The Siri voice assistant powered by Gemini models represents a fundamental shift that transforms the iPhone experience into an integrated personal intelligence center that protects privacy and executes complex tasks.
Article Index:
- Official announcement of the Apple and Google Gemini partnership
- Next-generation capabilities and the standalone Siri app
- Cloud data protection and global language support
- iOS 27 release date and compatible devices
- Liquid glass features and call relay in the new system
- On-device AI processing and opening the door for third-party models
- FAQs
Official announcement of the Apple and Google Gemini partnership
Apple officially confirmed on Wednesday that its famous voice assistant, Siri, which has undergone a comprehensive structural rebuild, draws its generative and analytical capabilities from Google Gemini technology. This announcement represents the clearest and boldest result of the multi-year strategic partnership initially reached in January 2026. This historic confirmation came during Apple’s annual conference held under the theme “Surprise and Delight,” which witnessed the unveiling of the iPhone 18 Pro and its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo.
This partnership, first revealed by Reuters earlier in the year, is entering its second and most ambitious phase. The foundational models for the next generation of Apple Intelligence were developed alongside Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro model to power the updated assistant, granting it an unprecedented ability to simulate intelligent human interaction.
Next-generation capabilities and the standalone Siri app
Apple calls the new system “Siri for AI,” serving as a super-conversational assistant capable of managing multi-turn conversations, retaining contextual awareness across various dialogue sessions, and executing nested programming tasks across multiple applications without interruption.
Siri can now operate as a standalone application featuring a searchable history of past conversations, along with the ability to directly understand and analyze content displayed on the screen, interact directly and executively with text messages, email, and photo applications, and extract data from them with extreme precision.
Cloud data protection and global language support
Apple was keen to dispel concerns regarding the sharing of sensitive data with Google. In its technical statement, it emphasized that all user personal data is processed and encrypted within its own proprietary infrastructure known as “Private Cloud Compute,” stressing that this data remains completely masked and cannot be accessed or viewed by Google.
The new assistant will launch in its first beta version in English, with French, Japanese, and a group of other international languages being added gradually starting this coming October.
iOS 27 release date and compatible devices
Apple confirmed that the annual iOS 27 operating system update will reach users worldwide as a free over-the-air update on Monday, September 14, as reported by 9to5Mac and MacRumors. The new system supports phones starting from the iPhone 11 series and the second-generation iPhone SE and above.
However, Apple clarified that the most advanced generative features for the Siri assistant will exclusively require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer model to ensure sufficient computing power to run the integrated models.
Liquid glass features and call relay in the new system
iOS 27 is not limited to upgrading the smart assistant; it also introduces a fluid visual transformation to user interfaces known as “Liquid glass,” alongside the “iPhone relay” feature which allows seamless answering and receiving of calls from a single phone number across multiple iPhones belonging to the same user.
The system also includes completely redesigned parental controls and an enhanced phone app that automatically displays information and messages related to the caller intelligently extracted from the email app.
On-device AI processing and opening the door for third-party models
This collaboration falls under Apple’s strategy to transform the iPhone into what it describes as a “super-intelligent personal center,” relying on the 2nm A20 Pro processor designed to handle AI workloads locally within the hardware to reduce reliance on remote servers and ensure ultra-fast response times. This was accompanied by the addition of smart software tools to detect AI-generated images and a professional camera system with a variable aperture resembling DSLR cameras.
Furthermore, Fox Business reports indicated that the iOS 27 system will in the future allow users to replace Siri’s generative engine with third-party artificial intelligence models via the App Store, opening up choices for users beyond just the Google partnership.
FAQs
Question: What model does Siri rely on in its new update?
Answer: Siri officially relies on the Gemini 2.5 Pro model developed in cooperation between Apple and Google to support complex conversations.
Question: When will iOS 27 be available and what devices support Siri’s smart features?
Answer: The update arrives on September 14 and supports the iPhone 11 and later, while Siri’s smart features require the iPhone 15 Pro and up.
Question: Can Google access the personal data of Siri users?
Answer: No, Apple confirms that all data is processed via Private Cloud Compute and remains encrypted and completely masked from Google.