartbeat.
Let me know would you want to have Steve as your iPhones voice?
Senior Editor at iMore and a practicing psychotherapist specializing in stress and anxiety. She speaks everywhere from conferences to corporations, and co-hosts of the iMore show and ZEN and TECH podcasts.
There are 74 comments. Add yours.
Leave Steve out of this. I think he wouldve wished a female voice as we hear it now, not his voice.
One of the crazier yet potentially brilliant ideas I've heard in the last 5 minutes. And I've heard a ton.
Probably the worst idea I have ever heard of.
you being born is the worst idea i have ever heard of
Actually, sInce he was born it is no longer an idea but an action. BTW, having SJ ad the voice is a horrible idea, though I do think the voice it had is just as horrible as the idea.
Why??? Bashing people forgiving their opinion??? I also think its a pretty bad/creepy idea and I love SJ and Apple, I dont know what Georgia is thinking
yes, cause you know this person so well from their one post! Grow up
Nope not probably @Rusty69 it is "THE WORST IDEA" ever. Georgia I hope you didn't come up with this. You probably just drew straws in the office and got the short end and had to put you name on this post right?
4S=4Steve, therefore, yes, Steve's voice indeed.
I agree steves voice would be aweomse, why not honor him with his last big app he created, although I think Apple might think its not appropriate but like you said Georgia the Jailbrake community could pull this off
I say use Steve's voice and instead of calling it Siri, call it Stevie
Hell no. Siri should have the sexiest female voice available. No guy wants a phone that sounds like a guy.
No man should take directions from a woman
Real me will. You'll like growing up.
I hope in iOS 6 Siri will beat my wife for me.
I'm sorry, I LOLed.
I feel like it would be a bit wrong to have Steve Jobs ask, "What can I help you with?"
No it's because Apple as I'd heard bought Siri. Not sure if they're run as a separate entity still or merged in.
Thus called Siri. It was originally also an App in the store as stated around blogs.
Apparently this is an updated version for of coarse the new 4S and onward new devices.
That is an amazing idea!
Steve Is Really Inside.
Creepy... Nope
Yes
That would be quite scary.
Yeah and rename "SIRI" to "STIVI"
I think Darth Vader would be cool."What is thy bidding my master?lol
I hope eventually we get a more natural voice.
Ewww...creepy....wayyyyy creepy. Plus, he's dead, so how would they plan to get his voice?
I don't know about Steve's voice. That sounds creepy and maybe a little disrespectful. I mean that man has given so much to the technology community. We should let him RIP. But, it looks like another way for Apple to make more money by selling voice packs for Siri.
While I won't speak to whether it's disrespectful, I do think it's a bad idea. I also agree that at some point it should be possible to purchase different voice packs and select among them in "Settings." For example:
1. C-3PO
2. K.I.T.T. from the original Knight Rider; and
3. HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The voice seems ok to me. It would be weird to hear his voice.
A fitting tribute indeed!!!
No. I think Siri is just fine the way they designed it. Steve Jobs was a very private genius who did not like relishing the spotlight (except at one of his events which was his passion). He would have been against it. So let's honor him by respecting that.
Even if they wanted, making a new voice with Nuance takes weeks of recording (I've worked a lot with Nuance and text-to-speech systems). So, if they do, that means Steve would have already recorded its voice, but I don't think he wasted its last moments doing that.
Well since Droid is popular perhaps a droid voice or a sweet soothing female voice that makes you just want to listen to Siri.
UNLIKE… Siri is an assistant… I don't want Steve being de assistant voice he was much more than that.
Your a DOUCHE! We all love Georgia! Piss off !!!!!
You're only defending her b/c she's a girl.
Inappropriate to say the lease. Terrible post ans disrespectful.
If Apple - Steve's baby - doesn't deem it appropriate, then I don't think it should be done, by Jailbreakers or otherwise.
Idk, I like this idea. Or the [future] ability to download new voices via software update. It can be in settings, under sounds, then Siri, then different voices like Default (Siri's voice) and others.
I legitimately can't believe that this was posted. While the intention may have been good, it looks like it was written by a troll on 4Chan.
That would be pretty boss. And I hate the Siri Lady Voice, horrible.
YES!
