Apple to upgrade Siri’s AI by April — Bloomberg
While Apple CEO Tim Cook spent an evening at the movies, Bloomberg reported that his company intends to introduce a much-improved, Google Gemini-boosted AI in February, following this with an even bigger upgrade later this year.
We’ve heard much of this before; what’s new is the timing. (The partnership envisions Google Gemini integrated within Apple’s Foundation Models.)
Beta testing from February
The initial beta upgrade is scheduled to ship with iOS 26.4 in the second half of February, Bloomberg said. If everything goes as expected during beta testing, the software should ship for real in March or April.
The company is then expected to announce an even bigger upgrade to Siri at WWDC in June, when Apple unveils its next iPhone OS — iOS 27, which is due out in the fall. This will turn Siri into a smart, conversational chatbot.
We all understand why the partnership between Apple and Google is happening: The iPhone maker encountered big problems in its own AI development, and while a lot of heads have rolled since then, it clearly needed to reach a deal to expedite its platform embrace of artificial intelligence.
The company’s failure to introduce an AI-enabled Siri in 2024 is something it knows a billion customers are aware of, with millions now making regular use of the array of generative AI (genAI) services already out there. With 73% of CIOs saying Macs are already in use to run AI in the enterprise, Apple wants to meet the needs of that particular audience.
Getting it right
With platforms that have arguably become the best devices on which to run and build AI, Apple is under great pressure to prove it can also provide AI services people will trust and use, while retaining the essential simplicity of the Apple user experience.
For good or ill, the importance of AI will only grow in the coming years, meaning Apple is under serious pressure not just to deliver something good, but also to deliver something that satisfies expectations. The millions who have waited since 2024 for some of the promised Siri features will be less likely to forgive the company if it ships anything unremarkable. This is a high-pressure moment that could even be existentially decisive for the firm.
It’s possible those high stakes will work in Apple’s favor. That’s because the long wait and wide reporting of problems Apple faced, which means that interest in whatever it does come up with will be very high.
Will this AI make or break Apple?
We don’t know yet whether people will rush to install iOS 26.4, however. We’ve heard reports that interest in iOS 26 may be lower than normal, which possibly reflects reluctance to embrace the Liquid Glass UI.
It is true that many people are curious about AI — even in Europe, 37.2% of the population has used genAI tools. All the same, not everyone is completely enthusiastic, fearing it further entrenches the power of Big Tech while decimating employment prospects.
Within this environment, initial reactions to what Apple delivers are important because many users may be cautious about the upgrade. As a result, initial reactions from the media and early adopters could make or break Apple’s new Google Gemini partnership.
Ultimately the world will be waiting to see whether this is an Apple Maps moment, or the something closer to the unveiling of the first Mac.
We’re about to find out.
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