Image AI: ChatGPT
Amid reports that Apple may further delay the release of its AI-powered Siri, the company says it’s still on track to launch the new assistant this year. This is the same stance that Apple has taken before.
Several reports have suggested that Apple will introduce a smarter Siri with iOS 26.4 in the spring. It wasn’t until a recent report suggested that it wasn’t going to happen.
Apple says the new Siri is still on track for a 2026 release
Since late last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has claimed that Apple will introduce a new Siri in the spring of 2025. He said that Apple plans to release it alongside iOS 26.4. Apple even teamed up with Google to use Gemini to power Siri, adding even more fuel to this rumored timeline.
But earlier this week, Gurman said the Siri experience in internal builds of iOS 26.4 is plagued by reliability issues. This forced Apple to rethink the timing of the new Siri launch.
To clear the air, Apple told CNBC’s Steve Kovach that it is “still on track for a 2026 launch.” Technically, Apple is still sticking to its promised timeline, albeit a broad one.
In Apple’s internal testing, AI Siri does not respond reliably to user queries. The company is also facing problems getting Siri to work with app intents. This is an important feature as it would allow the virtual assistant to control the apps on the phone.
The endless wait for a smarter Siri
Due to the delay, we could see the arrival of Siri powered by Gemini in May with iOS 26.5. But again, society can only shift back to this timeline. It may just decide to unveil a new Siri with cross-app actions as part of iOS 27. That could make iOS 26.5 a relatively minor update.
Apple first introduced a smarter Siri at WWDC2024 as part of Apple Intelligence. Twenty months later, the company still has little to show for it as it continues to delay the introduction of an AI-powered assistant. Even Apple Intelligence couldn’t keep up with the competition.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and the Apple ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
