When Apple released its iPhone 4S last summer, the most talked-about feature was the Siri voice recognition software.

The tool allows users to give verbal commands and receive information ranging from weather to nearby restaurants and appointments. The platform was the one bright spot in what was otherwise a lukewarm critical reception for the 4S.

Where critics scoffed, however, consumers lunged for their wallets. The iPhone 4S was a retail hit and now it seems Siri is proving extremely popular as well.

Network research firm Arieso said that a recent study it conducted on iOS users shows that the 4S is by far the most data-hungry of Apple's devices. On average, the Siri-equipped handset consumes twice as much data as the iPhone 4 and three times more than the iPhone 3G.

Siri even got the better of the iPad 2 when it came to overall wireless broadband data consumption.

The report is good news for Apple and gives a bright outlook for Siri, but it could also spell trouble for wireless carriers. With many network providers already worrying about wireless bandwidth use, the expansion of the Siri platform with future iOS devices could put a strain on their infrastructure and accelerate the move to 4G services.

06 Jan 2012