Microsoft’s Cortana whips Apple’s Siri in this new Windows Phone ad

Microsoft’s not shy when it comes to tackling its competition head-on — from openly pitting its Surface Pro 3 against the Macbook Air to all those Scroogled ads. The latest victim? That would be Siri.

The company’s new Windows Phone ad essentially simulates a showdown between Apple’s personal assistant and its own recently-launched competitor, Cortana. It directly compares Apple’s flagship device to the Lumia 635, assigning them both a series of tasks — and the budget Nokia beats it every time. While the ad does state that the screens have been simulated and the sequences shortened, its a pointed dig at the iPhone’s buggy and often limited personal assistant.

Although Siri can, for example, set reminders, it often struggles with multi-layered requests (such as “remind me to get roses when I’m near any flower shop”) and voice recognition, especially with foreign accents and places. It also doesn’t pro-actively point out potential traffic issues on your upcoming journey, unlike other competitors like Google Now.

While some could argue that Microsoft should focus on highlighting the best of Windows Phone 8.1, you have to admit that this ad is still much better than that slightly creepy initial introduction to Cortana.