According to TechCrunch, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to announce a new version of Siri in the second half of February 2025. This update will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI models and is reportedly the first to deliver on Apple’s June 2024 promises, allowing Siri to access personal data and on-screen content to complete tasks. An even bigger, more conversational upgrade is then slated for announcement at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. This comes after internal struggles, with AI chief John Giannandrea recently departing the company. The reported timeline suggests Apple is moving fast to integrate its new partnership with Google into its core software.
The AI Chess Move
So here’s the thing. This isn’t just a Siri update. It’s a massive strategic pivot. For years, Apple talked a big game about on-device privacy and its own silicon being the future of AI. Now? They’re reportedly handing the keys to their most visible AI feature over to Google and its cloud infrastructure. That’s huge. It basically admits that even Apple, with all its resources, couldn’t close the generative AI gap on its own timeline. The partnership makes them a player overnight, but it also makes them dependent. It’s a classic “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” move, but with one of the only companies as big as they are.
Winners, Losers, and the Awkward Dance
Look, the immediate winner is Google. Getting Gemini embedded deep into billions of iOS devices is a distribution coup that OpenAI’s ChatGPT can only dream of. It validates their model technology in a massive way. The loser? Arguably, Apple’s own AI reputation and maybe its long-touted privacy stance. How does “Siri, powered by Google Cloud” sound to the privacy-focused crowd? It creates a weird, co-opetition tension. Apple and Google are fierce rivals in search and mobile OS, but now partners in core AI. That’s an awkward dance that will be fascinating to watch. Will Apple use this as a stopgap while it builds its own equivalent? Probably. But for now, they need the help.
What This Means For You
For users, this could finally make Siri useful. I mean, let’s be honest, it’s been a punchline for a while. If the February and June updates deliver, your iPhone might actually become a truly smart assistant. But there’s a catch. This level of AI isn’t free to run. Google’s cloud compute is expensive. So, will Apple start charging for a “Siri+” subscription? Or will they bake the cost into higher device prices? They can’t absorb that cost forever. This move might make your phone smarter, but it almost certainly paves the way for Apple to find new ways to monetize AI. Get ready for that conversation.
