Apple executives have confirmed that the company's revamped Siri voice assistant will not launch as originally planned, pushing its debut to 2026. In interviews following the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple acknowledged that the initial version of the upgraded Siri failed to meet internal quality standards and is now being entirely rebuilt on a more advanced architecture.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Tom's Guide, and TechRadar, Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, explained that Apple had initially developed two architectural approaches for the new Siri. The version demonstrated at WWDC 2024 ran on the first architecture, known internally as V1, and was expected to roll out by late 2024 or early 2025.
However, after further internal testing, Apple determined that the V1-based system did not meet the standard for user experience and reliability. The company has since shifted to a more robust second-generation framework, V2, opting for a full rebuild rather than releasing an interim product that might fall short of expectations. While no new timeline has been provided, executives now point to 2026.
The new Siri, based on the V2 architecture, is expected to offer more advanced personal context awareness, improved semantic understanding, and better integration across Apple's apps and services. It will also be a central part of the company's newly branded "Apple Intelligence" system, providing a more cohesive and private AI experience across iOS, macOS, and other Apple platforms.
Strategic patience in the AI arms race
In response to questions about Apple's perceived lag in the rapidly accelerating AI race, Federighi argued that the company's long-term strategy prioritizes privacy and deep integration over speed to market. He noted that AI will reshape industries and society for decades, emphasizing that Apple refuses to cut corners just to be first.
He drew parallels to previous technological shifts, noting that Apple never launched its own search engine or e-commerce platform, but instead built frameworks that supported a wide range of user experiences through Safari and other apps.
Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of marketing, added that, unlike OpenAI or Google, Apple's AI strategy is ecosystem-driven. Rather than emphasizing standalone chatbot products, Apple is embedding intelligence throughout its platforms, enabling features like real-time translation during messages and phone calls, all triggered contextually. "The features that you're seeing in Apple Intelligence aren't a destination for us. There's no app for intelligence. It's about making all the things you do every day better, he said.
"When we started with Apple Intelligence, we were very clear: this wasn't about just building a chatbot. When some of these Siri capabilities I mentioned didn't show up, people were like, 'What happened, Apple? I thought you were going to give us your chatbot.' That was never the goal, and it remains not our primary goal," Federighi explained.
Apple will continue investing in its own AI models while also integrating third-party technologies to ensure users have access to the best tools available. As for the possibility of Apple developing dedicated AI hardware, such as smart glasses, Federighi said the focus for now remains firmly on improving intelligence across its existing devices.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
