Apple’s Ambitious Siri Overhaul Encounters Setbacks
Apple’s highly anticipated upgrade to its Siri virtual assistant, powered by Google’s Gemini AI, has reportedly hit some snags during recent testing. The new Siri was expected to bring significant improvements, including in-app actions, personal context awareness, and on-screen awareness, enabling a more intelligent and responsive assistant. However, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the rollout of these features will now be staggered across multiple iOS updates throughout the year rather than launching all at once.
Key Features and Technical Details
The revamped Siri will leverage a massive 1.2-trillion-parameter custom Gemini AI model hosted on Apple’s private cloud servers. This approach allows simpler AI tasks to be processed directly on users’ devices, while more complex computations are securely handled in the cloud using encrypted and stateless data. Among the standout capabilities planned is an expanded ability for Siri to access personal data, such as searching through old messages to find a podcast shared by a friend and playing it instantly. Additionally, the assistant is set to gain enhanced in-app actions that interact seamlessly with various applications based on personal and on-screen context.
Background and Earlier Expectations
Apple’s partnership with Google’s Gemini AI marks a major step in its AI strategy, aiming to deliver a more powerful and contextually aware Siri. Initial reports suggested the new Siri features would debut in iOS 26.4, scheduled for release in March 2026, with a full launch expected by late February. However, the company has already scaled back other AI projects, such as the World Knowledge Answers initiative and AI enhancements for Safari and Apple Health, indicating a more cautious approach to rolling out advanced AI capabilities.
What’s Next for Siri and Apple’s AI Plans
Due to the current delays, Apple is now planning to distribute the new Siri functionalities gradually across upcoming iOS updates, including iOS 26.5 in May and iOS 27 in September. This phased release strategy suggests Apple is prioritising stability and refinement over a simultaneous launch of all features. Users can expect a more incremental improvement in Siri’s intelligence and responsiveness as the year progresses.
Overall, while the delay is disappointing for those eager to experience the next generation of Siri, it reflects Apple’s careful balancing act between innovation and quality assurance. The gradual rollout will allow Apple to fine-tune the assistant’s capabilities and ensure a smoother user experience in the long run.
For more details on this developing story, see the latest update from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman here.
As Apple continues to refine its AI-driven assistant, the coming months will be crucial in shaping how Siri evolves to meet user expectations in an increasingly competitive voice assistant landscape.