Microsoft Cortana Coming to Android and iOS: Watch out Siri and Google Now

Microsoft announced on May 26 that its voice assistant Cortana will be coming to Android and iOS. The software giant had announced that it would bring Cortana to third party mobile platforms this year at the 2015 Build Conference held in May, according to reports.

According to a report on Digital Trends, Cortana is not yet available on Google Play or App Store and the Android version will arrive in june followed by iOS version. The apps will feature the same capabilities in Windows 10 and Windows Phone that includes calendar reminders, notifications like live matches scores, restaurant reviews and flight tracking, reports Digital Trends.

Users familiar with the benefits of deep integration of Cortana on Windows phone are likely to see the same integration on their Windows 10 PC, Microsoft said through its blog post. Cortana that has the capacity to get many things done at the same time, is also integrated into Microsoft Edge, the new web browser for Windows 10, says Microsoft in its blog post.

The Cortana app for Android and iOS will work as a companion to Cortana on Windows 10 PC. “The ‘Phone Companion’ app on the PC will help you install the Cortana app from the Google Play or Apple App Store onto your phone so you’ll be able to take the intelligence of Cortana with you, wherever you go,” says the blog posted by Microsoft.

Microsoft also said there will be certain activities that Cortana can perform on Windows phones but not on Android or iPhones. Certain activities like opening apps or toggling settings will not be available initially in the Cortana companions for iOS and Android platforms, says Microsoft.

According to the Digital Trends report, Microsoft had released a preview version of Office on Android this month. Besides that, it also brought OneDrive and PowerPoint support to Apple Watch. The company will allegedly launch the Android and iOS companions for OneClip by the end of this year. Apart from that, last September, Microsoft had started selling a Bluetooth mobile keyboard that is compatible with Windows, Android and iOS devices, reports Digital Trends.

Cortana will give tough competition to Google Now app and Apple’s Siri, reports CNET.

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