While all attention is currently being placed on the new fourth iOS 7.1 beta, a feature that seems to have skipped most people’s attention is that beta version 3 includes a female counterpart to the British male variant of Siri, which users can choose between.
Currently British iOS users not running a beta version of iOS 7 have access to only a male voice, with no option to change it. However, the iOS 7.1. beta 3 provides a chance to select between male and female voices within the “Voice Gender” settings, when Siri is set to UK English.
Similar reports have also surfaced for the English (Australia) variant — bringing the list of countries offering both genders for Siri to the US, the UK, Australia, France and Germany.
While it’s still not known exactly when iOS 7.1. will roll out for all users, provided that this feature makes it to the final release (which we expect it will) this will give users in the UK and Australia the chance to reenact Spike Jonze’s Her complete with their own regional accents.
What could be better than that?
Source: iDownloadBlog
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
