Apple has announced a delay for the release of its latest-generation Siri features, which were originally due to be implemented in 2025. The company confirmed that the new features, which form part of its broader Apple Intelligence range, will be implemented sometime during the following year. That implies that customers may have to wait until at least March 2026 for the complete launch of the features.
The upcoming features will allow Siri to be more personalized by being able to learn users’ individual context and perform actions across multiple apps. For instance, Siri was to be able to pull information from emails, messages, and photos to provide personalized assistance. Some of its capabilities were the capability to locate a podcast recommended by a friend or retrieve flight tracking info from a relative based on data discovered on the device.
Apple has also been working hard in integrating Siri into other apps so that it can be utilized to arrange things such as booking lunch as soon as it landed from a flight. All this, however, will not happen until sometime in the future. Apple has also been working on enhancing Siri’s ability to access personal context, such as completing forms on behalf of the user using personal details based on their driver’s license number scanned in a photo.
The Siri upgrade delay is only one of a larger challenge for Apple to propel ahead with its AI capabilities. The company has been developing a long-reaching new cloud computer system based on its own processors, reasserting its commitment to privacy but including AI functionality. Siri processes approximately 1.5 billion user requests every day, illustrating just how significant these upgrades are.
This delay is also affecting other Apple plans, such as the launch of its smart home hub. The hub, which was to be accompanied by a six-inch touchscreen for managing smart home devices using voice commands, relies on the new Siri features and has been postponed accordingly. Despite the delay, Apple has started an internal testing phase for the device, which allows employees to test it in their homes.
In the marketplace, other tech behemoths are rapidly enhancing their voice assistants with AI. Alphabet’s Google added its Gemini model to its assistant in the past year, and Amazon recently issued a broad-based AI update for its Alexa assistant. The update includes new features that are complimentary for Prime members, but otherwise will cost $19.99 a month.
Apple’s postponement in announcing these features indicates its efforts to manage anticipation regarding when the release will take place. Apple has placed notices on its website declaring that Siri features are in development and would be rolled out in a pending software update. This move indicates that Apple prioritizes quality more than it values expediency, ensuring that new Siri features meet user requirements before finally rolling them out.
The slippage on Siri’s personalization features will likely disappoint many users anticipating these additions. It is a reflection, however, of Apple’s desire to deliver world-class AI-powered experiences seamlessly integrated within its ecosystem. With the technology landscape evolving at the speed of lightning, Apple’s focus on refining its AI capabilities will be critical in maintaining its edge in the market.
