The long-awaited radical update project for Apple’s voice assistant, “Siri,” sought by millions of users worldwide, received public and official backing on Tuesday. This confirmation came as Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian highlighted the strategic partnership between the two companies during his keynote address at Google Cloud’s 2026 conference held in Las Vegas. During the event, Kurian described Apple as a key client relying fundamentally on the pioneering “Gemini” technology to build the next generation of its smart assistant.
This prominent statement came during a keynote titled Agentic Cloud, where Kurian outlined how major enterprises are adopting the AI infrastructure provided by Google Cloud. This mention underscored the immense weight of the agreement first announced last January, when both companies issued a joint statement confirming that the next generation of Apple’s foundational models will rely entirely on Google’s “Gemini” models and cloud technology.
A strategic deal months in the making
Apple and Google formalized their multi-year collaboration in January 2026 after Apple selected “Gemini” technology following what both companies described as a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation of available artificial intelligence technologies in the market. This strategic arrangement is estimated to cost Apple approximately $1 billion annually, according to reports published by Bloomberg and covered by major news networks such as CNN and CNBC.
Under this agreement, Apple’s artificial intelligence features will continue to operate locally on user devices, alongside relying on its proprietary secure cloud computing infrastructure. This step ensures the preservation of the company’s strict commitments to customer data privacy, a principle that has long differentiated Apple from competitors in the tech market.
A fundamental shift in AI strategy
This partnership marked a clear shift in Apple’s artificial intelligence strategy. After showcasing a more capable version of its built-in voice assistant during the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, the company faced a series of repeated delays in delivering the promised features to end users. These anticipated features included personal context awareness, deep understanding of what appears on screen, and seamless execution of complex actions within various applications.
Originally, these revolutionary capabilities were expected to arrive during the iOS 18 update cycle, but technical challenges led to delays for later deployment, heightening tech market anticipation regarding when and how these core updates will roll out.
What should we expect from the new assistant?
Tech analyst Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported in specialized coverage that Apple is currently developing a standalone voice assistant app codenamed “Campos” for release with upcoming operating systems iOS 27 and macOS 27. This innovative app will allow ongoing, back-and-forth conversations with accurate chat history preservation, drawing design inspiration from popular AI chatbot apps like ChatGPT and Gemini.
The redesigned user interface is expected to smartly integrate the new voice assistant into the Dynamic Island feature on the latest iPhone models. When activated, the interface will display a visual prompt reading “Search or Ask” accompanied by a glowing indicator, providing a modern touch and an intuitive, fast user experience.
Historical context and market competition
To understand the magnitude of these developments, we must look at the history of Apple’s voice assistant. Since its initial launch, the assistant pioneered a change in how we interact with smartphones. With the rapid evolution of generative artificial intelligence, Apple has faced immense pressure to keep pace with innovations from competing firms. The current partnership with Google represents a strategic step allowing Apple to benefit from years of research and development in large language models while maintaining a strict focus on integration that preserves the company’s identity and core principles.
Expectations indicate that this exceptional collaboration will not be limited to smartphones alone, but will gradually extend to all mobile and desktop devices of the company, creating an integrated ecosystem where the smart assistant can perform complex daily tasks on behalf of the user, whether organizing schedules, analyzing complex documents, or providing smart control over connected smart home systems.
Launch challenges and expected release date
Despite these ambitious plans, the rollout process has not been entirely smooth. Gurman reported that features powered by “Gemini” technology, originally slated for release in the iOS 26.4 update, experienced delays due to technical complexities. It is now expected that some of these powerful capabilities will become available in iOS 26.5 or subsequent updates. Nonetheless, Apple confirmed to CNBC that it remains on track to launch the new features and update the voice assistant within this year.
The 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference, scheduled for June 8–12, stands out as the most important milestone and main platform for showcasing the voice assistant’s new design. Promotional artwork for the conference already hints at the anticipated design, featuring visual elements that reflect the advanced interface currently undergoing internal testing. Public and full deployment of these features is expected to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 18 lineup later in the autumn, marking a new and exciting era of smart interaction between users and technology.
FAQ
What technology will the new update rely on?
The new update will rely primarily on Gemini artificial intelligence models and advanced cloud technologies provided by Google to develop the next generation of the iPhone smart assistant.
When will the new features be officially unveiled?
The 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference, scheduled for June, is expected to serve as the main platform for showcasing the new design, with the general public release coinciding with the unveiling of the iPhone 18 in the autumn.
Will this joint collaboration affect user data privacy?
Apple confirmed that the updated AI features will continue to run locally on user devices directly whenever possible, alongside utilizing private and encrypted cloud computing infrastructure to ensure adherence to the company’s strict privacy protection commitments.
What are the most prominent features the updated voice assistant will bring?
The update will feature a deeper awareness of user personal context, the ability to understand and analyze on-screen elements, multi-action execution within applications, and a new standalone app codenamed “Campos” supporting continuous conversations with past chat history preservation.
