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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