Image Courtesy of Apple

With the imminent arrival of Apple’s latest iPhone 5, there is another rumour circulating the Apple world that may have some substance. It is a useful application called an Assistant app.

Built into the Apple iOS version 5, the expected platform for the iPhone, it helps iPhone users organise their handset more efficiently. Intriguingly, it does so using text to speech software. In short, rather than typing in a command you will be able to simply tell the iPhone 5 what to do and it will obey.
For instance, want to make a call? No problem just tell it phone the number. Want to find a contact or make an appointment? Speak to the device.

Even if you are looking for a place on the built in maps, just ask the handset to find it for you by telling it the name by speaking to the phone. There is even a suggestion that you will be able to search for information via a speech browser – similar to ‘Ask Jeeves’ but you talk to the software rather than type it in.

Experts believe that while the Assistant app is going to be a useful addition, and possibly the iPhone’s unique selling point, it is not likely to be available on lower grade handsets. The reason for this is that it requires a lot of power and previous handsets are not powerful enough.

Commentators also point out that the platform may have to be tweaked so that the handset can easily learn the speech pattern of the user. This is likely to be very useful as regional accents can cause problems with this type of technology.