Apple has hit a snag in its AI roadmap, delaying a major Siri overhaul designed to transform the voice assistant into a proactive, app-controlling tool—a setback that risks ceding ground to rivals like Google and Amazon in the battle for AI supremacy.
The upgrade, initially slated for April as part of iOS 18.4, will now roll out “in the coming year,” Apple confirmed, marking a blow to its plan to counter competitors’ rapid advances in generative AI.
The postponed features, teased last June under the “Apple Intelligence” banner, promised to let Siri access personal data to automate tasks—like retrieving flight details from a travel app or curating podcast picks—while managing workflows across devices. The delay underscores technical hurdles in balancing such granular control with Apple’s staunch privacy safeguards, a tension that has long complicated its AI ambitions.
Why It Matters: The holdup arrives as rivals sprint ahead. Samsung’s Galaxy S24, powered by Google’s Gemini AI, touts real-time translation and context-aware search, while Amazon’s revamped Alexa aims to mimic human-like reasoning. For Apple, which trails in integrating large language models (LLMs) into its ecosystem, the Siri setback risks stalling momentum just as investors clamor for AI-driven iPhone upgrades to revive sagging China sales.
The delay also casts doubt on Apple’s ability to leverage its 2.2 billion-device installed base into an AI advantage. While the company has emphasized on-device processing to protect user data, rivals are forging ahead with cloud-dependent features that demand less internal overhaul. Analysts warn that further slips could erode Apple’s premium branding, particularly among productivity-focused users flocking to Google’s AI-packed Pixel devices.
For now, the Siri stumble highlights a rare moment of catch-up for Cupertino. As AI becomes the battleground for smartphone loyalty, Apple’s methodical pace—once a hallmark of its polish—now risks looking like indecision. The pressure is on to deliver a flawless Siri revamp that justifies the wait—or risk letting rivals define the future of smart assistants.
