Apple owns the largest number of GenAI (generative artificial intelligence) smartphones in consumer hands compared to any other brand. Any AI feature that Apple launches will be provided immediately to a large number of high-end users, which is a huge advantage," Counterpoint Research said.
However, according to this market research company, Apple is lagging behind in the field of artificial intelligence, especially in fulfilling its promise of an improved Siri smart virtual assistant in 2024.
With the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2026) taking place from June 8 to 12, Apple needs to launch an improved Siri and make a strong statement about its intentions.
According to experts, the biggest focus of this year's WWDC is said to be Apple's AI strategy. After competitors such as Google, Microsoft and OpenAI continuously promoted generative AI products, Apple is expected to give a clearer answer through important upgrades for the Siri virtual assistant.
According to many sources, Siri may be upgraded to a smarter voice assistant, capable of natural interaction and deeper context understanding.
Although Siri is not really complete, Apple still has good sales. iPhone 17 is well received by consumers, with iPhone revenue reaching a record in the first quarter of 2026. This shows that AI is not the main deciding factor when buying an iPhone.
However, Apple should not delay upgrading Siri for too long. The emergence of Agentic AI is approaching, and this could fundamentally change the way people interact with their smartphones.
Historically, Apple has always launched new features later than competitors and consumers are used to this delay. But even late, Apple has always met expectations with accurate deployment and strong user experience, thereby satisfying users.
Competition between smartphone manufacturers is increasingly fierce, and Apple must be ready to quickly catch up. Agents play an important role because they act as a layer on the operating system and applications, thus potentially becoming the main contact point for consumers. This could reshape the smartphone industry.
