Apple postpones advanced Siri features due to AI challenges: Details inside

Apple is reportedly experiencing delays in the development of an AI-powered version of its digital assistant, Siri. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple had initially planned to introduce advanced Siri capabilities with the iOS 18.4 update in April 2025. However, the company has now stated that these features will be released "in the coming year."

Development Challenges and Potential Rebuild

The delay is attributed to persistent bugs encountered during internal testing. Apple is struggling to refine Siri's intelligent functions, and the company is reportedly considering a complete rebuild of Siri’s AI-driven features. If this happens, the enhanced Siri may not arrive until 2026.

Apple had showcased these AI-powered Siri enhancements at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 as part of its iOS 18 platform. However, due to development challenges, users may need to wait for a future iteration of iOS before experiencing these upgrades.

Siri Features Affected by the Delay

Several anticipated features of Siri are now expected to be postponed:

1. Personalised Siri

Apple Intelligence aims to enable Siri to process and understand data from various sources, including emails, messages, calendar events, photos, and files stored on the device. This feature was designed to offer context-aware responses. For example, Siri could retrieve a user’s driving license number from a saved image when required.

2. App Actions for Siri

Using App Intents, Siri was expected to perform in-app actions without launching them manually. For instance, users could ask Siri to find a specific photo, edit it, and save it to a designated folder—all via voice commands.

3. On-Screen Awareness for Siri

Another delayed feature is Siri’s ability to recognize and act upon on-screen content. For example, if a contact shares a new address in a message, users could simply instruct Siri to "Save this address," and it would automatically update the relevant contact details.

Impact on Apple's Smart Home Strategy

The delay in Siri’s development is also expected to impact the launch of Apple’s anticipated HomePad device. This smart home hub, which is designed to manage in-app automation, relies heavily on Siri’s AI capabilities. With the postponement of Siri’s upgrades, the HomePad’s expected early 2025 release may also be pushed back.

What to Expect from iOS 18.4

Despite the setback with Siri’s AI features, the iOS 18.4 update is expected to introduce several other Apple Intelligence-powered enhancements in April 2025:

1. Expanded Language Support

Apple Intelligence will support additional languages, including localized English for India. This expansion will enable Indian users to access advanced features like Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, and Visual Intelligence.

2. Priority Notifications

Apple Intelligence will introduce a new system for ranking and prioritizing notifications. Similar to the Priority feature in Apple’s Mail app, this function will use AI-driven language processing to filter important messages and alerts.

3. New Styles in Image Playground

Apple’s AI-powered image generation tool, Image Playground, will receive additional style options, including a new "Sketch" mode for enhanced creativity.

4. Visual Intelligence Expansion

iOS 18.4 will extend the Visual Intelligence feature to iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users. Previously available only on the iPhone 16 series, this feature enables text summarization, translation, contact detail extraction, and visual search using Google or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It will be accessible via the Action Button on iPhone 15 Pro models.

Conclusion

Apple’s delay in rolling out AI-powered Siri features marks a significant setback in its push for AI integration. While iOS 18.4 will still bring notable upgrades, users eager for enhanced Siri functionalities will have to wait until 2026. The delay also affects Apple’s broader smart home ecosystem, including the anticipated HomePad. Despite these challenges, Apple continues to work toward refining its AI-driven services, ensuring a more intuitive and efficient digital assistant experience in the future.