Google has allowed a pair of fake Siri apps to be offered in its Android Market. Both steal Siri’s icon, and one of the apps even tries to clone Siri’s interface.
From today’s Electronista article:
Google has let through a pair of fake Siri apps. Both Siri for Android (Android Market) and Speerit (Android Market) both steal Apple’s icon and, in the case of Speerit, try to clone Siri’s interface. The currently Korean-only app claims to have “real” Siri, although the differing results on the weather widget suggest it’s not actually asking Apple’s servers.
Siri for Android, meanwhile, is blunt in the description and reveals that it’s just a shortcut for Google’s Voice Actions, with the same much more constrained syntax. At least some have been taken by the app, however, including one who unintentionally commented on the limited state of Google’s voice commands on the assumption the ‘app’ was an unfinished Siri port.
The two apps emphasize one important problem with Google’s app approval process. Its policy has usually been to apply very few, if any checks to apps before they go live, allowing apps that obviously copy someone else’s work. The Android Market has also occasionally hosted scam apps and malware that stayed in the market for days before being removed.
Apple has announced no intentions of porting Siri to any other platforms, and has a much more stringent approval process for apps in its own App Store. Apple’s policies are sometimes considered overly aggressive, but so far has kept the platform safe for those not using “jailbreaking” to bypass Apple’s security.
