Previous reports had already indicated that Apple was discussing a Gemini partnership with Google to improve Siri’s AI capabilities. Now it’s official. Apple has confirmed that Google’s Gemini will support the next generation of Siri, marking one of the biggest changes to Apple’s voice assistant since its launch.
Apple confirmed the partnership in a statement shared with CNBC, saying it chose Google after considering several options. “After careful evaluation, we have concluded that Google’s technology provides the most powerful foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we are excited about the innovative new experiences it will enable our users,” the company said.
Why Apple turned to Google for Siri’s AI upgrade
This move has been developing for some time. Apple debuted a more personalized, AI-powered Siri at WWDC 2024, promising better understanding of personal context, better on-screen perception and deeper control across apps.
However, these upgrades were delayed last year as Apple admitted that the features were taking longer to deliver than expected. Meanwhile, assistants like Gemini and ChatGPT are on the rise, raising new expectations about the possibilities of conversational AI.
By integrating Gemini, Apple gains access to a more powerful language model and Google’s extensive, constantly updated knowledge base. This is important for tasks that Siri has struggled with in the past, such as answering complex questions, understanding follow-ups, and gathering information from across the internet.
According to CNBC, the partnership will rely on Gemini models and Google’s cloud technology to support future Apple Foundation models, not just Siri. The next generation of Siri is expected to launch later this year with iOS 26.4, probably in March or April.
However, this does not replace Apple’s existing ChatGPT integration, which is still used for certain complex queries, although Apple has not said how the two systems will coexist in the long term.
Google Gemini will not only help enable a more personalized version of Siri, but also provide a broader range of upcoming Apple Intelligence features. Nonetheless, resorting to Gemini could give Siri a much-needed reboot, even if it means relying on a long-time rival.
