Just nine days after Apple confirmed a partnership with Google to use Gemini models and cloud infrastructure as the foundation for its next-generation Apple Foundation Models, it now looks like the long-promised AI-powered version of Siri could arrive much sooner than expected.
According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is increasingly confident that its revamped Siri will launch in Spring 2026, with the update now reportedly “planned for iOS 26.4.” That release could be only weeks or months away, as Apple is currently rolling out iOS 26.3 to developers and public beta testers.
The report suggests that iOS 26.4 will finally deliver the features Apple first previewed at WWDC 2024 as part of Apple Intelligence. These include a far more context-aware Siri — one that better understands users on a personal level, can interpret what’s on their screen, and respond more intelligently. In theory, this would allow Siri to surface relevant information much faster and provide a more meaningful, helpful experience overall.
The timing is especially notable. Gurman’s report, which also reiterates rumors that Apple plans to introduce a standalone AI chatbot in iOS 27 to compete directly with Google Gemini and ChatGPT, indicates that this upgraded Siri may not have been possible without Apple’s new partnership with Google.
According to the report, the AI-powered Siri in iOS 26.4 will rely on a Google-developed system internally referred to as Apple Foundation Models version 10, operating at an estimated 1.2 trillion parameters. Access to Gemini’s underlying technology appears to have significantly accelerated Apple’s progress.
As a result, Apple may finally be in a position to deliver the smarter, more personalized Siri it has been promising for years — and much sooner than many expected.
As for when iOS 26.4 will land, a Spring release seems likely, potentially arriving sometime between March and May. That would put it ahead of WWDC 2026, which is expected to take place in June.
That said, Apple could choose to hold the announcement for WWDC itself, using the keynote as a “surprise and delight” moment before releasing iOS 26.4 to all Apple Intelligence–capable devices shortly afterward. Doing so would compress or bypass the usual extended developer and public beta testing cycles.
Either way, with Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude rapidly raising expectations around personalization and AI capability, the real question remains whether Apple’s smarter Siri will truly be worth the wait — and how it sets the stage for the even bigger rumored move: a full Siri chatbot debuting in iOS 27.
