7 free Siri alternatives for Android

1. EVA / EVAN

This personal assistant app comes in two versions -- EVA and EVAN. You might assume the difference between the two is that the former talks in a female voice and the latter, male. Well, no -- you have to install third-party voice packs separately to change the voice. The difference is that you are presented either an image of a woman or man meant to represent the assistant. Each sells for $8.99, but both have free versions (EVA Intern and EVAN Intern) which come with ad banners.

EVA / EVAN is focused on executing a long list of functions of your Android device -- you can tell it to manage your contacts and calendar, tweet, update your Facebook status, make calls, send emails, make Web and map searches, and even turn on your device’s camera flash to function as a flashlight. Although you can talk to it with natural wording, you have to give it your orders in a fairly straightforward manner.

EVA / EVAN couldn’t tell me what the current outside temperature was in my city, but it did give me a canned but brief philosophical answer to “what is the meaning of life?” Neither version could tell me its name when I asked.