I completely agree
Bad idea for reasons already stated. But a very nice pose / blog as it solicitated so many positive comments about how / what we think of Steve Jobs. I think even the jb comunity will honor Jobs by not using his voice in Siri. His voice is best heard through his documentaries and his authorized autobiography.
Me, I prefer Jessica Rabbit :P "..... you are holding me wrong!" = hilarious :D
I'd like Siri to have Scarlett Johansson's voice.
What is your problem?! This was a valid idea and all her other posts are great. Me defending her has nothing to do with her being a girl and everything to do with the fact that she's good at her job.
Siri = Steve is really incredible
I don't think Steve saw him self as your personal assistant... Not very appropriate, if you ask me.
Georgia is HOT!!
Georgia is MARRIED!!
Ooh, and she has KIDS!!
So I suppose you'll need to find another.
Husband?
Honestly that would just be creepy. What I really want is GladOS's voice. Or maybe Keith David.
I am deeply saddened by Steve's passing and I hold him in very high esteem as I know a great many people around the world do. I think it is going a bit far to say I loved him dearly and I think that goes for most people except his family as well. I wouldn't mind having his voice as an option though, along a great many other celebrity voices.
Creepy and inappropriate. No way.
I think it would be pretty cool i won't lie. But don't we all want Jarvis from Iron Man? Slightly british awesome guy? or maybe the sexy british female. :)
It truly blows my mind, how cowardly and callous people are in Forums. Some people say things they typically would never say to your face. You hide behind the anonymity of a keyboard, bashing all the things you hate that Apple or Steve Jobs has or hasn't done, yet you spend countless hours of your personal time, because Apple has influenced your life, obviously in a huge way. Go figure?
I wonder what you would be doing right now, if Steve Jobs was never born?
Steve has certainly talked enough over the years at every keynote and interview that they could snip up enough parts of his voice like they did with Roger Ebert's in order to get almost every syllable, nuance and inflection. Ebert is never going to be able to speak again, yet his Mac now speaks for him so well, it's more than acceptable.
In the very least, couldn't they have spent the extra few bucks to license Acapela or Cepstral for their superior-sounding text-to-speech synthesis?
At best, Siri sounds like a robot from the early 90's.
WTF?? NO!
I don't like the voice it has though. There's more natural sounding ones out there now. This voice is a dated.
While I don't have a problem with SIRI's voice as it is, I'm intrigued by this idea. What if you could make SIRI's voice sound like any voice you want and/or change it at will? It comes with the iPhone 4S so you shouldn't have to buy a voice.
While I don't have a problem with SIRI's voice. It seems that it is still a new technology and will improve over time. I'm intrigued by the idea of an iPhone 4S owner being able to program whatever voice he or she wants for his or her SIRI.
Umm not sure on this one. It's a little like a speaking from the grave analogy which is kinda morbid.
However... My suggestion for the voice. The demon voice from the Exorcist movie would be perfect. That raspy, rough edged delivery would for sure command attention. Just my 2 cents.
While I appreciate the sentiment, seems a little creepy to me.
It would take a lot more than desire. Voice work on that scale would really require Steve to be in a studio recording clips, phases and core sounds. We could piece it together using existing recordings, but it would never be completely natural without him being alive to record. I think it would be an insult to half-ass this sort of idea, especially if you're going to use Steve's voice. You know Apple, if it's not perfect, it's not shipping.
That's wildly amazing.
I want Snoop Dogg to be the voice of SIRI.
if its even remotely possible they should make this happen STAT
Schiller is more the assistant type, isn't he? Imagine that...
Steve always valued good taste. Using his voice that way seems quite inappropriate, not a good idea. Frankly he was far too important for that.
Get Rene to do a voice file for it, that would be fun.
I think the ability to have "any" voice you want would be great! Developers should be allowed to sell different styles of voice for Siri. Why not? I'd love to see the creativity! Maybe, for fun, one that would talk back to you sarcastically! That would be hilarious!
Definetly the final tribute to steve though doing in jailbreak wouldnt be respectable to steve he and apple were always trying to stop jailbreaking saving him in jailbreak would be a paradoxical disrespectal bad idea
That would be cool, maybe a little creepy but I'm in favor of changing the apple logo to replace the bite from the apple with Steve's silhouette of Steve's profile.
two words....... Homer Simpson!!
Calm down! Jeez why is everyone so fking offended. I would love to have an option for Steve's nice voice.