After months of anticipation, the new Siri is finally here and Apple users across the world are pretty stoked. Expectations were understandably high, especially after the recent Google-Apple partnership for a Gemini powered Siri.
While users will still have to wait until later this fall to properly experience the new features firsthand, Apple has revealed exactly what’s coming. And unsurprisingly, the spotlight is firmly on Siri and Apple Intelligence integration.
Siri Is Finally Becoming Smarter
Apple’s biggest announcement revolves around a significantly upgraded Siri. The virtual assistant is now powered by Apple Intelligence (powered by Google’s Gemini models), allowing it to understand personal context across apps, messages, emails, calendars, and photos. Rather than responding to isolated commands, Siri can now supposedly maintain context throughout conversations and perform more complex tasks on behalf of users, without driving them mad.
The idea is simple: make interactions feel less like issuing commands to software and more like having a natural conversation with an intelligent assistant.
Additionally, the amped up Siri will also be able to interpret what’s currently displayed on a user’s screen, making it easier to ask follow-up questions or perform actions without manually switching between apps. Kind of like an improved version of Google Lens, I suppose.
A More Personal Siri With Customisable Voices
One of the more noticeable changes is Siri’s increased personalisation. Apple is introducing new voice options that allow users to choose a voice that better matches their preferences. The voices will also sound more natural and expressive, making conversations feel less robotic than before.
While this may seem like a minor update compared to the broader AI overhaul, it reflects Apple’s effort to make Siri feel more approachable as it takes on a larger role across the Apple ecosystem.
The Voice Assistant Gets Its Own App
Apple is also giving Siri something it has never had before: a dedicated app. Users will be able to revisit previous conversations, continue ongoing chats, or start new ones from a single interface.
The app will use iCloud to privately sync conversation history across Apple devices, allowing users to easily pick up where they left off. The update moves Siri closer to modern AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini, while staying within Apple’s privacy-focused ecosystem.
Apple Intelligence Becomes Better
Beyond Siri, Apple Intelligence is being integrated throughout the operating systems of Apple devices. AI-powered writing assistance, smarter notifications, enhanced search capabilities, improved photo editing tools, and more intelligent app interactions are all part of the update. Many of these features aim to reduce friction in everyday tasks, allowing users to find information faster, communicate more effectively, and automate routine tasks.
Last year, Apple promised a smarter, more capable Siri. At WWDC 2026, the company has largely delivered on that promise. While the full rollout won’t happen overnight and some features will continue evolving over time, Siri is finally moving closer to the intelligent assistant that users have been asking for years.
That said, the broader AI updates may feel familiar, because they are. Many of the capabilities unveiled by Apple closely resemble features already available through Google’s Gemini and other AI assistants. The difference, however, lies in Apple’s approach: stronger integration with the Apple ecosystem and a deeper focus on privacy and seamless user experience.
Is that enough to set Apple Intelligence apart? Will Siri finally be able to perform regular tasks without increasing users’ cortisol levels? That remains to be seen.
