Hold on to Your Pants, Siri, Microsoft's Cortana is Coming to iPhone

Microsoft is making a big push for cross-device support in Windows 10, and part of that includes bringing its Siri-like Cortana voice control system to the iPhone. Just like Siri, Cortana lets you speak to perform tasks and retrieve information, and in some ways is considered more advanced than Apple's own system.

Microsoft's Cortana coming to iPhoneMicrosoft's Cortana coming to iPhone

Microsoft Operating Systems Vice President Joe Belfiore spilled the beans on the plan, and also said tight integration with the company's other apps and services would be a part of Windows 10, too. In essence, Microsoft wants to replace Apple's apps and user experience on the iPhone with its own.

Microsoft isn't the only company looking to displace Siri. Google Now is already available for the iPhone, and it offers its own in-app voice recognition service along with tight integration with other Google services.

Apple's leg up in this game is that alternate services can't integrate at the system level like Siri, which means users will need to open other apps before using Cortana or Google Now voice control. That said, if Microsoft and Google's offerings are that much better than Apple's Siri, many users will be more than happy to take that extra step.

Mr. Belfiore touts other Windows 10 features in the announcement, such as its support for printers that are three years old, and he proclaims Cortana the "world's only personal digital assistant."

He didn't say how soon Microsoft's new iOS integration is coming aside from "with Window 10."