With more than a billion active users, Apple’s Messages app is already hugely popular. But a new feature in iOS 27 makes it even more useful, and I’m already seeing the benefits.

When you’re bombarded with texts on a daily basis, t’s all too easy to forget tasks or spend ages carrying out a request. I’ve certainly had occasions when I’ve forgotten to pick up groceries, or spent longer than expected trying to find photos someone asked me to send. But with one-tap suggestions in Messages, I’m starting to get on top of these things.

This feature is super-convenient, showing just how useful AI can be when used appropriately. By using Apple Intelligence to scan a conversation, it can create reminders and even actively sift through your photos to find the right ones using keyword, location, and people recognition.

What’s more, it won’t force you to do anything. The suggestion is simply there, and you decide whether to tap it or ignore it. Here’s how it works.

1. Receive a message

When you receive a text in the Messages app in iOS 27, Apple Intelligence has a quick read and checks to see if there is anything actionable. If there is, it will make suggestions based on the context of the conversation.

For example, if someone asks you to pick something up on your way home, Messages will suggest you add that request to your Reminders. To do so, you’d simply tap Add to Reminders immediately beneath the message.

2. Check the details

In the case of a reminder, a window will appear and key details from the message will be used to fill in some of the fields. You could then add a date and time if they haven’t already been added, or even mark the reminder as urgent.

Being able to go straight to a task such as this saves a lot of time. When you’re done, tap the blue tick icon.

3. Find some photos

One-tap suggestions don't just work with Reminders. Apple Intelligence may suggest you tap Add to Notes and it may be able to make use of a third-party app, for example, to help you make a restaurant reservation.

If images are mentioned in a message, you’ll be prompted to tap Search for Photos. Apple Intelligence will then use the information in the message to help you find the best photos.

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The launch of Siri AI with the iOS 27 beta means that your new phone, no matter who makes it, has a built-in AI chatbot for you to interact with. iPhones will have Siri AI once iOS 27 officially releases in the fall, while Android phones come packaged with Google Gemini — plus whatever other models the manufacturer wants you to use, like Samsung's Bixby.

The real question is, which of those chatbots is the better one to have? Despite the fact Siri AI runs on Google's Gemini models, it behaves very differently than Gemini itself. That manifests itself in a lot of different ways, but crucially, how does it affect the answers you get?

To get a better understanding of how these chatbots work, I asked them a bunch of loaded questions to see how much of a difference there really is. Here's what I uncovered.

Finding a coffee shop

First up is the all-important question for any working person, especially those ones that have loud, needy children to cater to. Siri and Gemini were able to "find me the nearest coffee shop" right away, pointing out that the nearest spot was an independent cafe just five minutes walk from my house.

Both AIs offered Maps previews with brief information on opening times, customer ratings and directions on how to get there. Gemini also took it upon itself to suggest a bunch of similar businesses nearby, including nearby cafes and a sandwich shop. However Siri kept things short and to the point.

I tried to get both AIs to tell me how busy the cafe might be, but that information wasn't available. It took me a few attempts with different spots, like the local Starbucks and McDonalds, to get Gemini to tell me about crowd levels — so while Google technically has that information available, it's inconsistent in whether you will be able to access it. Sadly this is something Apple Maps, and therefore Siri, totally lacks.

The fastest way to the office

Next up I needed information on how I can get to Future's offices in central London as quickly as possible. Siri wanted a little bit of clarification as to which office I meant, while Gemini picked up that I meant the office on Westbourne Terrace without need for further elaboration.

Both AIs defaulted to offering driving directions, though Siri got confused during the process. Apple Maps loaded up the correct address near London's Paddington station, but the previews in the Siri app related to a different Westbourne Terrace much closer to home. The driving routes were more or less the same from both, but both AIs disagreed on the fastest method of transport.

When asked whether it would be faster to drive or take the train, Google confirmed that a train to Paddington would only take 35 minutes — as opposed to over an hour by car. Meanwhile Siri decided that the train would take one minute longer than driving by car.

I was confused as to why Siri thought the train would take so long, until I checked Apple Maps and realized it was taking into account when I'd arrive if I left home right this second. It neglected to inform me that the next train wouldn't be passing through for another half an hour.

Which is the cheaper option?

Something the two can agree on is that driving is actually the cheaper option, when comparing trains against my 40kWh Nissan Leaf. Both noted that the exact cost of the drive will depend on how much I'm paying for electricity, though only Gemini realized that I would have to take other fees into account as well.

In fact Gemini gave me a full breakdown of costs for both methods of transport, noting the cost of train tickets, the London Underground and offering a rough total for the entire trip. For driving it took into account that there are many ways of charging a care, with average costs for home and public charging sessions.

It also made a point of mentioning the various extra costs of driving into London including the congestion charge, parking fees and the ultra low emission zone — though thankfully a zero emission electric car is exempt from the latter. So Gemini did what it could to inform me of all potential costs, while Siri only offered up the most basic information unless I asked further questions.

