Apple once again delayed its long-awaited smart home hub with a display — casually known as the “HomePad” — until around September as the company continues struggling to get its revamped Siri voice assistant ready for prime time, according to a report Monday.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has a well-established habit of dropping subtle hints about where the company is headed. This time, the dropped breadcrumbs all point toward Visual Intelligence. And the impression they leave is of a company preparing to reshape how humans interact with the world around them.
For iOS 27, Apple reportedly has its priorities clear: deep AI integration and an under-the-hood cleanup for better performance and battery life.
While iOS 26 was all about Liquid Glass design, it also came with a noticeable performance hit, especially on older iPhones. With iOS 27, Apple appears ready to make amends.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: If you’ve been waiting with bated breath for Apple to finally deliver on its promise of a smarter Siri, it’s time to exhale. Then take a deep breath of disappointment.
Dashing our hopes, it sounds like Apple is delaying Siri’s AI-powered upgrade again! What does it mean? And will Apple ever get its Siri together? We discuss the latest rumors and ponder whether the delay might actually be a good thing.
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Amid reports that Apple might further delay the release of its AI-powered Siri, the company says it remains on track to launch the smarter voice assistant this year. That’s the same stance Apple maintained previously.
Multiple rumors suggested Apple would debut the smarter Siri with iOS 26.4 this spring. But a recent report suggests that won’t happen.
iOS 26.4 could turn out to be a dud. The long-delayed artificial intelligence enhancements for Apple’s Siri digital assistant that had been eagerly expected to launch in the next iPhone software update are reportedly not anywhere close to being ready.
The new capabilities, originally slated for a spring release, are now being spread across multiple future updates as engineers work to resolve persistent technical issues, according to sources familiar with the company’s internal plans.
When Apple entered the artificial intelligence race, the company faced a fundamental challenge: how to deliver powerful AI capabilities while maintaining its long-standing commitment to user privacy. The result is Apple Intelligence, a system designed around a simple but revolutionary premise — your personal data should work for you without leaving your control. Basically, that’s how privacy shapes Apple Intelligence features on “the edge,” meaning the furthest reaches of a computer network, where user devices dwell.
Apple might be slow to jump on the AI bandwagon, but internally, the company “runs on Anthropic at this point.” Apparently, the company was also ready to rebuild Siri around Claude, but the deal fell through at the last moment.
“Anthropic is powering a lot of the stuff Apple’s doing internally in terms of product development and a lot of their internal tools,” revealed Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman in the TBPN’s Technology’s daily show.
Apple just paid $2 billion for Q.ai, an AI company with technology that could dramatically enhance the Siri voice assistant. It’s a stealth-mode Israeli artificial intelligence startup that develops advanced technologies to improve human/computer communication beyond basic speech recognition.
It’s the second largest acquisition in Apple history.
On the latest Cult of Mac podcast: Details emerge about Apple’s work on an AI pin, and we’re all wondering the same thing. What the heck will it do?
The AirTag-size device that Apple’s testing reportedly packs multiple cameras and microphones. And it will work with the new, chatbot-style Siri that’s also in the works.
We all saw how miserably Humane’s Ai Pin failed. What could possibly go wrong with Apple’s AI pin?
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Apple could take the wraps off the Google Gemini-powered Siri update as early as the second half of February. It’s unclear if Apple will hold a major event or a small media briefing to unveil the next-gen assistant.
The public release likely will happen in late March or early April with iOS 26.4.
Forget the old, nearly useless Siri — Apple reportedly plans to upgrade the iPhone’s voice assistant into an AI-powered chatbot with iOS 27. Users will supposedly be able to converse with the new Siri, not just give it orders.
If true, this will let Apple compete directly against Android and Windows computers with built-in AI chatbots.
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: It’s finally official — Siri is getting a long-awaited AI brain transplant, courtesy of Google Gemini.
