So far, Siri has been pretty great… when it works. The trouble is that I no longer remember to use it or even try because it simply does not work so often whether on WiFi or using cell towers. Especially for voice-to-text it is incredibly frustrating to dictate a couple lines only to have the system work for a few moments and then show nothing. It just blankly fails and tells me nothing. No warning, no error message. So I look down to see my text and I see a blank. That is just awful user experience. If you bring up Siri itself and the service is down it warns you though. The other reliability issue I have is when it comes to using Bluetooth in my car. The whole idea of using hands-free services on my phone to call my wife or pull up directions falls short because Siri barely ever works properly using the car’s built-in speakerphone. Maybe software can help, but for me, right now Siri should be labeled less than a Beta.

Tags: bluetooth, cars, iPhone 4s, Siri, voice-to-text