Apple Plans to Integrate Nuance Voice Recognition Into iOS 5?

Apple is reportedly in talks with Nuance to implement its voice recognition technology in iOS 5, according to TechCrunch.

Apple has been negotiating a deal with Nuance in recent months, we’ve heard from multiple sources. What does that mean? Well, it could mean an acquisition, but that is looking fairly unlikely at this point, we hear. More likely, it means a partnership that will be vital to both companies and could shape the future of iOS.

TechCrunch notes that purchasing Nuance would be a very expensive proposition for Apple. The company currently has a market cap around $6 billion. The main alternative would be Google; however, Apple will likely avoid another Google partnership if possible. It seems more likely that Apple will strike a deal with Nuance and then stealthy work on its own solution just in case the relationship goes sour.


Apple acquired Siri Personal Assistant last year. Siri let you use speak to your iPhone and have it perform tasks using Nuance to power its voice recognition. It's been rumored that Apple will build some of its Siri's capabilities directly into iOS 5.

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