We discuss the pros and cons of the deal, but more importantly, we express our sincere hope that Siri will actually work in the future.
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The fact that Google Gemini will power the revamped Siri is drawing criticism from people convinced that Apple should have developed its own AI in-house to bring the voice assistant up to speed.
Some of the critics seem to think Apple always made its own software before now. Therefore they regard the deal with Google as a major policy shift — and a sign of weakness that would horrify Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
No. Just … no. These critics will be shocked to learn that many Apple products are built on top of tech developed outside the company … and often, it was Steve Jobs who did it!
With Google’s Gemini AI working behind the scenes, the next-gen Siri will finally be able to deliver on some of Apple’s promises. The updated voice assistant will be able to answer questions it can’t currently handle, perform everyday tasks like booking travel, and even dabble in the dicey arena of providing emotional support to people during difficult moments.
A new report from The Information sheds additional light on how Apple will use Gemini to improve Siri.
Google’s Gemini AI is set to power the long-promised overhaul of Apple’s Siri voice assistant, turning months of speculation into confirmation after Apple made the partnership official in a statement released Monday.
Apple worked for years on its own large language models to provide Siri with a much-needed intelligence boost. But in the end, Cupertino had to outsource the AI technology to Google, another tech giant with which it both competes and cooperates.
The new Aqara Smart Lock U400 deadbolt uses ultra-wideband technology to unlock your door automatically as you approach, the company said at CES 2026 on Tuesday. No tapping or fumbling with your phone required. It makes Home Key use via iPhone or Apple Watch even more convenient.
“We are excited to be among the first manufacturers to deliver UWB technology in home locks to consumers,” said Cathy You, Aqara’s senior vice president of global business and strategy. “With the U400 lock, we’re redefining how consumers engage with their access control systems, providing instant, automated access without compromising privacy.”
A leaked iOS 26 internal build reveals several new features Apple plans to introduce in iOS 26.4. These include credit card autofill support for third-party apps, folders in whiteboarding app Freeform, and a Sports tier in Apple TV.
The company will supposedly also introduce additional security measures with the update.
John Giannandrea, the man responsible for making Apple Intelligence what it is today, is out. It’s an expected change, as senior management reportedly didn’t think Giannandrea could provide the leadership needed to develop critical AI products.
Amar Subramanya, who Apple poached from Microsoft, will replace Giannandrea. Prior to his short stint at Microsoft, Subramanya spent many years at Google — most recently as head of engineering for the Gemini AI chatbot.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumor about Apple CEO Tim Cook‘s retirement says he could step down as early as next January. We discuss the likelihood of that, and Apple’s succession plans, as we debate the company’s future.
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Apple will soon allow iPhone users in Japan to use the side button to trigger a third-party voice assistant they might prefer to Siri. It is laying the groundwork for this change in iOS 26.2, which is currently in beta testing.
The company posted a detailed post on its developer blog providing insight into this change.
Apple rolled out updated App Review Guidelines Thursday that require developers to explicitly disclose when they’re sharing your personal information with third-party artificial intelligence services — and get your permission first.
If you’re an Apple user who’s been eyeing Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem, you might be wondering how well it plays with Siri and your other Apple devices. The good news? SmartThings has robust HomeKit support, meaning you can control a wide range of smart home devices using Siri voice commands, the Home app and Apple’s automation features. Here are five impressive ways to integrate SmartThings into your Apple-powered smart home.
Apple might have silently discontinued the original HomePod mini. The tiny smart speaker is out of stock across several U.S. retailers, fueling speculation that a new model might be coming soon.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple reportedly plans to pay a cool $1 billion a year to use Google Gemini to make Siri smarter. How do we feel about that? Honestly, anything that fixes Siri sooner rather than later would be a big win.
Anybody creeped out about iPhones and Macs with Google inside should rest easy, though. Apple plans to keep everything safe and secure. And Cupertino’s still scrambling to get its own AI up to speed.
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