New Siri vs Old Siri: Here’s how Siri in iOS 18.1 beta compares [Video]

Apple released the developer beta version of iOS 18.1 a few weeks back. In this release, they gave us a preliminary 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 is how it fared.

Before we jump in, I want to make it known that the full version of Apple Intelligence is a ways away. There is still no ChatGPT integration into Siri, and it is still not using contextual rules to help with app information. So, this is still in its infancy. Be sure to check out our hands-on video below, where I compare iOS 18.1 vs. iOS 17.4 Siri commands!

I will say that it will be tough to portray responsive over written text. Best way to see the speed of Siri is to watch the video. Below I will be breaking down the category of prompts I used and mention which version got it first, which got it right and which did it better.

Responsiveness

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

• The lock screen
• The Home Screen
• From within an app

Screenshot

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 responded quickly, 100% of the time. There is only one functional difference. With the new Siri you can still interact with the UI “behind” Siri, while with the old Siri you cannot.

Location-Based requests

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

Prompts:

• What is the weather
• What is the weather in Miami 
• Now tell me the weather in Madrid 
• How long would it take me to drive to Philadelphia?
• What’s the weather there?
• What should I do when I get there?

Screenshot

Surprisingly, iOS 17 Siri held strong. It gave me all the information I needed in a timely manner. It also continued with conversation and kept some context rules. The one-piece where the new Siri did better was when I asked it to navigate me somewhere. It actually went into the Maps app and began the navigation, while iOS 17 did not go into the app.

I’ll give the new Siri edge here, but not much.

Facts based request 

With these prompts, I wanted to test the same things: how quickly it gives me the information, how long it can hold context rules, and how accurately my questions were answered.

Prompts:

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

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

Screenshot

I took two approaches here: first with the Tim Cook questions and then with the football questions. iOS 18.1 Siri began to flex its muscles with the second phase of prompts. The information given to me was more accurate, faster, and presented nicely. The old Siri gave me tangential information, but it was wrong. For example, when I asked ” who their Quarterback is,” old Siri gave me a list of Quarterbacks from a different team, even though I was still talking about the Miami Dolphins.

Edge to new Siri.

System based requests 

I wanted to test how much control Siri has over system-based commands. For the most part, both Siris can turn settings off and on. Where the new Siri shines is with ” how-to” explainers. For example, you can tell both Siris to turn off Dark Mode. But if you ask, “How do I turn off Dark Mode?” The new Siri will give you step-by-step instructions on how to do that, while the old Siri will just freeze.

Prompts:

• How do I go into dark mode?
• How do I change my wifi?
• Lower brightness to 25%
• Play Justin Bieber 
• Open safari
• Open photos
• Send message to Tobal a message

Again, the old siri was able to fulfill most of the requests. But the new Siri was able to teach the user how to get stuff done, which I personally like.

Screenshot

Final take

As you can see, the old Siri can functionally complete 95% of the prompts. The new Siri looks nicer and can interact with applications a bit more granularly. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. One other nice feature is that you can text Siri without needing to use accessibility, as in iOS 17. If you are still on iOS 17 and are considering getting into iOS 18.1 beta just for Siri, I would hold off. Yes, it visually looks good, but functionally, there aren’t enough new features to justify the bugginess of iOS 18.1.

Even though there is a long way to go, I can see the vision and the future. I can see how Siri could finally become a usable 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 justify updating? Do you even care about Siri? Do you use Siri? Let’s discuss!