Apple to Finally Make Siri Smart With Google Gemini AI

Apple appears ready to finally address long-standing concerns around Siri’s intelligence. After months of speculation, internal delays and leadership reshuffling, the company is expected to unveil a revamped Siri powered by Google’s Gemini AI as early as February.

This update will mark the first major public rollout tied to Apple’s partnership with Google, forming a key part of Apple’s broader artificial intelligence strategy. While the February release will significantly improve Siri’s capabilities, reports suggest a fully conversational, chatbot-style Siri is planned for WWDC 2026, alongside iOS 27.

Point 1: Apple’s Long Road to Making Siri Smarter

Siri’s Early Lead and Recent Struggles

Apple introduced Siri in 2010, making it one of the first mainstream voice assistants on smartphones. Over time, Siri expanded across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and HomePod, helping popularise voice-based computing.

However, the rapid rise of generative AI shifted expectations. Assistants like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot began offering deeper reasoning, natural conversations and task automation—areas where Siri increasingly fell behind.

Apple’s WWDC 2024 Promise

At WWDC 2024, Apple publicly acknowledged this gap, promising a “next-generation” Siri capable of understanding context and performing actions across apps. Internal challenges with Apple’s own AI models reportedly caused delays, forcing Apple to rethink how it could scale advanced AI reliably.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, those challenges are now being addressed through external AI partnerships.

Point 2: Why Apple Chose Google’s Gemini AI

Talks With OpenAI and Anthropic

Apple reportedly explored partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic before settling on Google. Negotiations with Anthropic are said to have stalled due to high costs, while collaboration with OpenAI raised strategic and control concerns.

Gemini Emerges as the Best Fit

Google’s Gemini models evolved rapidly and offered more workable commercial terms. Under the agreement, Gemini will underpin Siri and other Apple Intelligence features, initially running on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers, allowing Apple to maintain strong privacy controls.

Point 3: Gemini-Powered Siri to Debut in February

Launch Timeline and Software Version

According to Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple plans to announce the new Siri in the second half of February. Live demonstrations are expected as part of the rollout.

• The update will arrive with iOS 26.4

• Beta testing is expected to begin in February

• Public release is likely in March or early April

Apple Foundation Models v10

Internally, the new system is referred to as Apple Foundation Models version 10, reportedly running at around 1.2 trillion parameters. While Apple will frame the upgrade as largely in-house, Gemini’s AI capabilities will play a central role behind the scenes.

Point 4: What New Features Will Siri Get in February

Smarter, But Not a Full Chatbot Yet

The February update will not transform Siri into a full conversational chatbot. However, it will represent a major functional leap over the current assistant.

According to the report, Siri will:

• Be more aware of what’s on your screen

• Better understand personal context

• Take actions within apps on your behalf

Improved Everyday Tasks

Users will be able to ask Siri to:

• Summarise messages and notifications

• Pull relevant details from emails

• Complete multi-step tasks with fewer follow-ups

Apple’s goal is to make interactions feel smoother and more intuitive across iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Point 5: Full AI Chatbot Siri Coming With iOS 27

WWDC 2026 Will Mark the Biggest Leap

The most significant upgrade is expected later this year. Apple is reportedly planning to unveil a fully reimagined, chatbot-style Siri at WWDC 2026, launching with:

• iOS 27

• iPadOS 27

• macOS 27

Apple Foundation Models v11

This next-generation Siri will be powered by Apple Foundation Models version 11, supporting sustained, back-and-forth conversations, similar to ChatGPT and Gemini.

According to the report, this version will be competitive with Gemini 3 and significantly more capable than the February release. Some features may even run directly on Google’s cloud infrastructure to improve speed and accuracy.

Why This Matters for Apple Users

Apple’s shift to Gemini signals a pragmatic change in strategy, prioritising real-world performance over strict in-house development. If executed well, the February update could finally make Siri useful again, while the iOS 27 chatbot could position Apple as a serious competitor in the AI assistant race.