Washington, July 07 (QNA) - Apple announced the rollout of the third developer beta version of iOS 27, which adds one of the most anticipated features to its smart assistant Siri, as users can now control the speed of its speech and the level of emotional expression in its voice, as part of the company’s efforts to make the assistant more natural and interactive by relying on generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

The “Pace” and “Expressivity” options appeared in the first beta versions with the phrase "Coming soon," before becoming available for testing in the new version.

According to TechCrunch, this move is part of Apple's strategy to redesign Siri to be smarter and more personalized, in light of increasing competition from AI-powered voice assistants, such as ChatGPT, which already offer extensive options for customizing speech style and tone.

The update allows users to choose multiple voices with different accents, then adjust the speed of Siri's speech and the level of human expression in its voice, giving a more realistic experience and closer to the style of human speech.

Apple revealed these features during the Worldwide Developers Conference, affirming that they are part of the new generation of Siri built on AI and integrated into iOS 27.

The new Siri allows users to start conversations in several ways, whether by speaking directly, typing by swiping down from Dynamic Island, pressing the phone's side button, or bu using the new stand-alone Siri app.

These updates are part of Apple's efforts to develop its smart assistant capabilities and keep pace with rapid developments in AI technologies. (QNA)