One of the secret weapons contained in the next Apple smartphone, the much-anticipated iPhone 5 that will be unveiled on 4 October, will be an intelligent new voice interface.
It is believed that the smartphone's new voice capabilities will once again break the mould in the same way the arrival of the iPhone in 2007 reshaped mobile devices forever.
The new iPhone is expected to be unveiled on 4 October in San Francisco, accompanied by the iOS 5 mobile operating system.
According to a report on Forbes, veteran Apple investor Jason Schwarz has forecast that the next iPhone will use technology Apple acquired when it bought the Siri voice-assistant technology.
The Siri voice-control system allows users to tell their iPhone to send a text message to a friend inviting them to lunch, but will overlay it with a layer of intelligence that will also book the restaurant and designate the time of the meeting or organise taxis.
The Siri system was used with Citysearch, Open table and Taxi Magic prior to Apple's acquisition.
In a blog post, Schwarz asserts that in order to incorporate "the most revolutionary user interface in the history of technology" the iPhone 5 will need more advanced processing power – hence the likely inclusion of Apple's next-generation A5 processor.
He also asserts the likelihood that the iPhone 5 will be compatible with Apple's forthcoming iCloud services.
"The iCloud will include a new iTunes, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, and up-to-date organisation/back up of apps, books, contacts, calendar and mail. As Apple mentions on its website … no syncing. No sending. Your stuff is just there. Everywhere you want it," Schwartz said in his post.