iPhone 4S — Siri Arrives
Apple launched the iPhone 4S with Siri, the first mainstream voice assistant, bringing conversational AI into the hands of millions.
On October 14, 2011, Apple released the iPhone 4S, introducing Siri — a voice-activated intelligent assistant that could answer questions, set reminders, send messages, and make recommendations using natural language processing. Siri originated from a DARPA-funded project at SRI International and was acquired by Apple in 2010. While limited by the AI capabilities of its era, Siri represented a paradigm shift: for the first time, hundreds of millions of people could speak to their phone and get a useful response. Siri paved the way for Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, and the broader voice-first computing movement. The 4S also introduced an improved 8MP camera that made the iPhone the world's most popular camera.
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