So much for Siri
therealbrandonwilson • 23 Sept 2026 •
The highly anticipated voice agent Siri has largely been a disappointment over the years. The initial enthusiasm waned quickly when I realized she wasn't really good at anything. I stopped using her a long time ago, but the promise of enhancements with Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 made me want to give her another try. TL;DR: She still needs some work.
This afternoon, I went to drop off my previous iPhone using the prepaid FedEx kit. My usual shipping spot was closed due to a death in the family. I went back to the car and wondered if there might be another FedEx drop-off location nearby. Hey, what a perfect opportunity to use Siri. She advised me to go to an official FedEx location about 15 mins away. I asked her if she was sure that was the closest FedEx drop-off location, and she assured me it was.
I switched to ChatGPT and asked the same question. In addition to the official location, ChatGPT advised of other unofficial locations that served as FedEx shipping hubs, including a Walgreens about ten minutes away. I asked whether it was only that Walgreens or any Walgreens, and Chat said it was only participating Walgreens locations; then it showed me that the one right on the corner in the same plaza was indeed a hub. Problem solved.
Siri, you've got some catching up to do.
Comments
That reminds me of the greatest phone prank of all time that I heard on the Howard Stern show. You call up a Chinese take-out and place an order. Then you have them hold on a sec while you call a second Chinese take-out. You tell the first one to repeat your order, then join the three-way call so the second one hears it. Hilarity ensues.
Too bad you can’t ask Siri to ask ChatGPT.