Man Versus Machine: iPhone 4S User Files Class Action Against Apple, Alleges Siri Won't Do As Told

Frank Fazio, a disgruntled iPhone 4S user from New York, recently filed a federal class action lawsuit against Apple in California, alleging that the Siri feature of the iPhone 4S does not work as advertised. For those of you who still use pay phones, Siri is a virtual assistant that uses voice recognition to answer questions and perform tasks that would otherwise require typing, such as making calls, sending text messages, scheduling meetings, and getting directions. Mr. Fazio alleges that he purchased an iPhone 4S in November 2011 based on representations made by Apple regarding the Siri feature but began noticing problems right away. When he asked Siri for directions, for example, "Siri either did not understand what [he] was asking or, after a very long wait time, responded with the wrong answer.

From Now On I Will Call You Lead Plaintiff. OK?

Apple has promoted the iPhone 4S in several television and web-based ads showing Siri performing useful functions for its users. In one such ad, a ubiquitous thirty-second spot entitled "Road Trip," a young couple on a cross-country road trip is shown using Siri to help navigate their journey, asking questions like: "What's the best way to Santa Cruz, California?" "Where's the best barbecue in Kansas City?" and "Is there a rodeo in Amarillo today?" In another commercial, "Rock God," Siri is...