Internet detectives have unearthed yet more alleged details on the future of Apple's Siri software, spying references to it (her?) in the code of the beta version of iOS 5.1.3. Apparently, those with a bit of coding nous uncovered a line in the keyboard settings that makes reference to dictation, even though previous models of the iPhone and iPad offer no such feature. Could this hail the arrival of Siri on older iDevices? Some Apple fans certainly seem to think so.

OK, so it's about as shaky a piece of evidence for the inclusion of Siri that one could hope to find. And so what that Apple has specifically denied any plans to retro-fit its older iPhone models with the company's chatty virtual assistant? It'll take more than that to gum up the gears of the rumour mill. For our money, a line of code making reference to dictation implies exactly that: dictation - not the full-blown what's-the-weather-like-in-New-York-on-Tuesday Siri experience that sets the 4S apart from its forebears.

It stands to reason that Siri will crop up again this year at least once in the coming year (twice if she winds her way onto the iPad 3 as well as the iPhone 5), but surely by now we can put to bed the idea that owners of yesteryear's iPhones are going to have anyone on their phones other than their contacts to talk to?

Source: TechRadar