Siri for Android? New App Fools Users in Android Market

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Siri for Android is here! At least that’s what more than a 1,000 Android owners thought as they downloaded the app from the Android Market.

In reality the app is simply a shortcut to launch Google’s Voice Actions, which comes pre-installed on every Android phone. The fact that the publisher is named “Official App” probably hasn’t helped.

(MORE: Legal ‘Spire’ Hack Puts Siri on Jailbroken iOS 5 Device)

Official App, while obviously trying to profit from the popularity of Siri, does give fair warning that its product isn’t the real deal:

Siri, now for your Android device!

This application is a Siri icon that opens “Google’s Voice Actions” app.

Google Voice Actions is a powerful app that comes with every Android device. It supports many different voice commands and Google is constantly working to make it even more powerful. Show your iPhone friends your Android phone can do what Siri does!

Your friends with iPhones will be so jealous that you have an app that pretends to be an app they already have! Despite its fraudulent nature, seven of Siri for Android’s 21 reviews are positive, which means either there are people out there who don’t really know what Siri does or the publisher has a lot of friends.

Yes, developers love Android Market’s open, approval-free policy, but it’s hard to see how something like this would ever happen on Apple’s App Store. The price you pay for freedom, I suppose.

MORE: How Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android Left BlackBerry in the Dust