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Apple's Siri Smartphone Assistant Now Speaks Russian

Apple has steadily expanded Siri?€™s command of the world?€™s languages since its release. Sean MacEntee / Flickr

Apple's voice-activated iPhone assistant Siri is now fluent in Russian, thanks to the U.S. tech giant’s latest smartphone software update.

The service has been programmed to understand more than 100 Russian-language commands, according to Russian news site Gazeta.ru.

First released in 2011, Siri allows users of Apple's popular iPhone smartphone to ask the mobile device questions and issue commands with their voice alone.

Apple has steadily expanded Siri’s command of the world’s languages since its release.

Adding Russian to the list reflects a growing commitment to the Russian market. Despite Russia’s economic downturn and last year’s steep devaluation of the ruble currency, shipments of iPhones to Russia doubled in 2014 to 3.25 million units, raking in more than $2 billion in sales.

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