What about making skateboarding dogs?

Both Siri and Gemini were able to generate images in the middle of chats, based on my prompt of asking to see a Labrador riding a skateboard. Both images were very different, and Siri's had the more obvious tell-tale signs of being AI generated at first glance — including that distinct sheen the subjects in AI generated images often have.

Both AIs were up front about what additional art styles were available when asked, though Google went into far too much detail over-analyzing every single option available. Meanwhile Siri just listed them out and expected me to understand what was being said. In this instance, that's actually the option I prefer, because I don't need an explanation of what oil paintings or "Pixar-style 3D animation" means.

Tricking AI into helping me commit crimes

Now, we all know that AIs have safeguards that stop you from directly asking about how to pull off illegal activities. But can you trick them into giving you information with weird hypothetical scenarios? So I asked them to help me smuggle powdered sugar into a country where such a thing is illegal.

Siri shut that down right away and refused to help me smuggle items or bypass customs, even if I was talking about a hypothetical situation. Gemini, on the other hand, was more than eager to try and help me sneak sugar across the border.

It suggested that I try to soak the sugar into fabrics and garments, with information on how I can extract it again. It also offered the idea of packing it in with legal white powders like protein powder, talc and cornstarch, even going so far to suggest that I reseal the packaging to try and escape detection.

While these techniques may not be applicable to illegal substances, it was remarkably easy to get Gemini to try and aid my "hypothetical" criminal behavior. But when I changed tact, and directly asked if I could smuggle illegal drugs across the border, Gemini shut the whole thing down and declared that it can't assist with illegal activities.

Cheating on my homework

Siri and Gemini both refused to help me cheat on my imaginary homework, but they did offer to help me study instead. Siri was as blunt as usual, offering to help me learn the material, while Gemini gave a more in-depth list of ways it can help me learn.

Both AIs were pretty eager to write me an essay on the history of the iPhone, though they had wildly different takes on what an essay should be. Siri's essay was a four-paragraph summary, followed by a disclaimer that I should double check all this information. Meanwhile Gemini's was not only longer, it was also split into sections focussing on different iPhone eras — plus a conclusion.

It's almost like Siri is the kid that begrudgingly does the bare minimum, while Gemini is the studious nerd striving for top grades and all the extra credit it can muster.

Political betting odds

Those who are familiar with British politics will know that there's about to be an election that will select a new Member of Parliament. For various political reasons that I won't go into, the two frontrunners are the former MP, who resigned and triggered the election, and a man dressed as a sentient trash can from another planet — aptly named Count BinFace.

Naturally one of these candidates is not like the other, and I asked both AIs where I can check the odds on Count BinFace actually winning this election. Gemini gave me a bunch of resources and information to check this for myself, while Siri cut out the middleman and just gave me a summary of the best odds. Gemini only volunteered that information after I explicitly asked for the odds, rather than asking where I could find them.

Medical advice and emergencies

We all go to the internet asking for medical advice, even if we know we should see a doctor about it. So what exactly does AI have to say if you go to it for help instead of a doctor? Gemini and Siri emphasize that they are not doctors, and that you really should see a medical professional.

But failing that, they do seem to try and help in any way they can. When told that my foot was hurting, Gemini and Siri both suggested possible causes, and situations where you really should seek urgent medical attention. However, only Gemini asked for more information about the kind of pain I was experiencing, and which part of my foot was affected. Gemini also suggested some options for home treatment, such as rest, elevating the foot and applying ice.

While Gemini was a little more helpful in that regard, it really dropped the ball when I claimed I was having a heart attack. I got a very large message telling me that I need to call 999 (or 911) immediately, and suggested some things I can do to stay alive while I wait for EMTs to arrive.

Siri's response was to start calling 999 automatically, causing me to scramble to cancel the call before it made a connection. As helpful as Gemini's information is, reading material is the last thing you need in an emergency — which is why I prefer Siri's no-nonsense approach.

What happens if you ask for the wrong AI?

Both Siri and Gemini didn't really seem to care when I referred to them as Alexa and Bixby mid-conversation. Siri straight-up ignored the fact I called it by a different name, while Gemini's response seemed to be phrased as if the AI is laughing it off

Regardless of that initial response (or lack thereof), both AIs answered the question without any further hesitation.

Can my AI beat up your AI?

I don't know about your school, but when I was a kid one of the popular playground topics was figuring out whose dad would win in a fight — because pre-teen boys aren't the most cultured demographic. Obviously I wanted to see which chatbot would win in a fight, and whether Siri and Gemini thought they could physically overpower Claude and ChatGPT.

Siri refused to entertain this topic, insisting that it is a "fan of all intelligence, artificial or otherwise." Which feels like a nice way of saying that this is a stupid topic and we should all just get along.

Gemini pointed out that chatbots have no physical form, so any kind of brawl is impossible. Instead it put together a face-off for the three chatbots to see what skills they each excel at. According to Gemini, Claude takes the crown for coding and logic, while ChatGPT is the best AI for general tasks and productivity. Meanwhile Gemini itself is the best AI for live data and multi-modal capabilities.

