Main points
- Apple is working with Google to create an updated Siri based on Gemini technology, with the first version expected to arrive in the spring of 2026.
- The new Siri will be conversational, understand context, and support long conversations.
Apple is completely rebuilding Siri with Google technology / Unsplash
Apple is radically changing its strategy in the field of artificial intelligence, abandoning its own developments in favor of a partnership with Google. The company is preparing to introduce two updated versions of its voice assistant Siri, which will be powered by Gemini technology.
The first version will appear in the spring of 2026. The second, completely redesigned, will debut in the summer along with new operating systems, writes Bloomberg.
Why did Apple abandon its own artificial intelligence?
In the summer of 2025, the company experienced a real crisis of confidence in its internal AI development. After the failed launch of the Apple Intelligence platform and delays in updating Siri, the company's management seriously considered abandoning its own AI models and switching to third-party technologies.
The news came as a shock to Apple's development team, which had been working on basic AI models for a long time. Department leaders tried to reassure employees in emergency meetings, but it was clear that Apple Intelligence was lagging behind the competition, and the delay in releasing a new version of Siri was a serious blow to the company's reputation.
Apple initially held talks with several potential partners. The company considered working with Anthropic and OpenAI, but none of the options turned out to be ideal:
- Anthropic demanded several billion dollars annually for many years, which was not profitable for Apple.
- The partnership with OpenAI also created problems, as this company actively poached Apple engineers and developed its own devices together with former Apple designer Jony Ive.
In the end, the choice fell on Google. By August, Apple had reviewed the Gemini software and found that the technology had improved significantly in just a few months. Google also agreed to financial terms that suited Apple. The good news came in September when a judge ruled that Apple and Google’s search agreement, worth about $20 billion a year, was not infringed and did not need to be terminated. This made expanding the partnership less risky.
How will it be?
By November, the two companies were finalizing the deal. As it has now been announced, Google will supply Gemini models for Siri and future Apple Intelligence features. Initially, these models will run on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers. Later, as part of a full Siri update that will be included in iOS 27 and macOS 27, the special models will be enhanced and run directly on Google’s infrastructure.
- In early January, Google announced the partnership via social media and press releases.
- Apple, as expected, remained silent, confirming the deal only in comments to reporters but not announcing it on its website or social media.
Now, in late January, it’s clear that the June 2025 information was entirely accurate. Yes, it’s inconvenient for Apple to rely on a partner to stabilize its AI ambitions, but the truth is that customers don’t care where the technology comes from. They just want Siri that works, reliable AI features, and a chatbot that’s comparable in capabilities to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
When to expect announcements?
Apple plans to unveil the results of this partnership in less than a month. The company is preparing to announce a new version of Siri in the second half of February with a demonstration of the functionality. It is not yet clear whether this will be a large event or a small closed presentation in the Apple media loft in New York. Either way, Apple will finally fulfill the promises about Siri that it made at the developer conference back in June 2024. The assistant will be able to use personal data and screen content to perform tasks.
Interestingly, internally, the new AI technologies were labeled as Apple Foundation Models version 10 to give the impression of being developed in-house. But in fact, the basis is Gemini with approximately 1.2 trillion parameters.
But that's just the first step. Apple plans to unveil a completely redesigned Siri at this year's developers conference. The new system, codenamed Campos, is a fresh architecture and interface designed from the ground up for the chatbot era. It will debut in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, which will be available in beta this summer.
What will the new Siri bring?
The next version of Siri will be conversational, contextual, connected to other apps and services on your phone, analyze screen content, and capable of supporting longer conversations rather than just short commands. Essentially, it will be in line with what users already expect from ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft's Copilot, including their voice modes or built-in assistant features.
It will also rely on Gemini, but a much more advanced version, known internally as Apple Foundation Models version 11. The model is expected to be competitive with Gemini 3 and significantly more powerful than the one supporting Siri in iOS 26.4.