Apple is about to deliver on the next-gen Siri promises it made in 2024

Apple has fallen significantly behind the competition when it comes to creating an in-house AI model capable of sufficiently upgrading Siri to the level the company advertised in 2024, and following reports of internal struggles with Apple Intelligence-related development teams, Apple finally fell on its sword and signed a deal with its direct competitor, Google, for access to its Gemini AI models.

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Apple intends to use Gemini to power upcoming Apple Intelligence features, and ultimately give Siri a most-welcomed upgrade in the intelligence department. Initially, Apple was in discussions with Anthropic for access to its models, but following drawn-out conversations and an unfavourable payment structure for Apple, Anthropic was no longer an option.

OpenAI was another possible contender, especially since the two companies have already inked a deal to integrate ChatGPT into Siri, which is triggered only when the user's prompt can't be fulfilled by Apple's own AI model. However, given that OpenAI is currently working on releasing its first physical device, which is being helmed by former Apple designer Jony Ive, and that device is meant to be a way users can communicate with AI, Apple recognized potential conflicts of interest with going with OpenAI.

That left Google, which is now providing Apple with Gemini models for Siri and future Apple Intelligence features. So, when will we see the fruits of this new partnership? According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple is expected to announce the upgraded Siri during the second half of February, where it will showcase the new and improved functionality.

Gurman writes that the voice-assistant should be able to tap into personal data and "see" on-screen content. Those new features are expected to be released in iOS 26.4, which is scheduled to enter beta testing next month and be released publicly in March or early April.

The fully reimagined Siri has an unveiling planned for Apple's World Wide Developers Conference 2026, and that next-generation Siri will debut in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27.