Cortana outsmarts Siri in Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8.1 ad

Cortana, the personal assistant for Windows Phone that Microsoft developed to rival Apple’s Siri and Google Now, gets the limelight in a new ad that’s far from being subtle (spotted first by The Verge).

The commercial for Windows Phone 8.1 pits Cortana on a Lumia 635 against Siri on an iPhone 5s, with Cortana winning hands-down as Siri just says it cannot carry out the instructions. Well, that’s something you would expect considering it’s a Microsoft ad.

Microsoft is going on the offense as it picks such a battle showcased on this ad, but it’s also a complement to Apple that Microsoft thinks that there is enough awareness about Siri, so much so that it is an area worth challenging in.

Cortana is only available to US-based Windows Phone users right now, but we can expect a UK and China launch of the service soon.

Thumbnail image via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images