Apple will demonstrate a Google Gemini-powered Siri upgrade in February 2026, according to multiple reports citing Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. This follows Apple and Google's January announcement of a multi-year collaboration, where Google's Gemini models will power future Apple Intelligence features.
The upgraded Siri will debut in iOS 26.4, entering beta testing in February before public release in March or early April.
This delivers capabilities first promised at WWDC 2024 but delayed for nearly two years, allowing the assistant to tap into personal data and on-screen content to complete tasks beyond simple voice commands.
Apple's internal development challenges led to the Google partnership after considering Anthropic and OpenAI. Anthropic wanted "several billion dollars annually over multiple years," while OpenAI was actively recruiting Apple engineers and working with former Apple designer Jony Ive on hardware projects.
The initial iOS 26.4 update represents just the beginning, with Apple planning a full chatbot version of Siri with iOS 27 later in 2026. This version will be "significantly more capable" and allow sustained conversations similar to ChatGPT or Gemini, potentially running on Google's cloud infrastructure despite conflicting executive statements about Siri's cloud infrastructure.
Google's parent company Alphabet reached a $4 trillion valuation following the partnership announcement, surpassing Apple to become the world's second-most valuable company. The deal extends an existing relationship where Google pays Apple billions annually to be the default search engine on iPhones.
The Gemini-powered Siri will run on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers while maintaining Apple's privacy standards.
Apple's Siri upgrade arrives as competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini established conversational AI as standard, with users waiting 20 months since the company's June 2024 promise for these capabilities.
