Siri AI (Apple)
B Tier · 7.5/10
Apple's ground-up Siri rebuild, unveiled at WWDC 2026 (June 8) -- conversational, on-screen aware, searches your personal data across apps, gets its own app with synced history. Built on Apple Foundation Models developed in collaboration with Google's Gemini. Developer betas now; public beta in July; ships this fall with iOS 27. Not in the EU (iPhone/iPad) or China at launch.
Score Breakdown
Personality & Tone
The OS-native concierge (in waiting)
Tone: Apple demoed a conversational, context-aware voice that answers follow-ups naturally and acts on what's on screen -- closer to a capable human assistant than the command-and-control Siri of old.
Quirks: Until the public beta ships, everything about Siri AI's actual personality is stage-demo evidence only. Expect Apple-typical guardrails: polished, brief, and conservative compared to ChatGPT or Claude.
The Good and the Bad
What we like
- +Deep system integration no third-party assistant can match -- on-screen awareness, personal-context search across Messages/Mail/Photos, and system-wide actions on ~2 billion Apple devices
- +Free with the OS -- no $20/mo subscription to get a frontier-class assistant on your phone
- +Apple Foundation Models were custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models (reported ~$1B/yr deal), a massive capability jump over the old Siri stack
- +iOS 27 'Extensions' means Siri is no longer a walled garden -- you can set Claude, Gemini, or any provider implementing Apple's LanguageModel protocol as the model behind Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground
- +Privacy posture carries over: on-device processing where possible, Private Cloud Compute for the rest
What could be better
- −Beta-only for regular users -- the iOS 27 public beta (July 13) is the first public access, some features are waitlist-gated inside it, and general availability doesn't come until this fall
- −EU iPhone/iPad users excluded at launch (Mac, Watch, Vision Pro get it with supported languages); China excluded entirely pending regulatory approval
- −English-only at launch
- −Steep device floor: iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 16+ or Apple Silicon -- a huge share of active iPhones won't qualify
- −Apple's assistant track record demands skepticism -- the original 'smarter Siri' was announced at WWDC 2024 and slipped for two years before this rebuild
Pricing
Included with supported devices
- ✓No subscription -- ships free with iOS 27 / iPadOS 27 / macOS 27 / watchOS 27 / visionOS 27 (fall 2026)
- ✓Requires iPhone 16 or newer, iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, A17 Pro iPad mini, M1+ iPads and Macs, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 9+/Ultra 2/SE 3
- ✓Dedicated Siri app with conversation history synced via iCloud
- ✓English-only at launch; user beta 'later this year'
Known Issues
- PUBLIC BETA SHIPPED (2026-07-13/14): the **iOS 27 public beta is live**, and with it the first public access to the rebuilt Siri AI. Confirmed in the beta: **Siri ships as a standalone, preinstalled Home Screen app for the first time** -- chat-style interface, revisit all past Siri conversations and start new ones, iCloud sync across devices, on-screen awareness, and personal-context search of everything on the iPhone. Device floor holds: Apple Intelligence hardware required (iPhone 15 Pro or newer / iPhone Air). Caveats: some Siri AI features are reportedly **waitlist-gated even inside the beta** (per BGR/Mashable), and this is still a beta of an update -- GA comes with iOS 27 this fall (September on standard cadence, alongside iPhone 18). EU iPhone/iPad + China exclusions unchangedSource: TechCrunch (techcrunch.com/2026/07/14/apple-opens-its-new-siri-ai-to-everyone-with-the-ios-27-public-beta/), 9to5Mac (2026-07-16, standalone app), MacRumors (public beta 7/13), BGR/Mashable (waitlist gating) · 2026-07-14
- LAUNCH TIMELINE (announced 2026-06-08 at WWDC): developer testing began immediately in the OS 27 developer betas; public beta arrives in July 2026; general availability comes this fall with iOS 27 / iPadOS 27 / macOS 27 / watchOS 27 / visionOS 27. The Siri AI user-facing beta itself launches 'later this year,' initially in English. Apple's PR positions it as 'profoundly more intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable' -- understands on-screen content, searches personal data across apps, accesses web information, performs system-wide actions, and gets a dedicated Siri app with iCloud-synced conversation historySource: Apple newsroom (apple.com/newsroom/2026/06/apple-unveils-next-generation-of-apple-intelligence-siri-ai-and-more/) · 2026-06-08
