Apple finally joins competitors with latest updates

Hey, Siri, how do we catch up with Google, Amazon, Facebook, Snapchat and Uber?

Apple unveiled a slew of software upgrades for its gadgets on Monday that mostly looked like frantic attempts to chase fresh innovations by its Silicon Valley rivals.

The Siri voice assistant got opened to third-party developers — a move made last month by Google with its own voice assistant — allowing users to order pizzas, send messages and book flights by talking to their iPhones.

The idea is to stem “competition from Amazon and Google, which are breathing down Apple’s back,” says Daniel Ives of Synchronoss Technologies.

At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Senior VP Eddy Cue showed off Siri’s improved prowess on the Apple TV, enabling users to search for channels with voice commands.

That looked like a bid to chase Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa speaker, a hit product that has become a pioneering gadget for connected homes.

Elsewhere, the iPhone’s iOS operating system is enriching its text-messaging platform with Facebook-like features such as stickers and oversize emojis, and the Snapchat-like ability to add drawings and animations to photos.

Apple also updated its much-maligned maps app, opening it up to third-party developers and sharply upgrading its car-navigation features — an apparent salvo in its escalating battle against Uber, which uses Google Maps.

The Apple-Uber rivalry especially hot in China, where Apple just took a $1 billion stake in ride-sharing app Didi.

Throughout Monday’s WWDC, Apple unveiled new Chinese-friendly software, including a messaging feature that lets users draw Chinese characters.

Apple also unveiled a faster operating system for the Apple Watch and a more simple, slick interface for its Apple Music streaming service.