Apple released the developer beta of iOS 18.1 a few weeks ago. In this release, they gave us our first look at the new version of Siri and how it will change with all this new Apple intelligence implementation. I wanted to put it to the test and compare it to the iOS 17 version of Siri. Here’s how it performed.

Before we get started, I want to point out that the full version of Apple Intelligence is still a long way off. There’s no ChatGPT integration with Siri yet, and it doesn’t use contextual rules to help with app information yet, so this is still in its infancy. Be sure to check out our hands-on video below where I compare iOS 18.1’s Siri commands to iOS 17.4’s!

I would say that it will be difficult to demonstrate responsiveness via written text. The speed of Siri is best seen in video. Below I will break down the categories of prompts I used and mention which version did it first, which did it right, and which did it better.

Responsiveness

To start, I wanted to test responsiveness. I set up the Siri settings on both phones to listen for the “Hey Siri” command and then tested it from three different positions.

• The lock screen
• The home screen
• From an app

As you can see above, I used a 15 Pro Max for the new Siri and a 13 Mini for the old Siri. Side note: I want Apple to bring back the small phone! In my testing, both Siris were responsive 100% of the time. There is only one functional difference. The new Siri still lets you interact with the UI “behind” Siri, while the old Siri doesn’t.

Location-based requests

This is where we start to really test each Siri. For these prompts, I focused on location-based information. I used things like “What’s the weather like?” or “Navigate me to city X.” Another aspect I tested was ongoing contextual conversation.

Prompts:

• What is the weather
• What is the weather like in Miami
• Tell me the weather in Madrid now
• How long would it take me to get to Philadelphia?
• What is the weather like there?
• What should I do when I get there?

Surprisingly, Siri performed well in iOS 17. It gave me all the information I needed in a timely manner. It also carried on conversations and maintained some contextual rules. The only place the new Siri was better was when I asked it to navigate me somewhere. It actually went into the Maps app and started navigating, whereas iOS 17 didn’t go into the app.

I give the new Siri an advantage here, but not much.

Fact-based inquiry

With these prompts, I wanted to test the same things: how quickly I get the information, how long context rules can be stored, and how accurately my questions are answered.

Prompts:

• How old is Tim Cook?
• Where was he born?
• Navigate me to his house.

• When were the Miami Dolphins founded?
• When was your last game?
• Who is their quarterback?
• How many yards did he have last year?

I took two approaches here: first with the Tim Cook questions and then with the football questions. Siri in iOS 18.1 showed what she could do in the second phase of prompts. The information she gave me was more accurate, faster, and presented in a more engaging way. The old Siri did give me some peripheral information, but it was wrong. For example, when I asked “Who’s your quarterback?” the old Siri gave me a list of quarterbacks from another team, even though I was still talking about the Miami Dolphins.

Edge to the new Siri.

System-based inquiries

I wanted to test how much control Siri has over system-based commands. In most cases, both Siris can toggle settings on and off. Where the new Siri shines is in the “how-to” explanations. For example, you can tell either Siris to turn off dark mode. But if you ask, “How do I turn off dark mode?” the new Siri gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do it, while the old Siri just freezes.

Prompts:

• How do I switch to dark mode?
• How do I change my WiFi?
• Reduce the brightness to 25%
• Play Justin Bieber
• Open Safari
• Open photos
• Send Tobal a message

Again, the old Siri could handle most requests. But the new Siri could teach the user how to get things done, which I personally like.

Last attempt

As you can see, the old Siri can functionally perform 95% of the prompts. The new Siri looks better and can interact with apps a bit more granularly. But there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Another nice feature is that you can text Siri without having to use Accessibility, like in iOS 17. If you’re still using iOS 17 and considering upgrading to the iOS 18.1 beta just for Siri, I’d wait. Yes, it looks good visually, but functionally there aren’t enough new features to justify iOS 18.1’s bugginess.

While it’s still a long way off, I can see the vision and the future. I can see Siri finally becoming a viable assistant and not just something I use to turn off the lights in my bedroom. Let me know what you think. Is this enough of an upgrade to warrant an update? Do you even care about Siri? Do you use Siri? Let’s discuss it!