Amid reports that Apple may further delay the release of its AI-powered Siri, the company says it is still on track to launch the new assistant this year. That’s the same stance Apple maintained previously.
Multiple reports had suggested Apple would debut the smarter Siri with iOS 26.4 in the spring. Until a recent report suggested that it would not happen.
Apple says new Siri is still on track for 2026 release
Since at least late last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed Apple will unveil the new Siri in spring 2025. He said Apple planned to release it alongside iOS 26.4. Apple even joined hands with Google to use Gemini to power Siri, further adding fuel to that rumored timeline.
But then, earlier this week, Gurman said the Siri experience in iOS 26.4 internal builds is plagued with reliability issues. This has forced Apple to reconsider the timing of the new Siri’s rollout.
To clear the air, Apple told CNBC’s Steve Kovach that it is “still on track to launch in 2026.” Technically, Apple is still sticking to its promised timeline, even though it’s a broad one.
In Apple’s internal testing, the AI-powered Siri does not reliably respond to user queries. The company is also facing issues getting Siri to work with app intents. This is an important capability, as it would allow the virtual assistant to control apps on the phone.
The never-ending wait for smarter Siri
Due to the delay, we could see the Gemini-powered Siri arrive in May with iOS 26.5. But again, the company might just push back on this timeline. It may just decide to unveil the new Siri with the ability to take actions across apps as part of iOS 27. This could make iOS 26.5 a relatively minor update.
Apple first previewed the smarter Siri at WWDC2024 as part of Apple Intelligence. Twenty months later, the company still has little to show, as it continues to delay the rollout of the AI-powered assistant. Even Apple Intelligence has failed to keep up with the competition.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