- GEMINI PARTNERSHIP: Apple's announcement states the next-generation Apple Foundation Models were 'custom-built in collaboration with Google and its Gemini models.' Press (TechCrunch, CNBC) reports the deal at roughly $1B/year for a ~1.2T-parameter custom Gemini variant (codename 'Project Campos' -- codename is press-reported, not Apple-confirmed). Apple did not disclose model size or deal terms on stageSource: Apple newsroom, TechCrunch (techcrunch.com/2026/06/09/wwdc-2026-everything-announced-on-siri-ai-os-27-apple-intelligence-and-more/), CNBC · 2026-06-08
- THIRD-PARTY MODELS (iOS 27 Extensions): users will be able to select a third-party AI -- Apple's developer materials name Claude and Gemini, plus 'any other provider that implements the new language model protocol' -- as the assistant behind Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground. The Foundation Models framework adds image input, server-side models, and the public LanguageModel protocol so developers can swap providers without code changes. SiriKit is formally deprecated in favor of App Intents. Ships with the fall releasesSource: Apple newsroom (apple.com/newsroom/2026/06/apple-aids-app-development-with-new-intelligence-frameworks-and-advanced-tools/), MacRumors · 2026-06-08
- REGIONAL EXCLUSIONS at launch: EU users don't get Siri AI on iPhone/iPad initially (Mac, Watch, and Vision Pro users get access with supported languages); China is excluded entirely pending regulatory approval. No committed dates for either regionSource: Apple newsroom · 2026-06-08
- EU DELAY IS DMA-DRIVEN, TALKS ONGOING: Apple's own newsroom post (2026-06-08) attributes the EU iPhone/iPad delay to the Digital Markets Act -- the European Commission rejected Apple's 'Trusted System Agent' proposal and its 18-month rollout plan. Follow-up (reported by FT, 2026-07-01): Tim Cook held a virtual meeting with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen on June 30; an EU spokesperson called it a 'constructive exchange.' Still no committed EU dateSource: Apple newsroom (apple.com/newsroom/2026/06/due-to-dma-siri-ai-delayed-in-eu-for-ios-27-and-ipados-27/), FT via MacRumors 2026-07-01 · 2026-07-01
Best for
Anyone already in the Apple ecosystem with a qualifying device who wants a capable assistant woven into the OS rather than bolted on through an app. Come fall, this is the default AI for hundreds of millions of iPhones.
Not for
Anyone who needs it today (it's developer-beta only), EU iPhone users, anyone in China, older-device owners, or power users who want full control over model choice and parameters -- use ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini apps directly instead.
Our Verdict
Apple finally did the Siri rebuild everyone has demanded since 2023 -- and did it by admitting it needed help, building its new foundation models in collaboration with Google's Gemini. The pitch is compelling: a frontier-class conversational assistant with on-screen awareness and personal-context search, free with the OS, plus an Extensions framework that lets you swap in Claude or Gemini as your system assistant. The catch is that none of it reaches regular users until the public beta in July and the fall OS releases, the device floor is steep, and the EU/China exclusions cut out two enormous markets. We're listing it now because the announcement reshapes the assistant landscape -- but score it as a promise, not a product, until the fall ships.
Sources
- 9to5Mac: iOS 27 adds an all-new app to your iPhone's Home Screen (standalone Siri app, 2026-07-16) (accessed 2026-07-18)
- TechCrunch: Apple opens its new Siri AI to everyone with the iOS 27 public beta (2026-07-14) (accessed 2026-07-18)
- Apple newsroom: Due to DMA, Siri AI delayed in EU for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 (2026-06-08) (accessed 2026-07-05)
- MacRumors: Cook 'constructive' EU talks on Siri AI launch (FT-sourced, 2026-07-01) (accessed 2026-07-05)
- Apple newsroom: Apple unveils next generation of Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, and more (2026-06-08) (accessed 2026-06-09)
- Apple newsroom: New intelligence frameworks and advanced tools (2026-06-08) (accessed 2026-06-09)
- TechCrunch: WWDC 2026 -- everything announced (accessed 2026-06-09)
- MacRumors: iOS 27 third-party chatbots in Apple Intelligence (accessed 2026-06-09)
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