The virtual assistant introduced with the iPhone 4S in 2011 was Siri.
Apple launched Siri as an integrated feature of the iPhone 4S on October 14, 2011. It allowed users to speak natural-language requests, such as sending messages, setting reminders, checking weather, or looking up information. At launch, Siri was presented as a beta service rather than a finished standalone product.
Siri began as technology developed by a company spun out of research at SRI International, including work connected to the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s CALO project. Apple acquired Siri in 2010 and folded the technology into iOS. The earlier Siri app had been available separately, but Apple removed it from the App Store after integrating it into the iPhone 4S.
Cortana, Google Assistant, and Alexa arrived later or belonged to competing ecosystems. Siri’s debut helped make voice-controlled assistants a mainstream smartphone feature, even though early reviews noted problems with accents, commands, and local information.