Forums/Questions and Suggestions/Questions
Using Siri on iPhone 4s with SMH-10?
Tor Amundson
asked this on November 26, 2011 02:59
Pressing the 'phone' button on the SMH-10 starts Siri properly, but the SMH-10 seems to broadcast enough background noise that Siri never stops listening (even when using the helmet indoors in the quiet). This means it's impossible to use Siri unless the user presses the iPhone 4s's "home" key to signal Siri to stop listening. (if you do that, then Siri works great)
Currently the only way around this is to turn off Siri and use the old-fashioned iPhone voice commands as they 'time out' even with high noise, but this is much less functional than Siri is.
Any chance of a firmware update that would remove some of that background / base-level noise so Siri would function well? Or is there another solution you could suggest? Thanks!
Comments
We have noticed inconsistent response from iPhone's Siri feature. We are investigating into this matter to see what can be done to SMH10 to improve compatibility with Siri. During the time, I recommend you to disable Siri and use previous voice command feature of the iphone. Due to excessive wind noise during the ride, at certain noise level and equipments being used(open vent or open face), even voice command may not be a practical application.
I have two SMH-10 units, both with the latest firmware (3.2) and both have the problem that extends not just to Siri, but to every call I make. Specifically, not one person I have called using the SMH-10 can understand what I'm saying. They say I sound either muffled or distorted, and always cutting in and out.
Until there is a permanent solution, this renders my SMH-10's useless as cell phone two-way communications devices and leaves me no option other than to find an alternative.
While I'm happy to know that you "...are investigating into this matter to see what can be done to SMH10 to improve compatibility with Siri", I'd be much happier holding off on finding that alternative if I knew it's one of your top priorities for the next firmware release, which I would certainly note in some upcoming product reviews I'm working on for BMW Owner's News and Iron Butt Magazine, as well as a variety of consumer sites like Revzilla & Amazon.
I also think the editors of Web Bike World would want to know that as well.
We are investigating into this, but there may or may not be a solution for it. If solution requires change in iPhone 4S itself or its bluetooth function , then it will be very difficult to for us to correct. Keep in mind that we have to keep certain settings unchanged which are necessary for motorcycle riding environment. I am sorry that we do not have immediate solution, but our plan is to tackle the problem as soon as possible.
Also, you will notice that SMH10 will not have any trouble with other phones including older generations of iPhone.Thus, we have to make sure the solution for iPhone 4S does not effect other phones that SMH10 currently works well with. Unfortunately, I do not have firm answer for you at the moment. If phone use was your main purpose for purchasing SMH10, then you may want to consider returning the product till we have the solution for IPhone 4S.
You can still answer and end calls plus control your music with the SMH10 just not make calls. That is the primary function that I use this for anyway. I have not had any complaints about audio from anyone I have talked to on my 4S. I do not want to make call while I am riding. That is kinda of the point of going riding for me anyway. Just a thought to all those out there "on the fence" about making the purchase.
@Jonathan Volk
Make sure the mic is pointing the right way. I've read other people with the same issue - there's a notch that goes towards your mouth. Or maybe try it pointing away from your mouth. People said I sounded better on my Sena than my Blackberry at first, then I screwed with the mic and I had to repeat myself all the time until I fixed the mic direction.
@Jonathan
Are you using iPhone 4 or 4S? If so, I advise you to download and update latest SMH10 firmware(version 3.3) which improved compatibility with 4 and 4S.
FWIW, if you have and use a chin curtain with your helmet, and have the mic inside above the chin curtain, you'll find much less wind noise while riding. This might not be enough to make Siri work, but it certainly helps with intercoms and phone calls.
FWIW,,, I had a similar problems with a modular helmet. I have no issues since I switched to a full face RF 1100 Shoei helmet. I routed the mike behind the chin pads and it's placement is near my chin. I have the chin curtin installed, I think it's a necessity on any helmet wired for sound.. People are surprised to learn that I'm talking from my motorcycle helmet, that's how quiet it is.
FWIW -- I had the same muffled voice issue with all my calls on several different BT phones. I tried an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and a HTC Tytan, and was just about to hit up Sena techsupport when I tried flipping the mic head around. Fixed the issue entirely. Turns out that there is a live side and a dead side on the mic. The grill pattern is different on the live side (3 vertical bars of holes) than on the on the dead side (holes in a cross pattern) for a visual cue, and there is a tactile cue as well, shaped like a "V" that I can easily feel even through my winter gauntlets. The V needs to be pointed away from your mouth. I position the boom so that the mic head is floating above my upper lip off to the left side, lightly touching the bottom of my left nostril. My phone callers are often surprised when they find out I'm on a bike (ducati 1098, not the quietest bike around), though my mom once mentioned that I sounded like I was talking to her from the bed of a gravel truck once, but I put that down to the flaky nature of the VOIP carrier she uses. I've been able to talk to my crew chief during even high speed test runs on my race 1098R at the track, and I really wish more tracks would let me use it during races without having to safety it (the gorilla tape they make us use interferes with the button operation) but that's not going to happen. I have had zero issues with Siri -- being able to dictate performance notes when I'm tweaking the suspension settings for a particular track while I'm dragging a knee at 120mph is really handy. Now if I could just figure out a hack to easily sync my voice data captured via the the Sena with my GoPro video captures of the turns, I'd be a really happy camper. :)
One thing I would like to point out.
Since the microphone gain has been bumped up, the background noise becomes a greater issue.
Once the option to lower the microphone gain is rolled out in the next release, this might be something that some of you might want to try especially if you are a full face helmet.
Lowering the microphone gain, making sure the microphone element is close to your mouth would probably be enough to make her work.
Another idea I have is to have a procedure in a future update where you tap the button on the Sena again to stop the microphone audio when you have finished speaking..
Maybe like a double tap? Or even a timeout? Something to consider.. Anything to stop her from hearing the noise is likely going to solve the issue.
Bottom line does the 4s work with the smh10b or not. I havent had any luck. Music is fine but I need to answer a call. I will turn off siri and try to see if it works. Maybe I can get a iphone 4 and see.