The artificial intelligence (AI) upgrade for Siri (Apple's virtual assistant) may be released later than initially planned, raising more questions about the AI development roadmap of "Apple".
According to famous technology journalist Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple is experiencing problems in the internal testing process, causing the deployment of the new version of Siri to have its schedule adjusted.
Previously, this upgrade was expected to appear in iOS 26.4, usually released in March every year. However, sources said that the launch time may be postponed to May, or even some features will have to wait until iOS 27, expected to be launched in September.
The main cause of the delay is said to be problems with performance and stability. In the process of fine-tuning the software, Apple engineers reportedly encountered difficulties in ensuring the new Siri operates smoothly, accurately and reliably.
Instead of launching an unfinished product, Apple is said to be accepting delays to preserve the quality of the experience.
However, Apple has not yet made an official announcement about the delay, causing the user community and technology community to continue waiting for confirmation information.
New Siri: Towards a smarter chatbot experience
The upcoming Siri upgrade is described as a major change, helping this virtual assistant get closer to chatbots based on large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT or Claude.
Unlike current Siri, which mainly gives short, pre-programmed answers, the new version is expected to understand the context more deeply, maintain longer conversations and respond more naturally.
Apple's goal is to turn Siri into a true voice assistant, allowing users to flexibly interact with devices without opening third-party AI applications.
If successful, the new Siri could become a smarter control center on iPhone, iPad and Mac, supporting information search, content creation, schedule management and many other complex tasks in natural language.
Can Apple rely on Google's AI?
A noteworthy point is reports that Apple may use part of the technology from Google's Gemini AI model for the new generation Siri.
This is a rather different move compared to Apple's tradition, a company that prioritizes self-developing core technology.
Considering external AI integration shows the increasing competitive pressure in the AI race, as competitors such as Google, Microsoft and OpenAI are accelerating the introduction of generative AI into consumer products.
Big expectations, not small challenges
Siri was once one of the pioneering virtual assistants, but in recent years, Apple has been assessed as lagging behind in the field of voice AI. The upcoming upgrade is seen as an important effort to regain its position.
Although the delay may disappoint users, analysts believe that Apple is prioritizing quality over speed, which is a familiar strategy of the company.
If completed as expected, the new generation Siri AI could mark a major turning point in the way users interact with Apple devices.
