I absolutely hate the concept of voicemails. I don’t want to leave you one or listen to yours. Texting is definitely a better way of exchanging messages. If you feel the same way and you’re an iPhone user, then you’ll be glad to hear that Apple is rumored to be working on fixing voicemail once and for all. And interestingly, Siri is involved.
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According to information received by Business Insider, Apple is already testing a voicemail service that relies on Siri to automatically answer calls and transcribe the resulting voice messages. The new service would debut in 2016 as part of Apple’s iOS 10 release, the blog said, assuming it’ll be reliable enough for a commercial release.
Referred to as iCloud Voicemail, the service would let an iPhone user instruct Siri to answer calls automatically instead of a carrier voicemail service. The caller would then be able to leave a voicemail, which Siri would automatically transcribe and save in iCloud.
Apple is already giving Siri a big upgrade in iOS 9, turning its virtual assistant into an even more powerful tool for iOS users. The voice assistant will offer users more Google Now-like predictive features once iOS 9 rolls out, something that hasn’t been available in iOS so far.
Apple’s interest in offering users an alternative to regular voicemail services available from carriers might also be an indication that the iPhone maker is eying a different business. The company might even be interested in becoming a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the future, Business Insider says. iCloud Voicemail and Apple’s unique SIM card launch last year might be signs pointing in that direction.
