Gemini-powered Siri could be days away from big reveal
Apple's revamped Siri, powered by Google's Gemini model, could be revealed soon.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a frequent Apple newsbreaker, reported that the company planned to reveal the Gemini-powered Siri in February. The announcement is highly anticipated, as Apple is turning to Google’s technology to help deliver on its AI ambitions.
Wrote Gurman in his Power On newsletter:
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"Apple appears to be less than a month away from unveiling the results of this partnership. The company has been planning an announcement of the new Siri in the second half of February, when it will give demonstrations of the functionality.
Whether that takes the form of a major event or a smaller, tightly controlled briefing — perhaps at Apple’s New York media loft — remains unclear. Either way, Apple is just weeks away from finally delivering on the Siri promises made at its Worldwide Developers Conference back in June 2024. At long last, the assistant should be able to tap into personal data and on-screen content to fulfill tasks."
It's long been expected that Siri would receive a Gemini-powered, chatbot-style makeover. Now, that shift appears likely to arrive this year, potentially alongside iOS 27 in the fall. By then, using Siri could feel much like interacting with today’s popular AI chatbots. Gurman reported, however, that some Gemini-powered features are expected to arrive earlier, with an iOS 26 update in the spring.
The move surprised some earlier this month, when Apple announced it had struck a deal with Google to help power Siri. The two tech giants are, after all, nominal competitors. But Apple's AI efforts have lagged behind, and the companies reportedly reached an agreement that benefits both sides.
Google framed the partnership this way: "After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google's AI technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users."
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
