Apple Set to Launch Gemini-Powered Siri in February, Full AI Chatbot Upgrade Expected at WWDC 2026

Apple appears ready to give Siri the intelligence boost users have long been waiting for. After years of incremental updates and unfulfilled promises around smarter voice interactions, the company is reportedly preparing a major AI-powered transformation for its virtual assistant. The first step could arrive as soon as February, when Apple is expected to debut a new version of Siri powered by Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence models. A more advanced, chatbot-style experience is then tipped for launch later this year at WWDC 2026.

Siri has been part of Apple’s ecosystem since 2010 and was once considered a pioneer in voice assistance. Over time, however, competitors like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot surged ahead with more capable, conversational AI systems. While Apple teased improvements under its “Apple Intelligence” banner at WWDC 2024, progress seemed slow, with reports of internal delays and performance challenges tied to Apple’s in-house AI development.

Now, Apple is taking a different route by partnering with Google to strengthen Siri’s capabilities. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple held discussions with OpenAI and Anthropic but ultimately selected Google. Anthropic’s pricing reportedly proved too steep, while collaborating with OpenAI raised strategic concerns. Google’s rapidly evolving Gemini models, along with more favorable terms, made the partnership more practical. Initially, Gemini will run through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure to maintain privacy standards.

The first phase of the rollout is expected in February, alongside iOS 26.4. Apple may demonstrate the new assistant publicly before releasing it through beta testing, followed by a broader launch in March or early April. Internally referred to as Apple Foundation Models version 10, the upgraded system reportedly operates at around 1.2 trillion parameters. Although Apple will position the update as largely its own technology, Gemini will quietly power much of the intelligence behind the scenes.

This February release won’t yet deliver a full chatbot experience, but users should notice meaningful improvements. Siri is expected to better understand on-screen content, interpret personal context, and handle more complex, multi-step actions. Tasks like summarising emails, extracting information from messages, or executing commands across apps should feel smoother and more natural.

The bigger transformation, however, is planned for later in the year. At WWDC 2026, Apple is expected to introduce a completely redesigned, conversational Siri launching with iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27. This version aims to support sustained back-and-forth dialogue, similar to modern AI chatbots. Powered by Apple Foundation Models version 11, it is said to rival Gemini 3 in performance. Some features may even rely directly on Google’s cloud systems to deliver faster, more accurate responses.

If these plans materialise, Siri could finally evolve from a basic voice assistant into a truly intelligent digital companion, marking Apple’s most significant AI shift in years.