Apple $AAPL ( ▲ 0.54% ) is finally ready to deliver the AI-powered Siri it first teased back in 2024. According to Bloomberg, a smarter version of Siri that can understand personal data and on-screen context is set to roll out in the second half of February, with a much more advanced chatbot-style Siri arriving in beta this summer.
The long-delayed upgrade marks a major shift in Apple’s AI strategy and comes after internal struggles, leadership shake-ups, and a key partnership with Google $GOOGL ( ▼ 2.08% ) .
Google Is Now Powering Siri’s Brain
The new Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini models, running behind the scenes on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers. Apple had initially hoped to rely on its own internal AI models, but performance lagged behind competitors, forcing the company to look outside for help.
After talks with Anthropic and OpenAI fell through for cost and strategic reasons, Apple turned to Google. By late 2025, the two companies finalized a deal that now forms the backbone of Apple’s AI comeback.
Two Phases, Two Very Different Siris
The February update is just phase one. This version of Siri will finally be able to use personal context and what’s on your screen to complete tasks, something Apple has been promising since WWDC 2024. Internally, Apple presents this as its own “Apple Foundation Models,” even though Gemini is doing much of the heavy lifting.
Phase two arrives this summer with a fully reimagined, chatbot-style Siri debuting in beta alongside Apple’s next major software updates. This version is designed for real back-and-forth conversations, closer to what users expect from ChatGPT or Gemini today.
An AI Reset Inside Apple
The shift to Google reflects a deeper reset inside Apple. Software chief Craig Federighi took control of the company’s AI direction after confidence faded in Apple’s previous AI leadership. Since then, several internal AI projects have been scaled back or replaced with Gemini-powered systems, and talent has steadily exited Apple’s foundation models team.
Rather than building every large AI model itself, Apple is now focusing on how AI shows up in its products, deeply integrating Siri across apps and devices while leaning on partners for the most powerful cloud-based models.
For users, the message is simple: Siri is about to get a lot smarter. For Apple, it is an admission that winning in AI may require teamwork, not just in-house tech.