Apple is combating Siri ports, blocking unauthorized devices
If you do not have an iPhone 4S, Apple says Siri is not for you. A new, Apple-implemented connection requirement has stymied third-party Siri servers that have attempted to bring the popular voice recognition assistant to older iPhones.
The hacking community is abuzz with news that Apple has decided to thwart attempts to bring Siri to older-model iPhones. The requirements for connecting your iPhone with Siri has a new element, a token, that has blocked third-party apps like Spire from accessing Siri's database.
The SetActivationToken appears to be the culprit, though it is unclear exactly what the requirement of the device is for this token.
The main concern for users with older iPhones is that the SetActivationToken could signal a focused approach by Apple to stop Siri access for unapproved devices. Though the new token does stop third-party access, there has already been a workaround found to be successful.
In order to remedy the issue, purge the com.apple.assistant.plist file (var > mobile > Library > Preferences). Many comments on Twitter and on various news outlets suggest this has worked pretty well.
The video below, created by iDownload Blog, shows the lack of Siri access.
Are you using a third-party app like Spire to get Siri on your older iPhone? Have you experienced an outage? Let me know your experiences in the comments!