Apple opens Siri to rivals
Apple plans to let third‑party AI assistants plug into Siri in iOS 27, ending its exclusive OpenAI tie‑up and enabling direct integration with Google Gemini — a major ecosystem pivot. The move is being framed as a platform play that shifts Apple from a closed AI stance to a neutral orchestrator, and the company is rewarding iPhone designers with rare large RSU bonuses. (business-standard.com)
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple is testing an “Extensions” system that will let agents from installed apps interact with Siri, and the company plans to unveil the iOS 27 software at WWDC on June 8, 2026. (bloomberg.com) The Extensions menu in test builds will direct users to a new App Store section for AI services, and Gurman reports developers will need to update chatbot apps to enable those integrations for iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. ( ) Apple is also testing a standalone Siri app to surface these extension-powered experiences across devices, and 9to5Mac notes Apple started allowing chatbot apps to integrate with CarPlay in the iOS 26.4 release this month. ( ) Gurman writes Apple sees the Extensions/App Store route as a revenue channel that could drive third‑party AI subscription spend through the App Store, and he distinguishes that system from a separate Google arrangement to have Gemini models power some underlying Siri features. (bloomberg.com) Bloomberg separately reports Apple issued out‑of‑cycle RSU retention awards worth roughly $200,000 to $400,000 to many members of its iPhone Product Design team, with those grants vesting over four years. (bloomberg.com) The same Bloomberg piece says OpenAI’s hardware group, led in part by former Apple veteran Tang Tan and linked to design work with Jony Ive, has hired several dozen Apple engineers and in some cases is offering roughly $1 million in stock annually to recruit talent away. (bloomberg.com)
