Apple confirms Siri shift; startups react

Apple has now confirmed two parts of its Siri reset: the rebuilt assistant is still due in 2026, and Google says Gemini will power it. (macrumors.com 1) (macrumors.com 2) Apple told CNBC in February that a “more intelligent” Siri remains on track for 2026 after reports that the rollout had slipped beyond the iOS 26.4 window developers were watching. (macrumors.com) (techcrunch.com) Then, at Google Cloud Next 2026 in Las Vegas, Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian said Gemini will power a “more personalized” Siri coming later this year. That turned months of reporting into an onstage confirmation from Apple’s chosen model partner. (macrumors.com) (techcrunch.com) This is the strategic shift behind the headline: Apple is no longer presenting Siri as a purely in-house artificial intelligence project. It is pairing Apple’s software layer and privacy architecture with Google’s large language models. (techcrunch.com) Siri is supposed to become more like an agent, which means software that can understand context and carry out multi-step tasks instead of answering one question at a time. Apple has been trying to move Siri in that direction since it introduced Apple Intelligence in 2024. (techcrunch.com 1) (techcrunch.com 2) The delays are what made this week’s confirmation notable. Apple first pitched a smarter Siri as part of its 2024 artificial intelligence push, but by February 2026 it was still telling reporters only that the launch would happen sometime this year. (techcrunch.com) (macrumors.com) Startups are reacting because Apple’s decision weakens the assumption that the next mobile assistant must be built only by the platform owner. If Apple can outsource core model intelligence, smaller companies can argue they can package agent software on top of existing phones, too. (techcrunch.com) That argument got another boost Monday when CNBC reported that Qualcomm was working with MediaTek on a smartphone chip for OpenAI, with Luxshare co-designing the device, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Qualcomm shares jumped in premarket trading after the report. (cnbc.com) Apple is expected to preview its next software cycle at Worldwide Developers Conference, which the company scheduled for June 8 through June 12. Siri is widely expected to be one of the focal points. (techcrunch.com) (appleinsider.com) For Apple, the immediate test is no longer whether Siri needs a reset. It is whether a Gemini-powered Siri can finally ship on Apple’s timetable after two years of promises. (macrumors.com 1) (macrumors.com 2)