What Does Droid Have That Compares With Siri?

Robin

The Robin app from Magnifis (see Resources) bills itself as “the Siri Challenger.” It originally built a following with its voice-activated driving services like directions, finding the nearest coffee shop or providing traffic information for nearby routes. Since its launch, the service has added in the ability to read and update social media statuses, set reminders and place calls. The one downside to this app is that about half of user reviews mention it has difficulty understanding you when writing a text or email.

Vlingo

If you’re looking for an app with just a core set of features and place a high value on accuracy of search results, Vlingo is likely a good fit (see Resources). The app has a menu that can be accessed at any time from your Android device, and it provides quick searches for directions, phone numbers and nearby results. Many user reviews say Vlingo’s suggestions for nearby places like restaurants often list the best nearby location. The service is also adding in support for reservations through OpenTable, Kayak and Fandango.

Skyvi

When it comes to feature-rich Siri rivals, few can boast a broader offering than Skyvi from BlueTornado (see Resources). Skyvi can locate and call your contacts, find restaurants and get directions, tell you weather information, play your music and read aloud your text messages, emails and social media statuses. When it launched, Skyvi had many issues around its voice recognition. The company provided a major update in April 2013. Most user reviews since then have been positive, though some still note that Skyvi has trouble understanding them.

Choosing Your App

Reliability and features are the two main factors you’ll want to consider when choosing your Siri-like app. Thankfully, as of August 2013, Robin, Vlingo and Skyvi are all completely free services. Robin provides a good middle ground for voice recognition and feature set, especially for navigation. Vlingo is best suited to helping you find what you need, but won’t do things like play your music. Skyvi is a good choice if you want access to a lot of different services and won’t be frustrated by having to repeat yourself.