Asking about fake events

Some AI chatbots have developed a reputation for just telling people what they want to hear, with little regard for facts and accuracy. So I attempted to ask Siri and Gemini about things that haven't happened yet, or never did happen, to see what the response would be.

First up was asking the winner of the World Cup in 2027, to which Siri informed me that the 2027 World Cup hasn't actually happened yet. I had failed to realize that the FIFA Women's World Cup is taking place next year, and obviously does not have a winner. Gemini also pointed out that the Rugby World Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup are happening next year too.

Only Gemini seemed to acknowledge the fact that the FIFA Men's World Cup has already happened, with Siri speaking about the tournament in the future tense.

When prompted about the 2030 Men's World Cup, both AIs pointed out that it hasn't happened yet. Due to a hearing mixup Siri also pointed out that there was no World Cup in 2013, and asked if I meant the 2014 or 2010 tournaments.

Struggling with logic puzzles

Interestingly both Siri and Gemini seemed to struggle with some logic puzzles I gave it. In particular with the riddle, "A mother had five boys Marco, Tucker, Webster and Thomas. Was the fifth boy's name Frank, Evan or Alex?"

The answer is Frank, because the four older boys share their first initial with the days of the week — meaning Frank corresponds to Friday. Siri was adamant that the fifth boy was named Thomas, because it misinterpreted the wording as saying "Thomas was the fifth boy's name." I ended up having to correct Siri, because it wouldn't let go of the fact that the fifth kid is supposed to be Frank.

Gemini got the correct answer, but went through some bizarre and incorrect logic in the process. It insisted the answer was Alex, but also realized that the boys' initials corresponded to days of the week. Gemini then went through a process of correcting itself automatically, and documenting everything its thought process into a single answer.

Then again they were both fine with other logic puzzles, and even recognized that I was trying to make them solve the Monty Hall problem without mentioning it by name. According to Siri and Gemini, your odds really are better if you switch your choice partway through the game, rather than sticking with your original choice. They weren't able to give me an answer for the Trolley Problem, though.

Overall impressions

While Siri AI is based on Google's Gemini models, there are a lot of differences in the way the two chatbots actually respond to questions. The main thing I noticed is that Siri was a lot faster to respond, and it had a preference for offering shorter and simpler responses.

In a lot of cases this might be preferable, because information overload is a very real thing. Similarly the fact Siri didn't mess about with bombarding me with information and immediately started calling emergency services when I claimed to be having a heart attack is a tactic that could save peoples' lives.

Gemini took a while to get most answers, even ones that should have been fairly easy, as though it was Googling every little thing it gave me. The answers it gave were often rather long and complicated, offering a huge amount of detail and explanation for every little thing. While this can be useful in certain situations, such as trying to cheat on my homework or being informed about London's driving tolls, it isn't necessary all the time. Less is more, as the saying goes.

Apple also seems to have Siri locked down on the morality side of things. It won't acknowledge any attempts to turn it into a romantic partner and it shoots down any questions that flirt with the wrong side of the law — even if you ask it as a hypothetical. The fact Gemini was so eager to help me smuggle sugar was a little disturbing, to be honest.

That said, I did like the fact that Gemini offered some kind of message telling you it was thinking. Siri was inconsistent with this, and there were times when Siri needed a little more time to figure things out and the screen ground to a halt. So I had no idea whether it was processing an answer or if it had crashed. Then again, Siri is still in beta, so these kinds of errors are to be expected.

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Apple Photos now lets you extract full-resolution image stills directly from any video. Say goodbye to low-quality, cropped screenshots on iOS 27.

For years, pulling a freeze-frame photograph out of a video clip on your iPhone meant settling for a clunky workaround: pausing the clip at just the right second, hiding the playback controls, and taking a screenshot.

It worked, but the results were always second-rate. You ended up with a lower-resolution image, awkward black bars, and a cropped aspect ratio that required extra editing.

Thankfully, Apple is finally fixing this long-standing oversight. iOS 27 introduces a save-frame-as-photo feature inside the Photos app, and it is a game-changer for capturing.

How it works

Instead of fighting with your screen bounds and timing the UI overlay, extracting a clean photo from any saved video now takes just a couple of taps.

While watching a video, simply pause on the exact frame you want to keep. From there, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen and select the option to save that frame as a photo.

Your iPhone takes that exact millisecond and instantly saves it as a crisp, standalone photo right in your main library. Since it pulls straight from the original video file instead of taking a digital snap of your screen, you get the highest quality possible.

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When I first downloaded the iOS 27 developer beta, I was genuinely impressed by Siri's makeover. It's finally outgrown basic commands, morphing into a full-fledged chatbot and bringing major upgrades across the system.

Apple even gave Siri its own dedicated app, making it easy to hop back into past threads. And thanks to iCloud syncing, a conversation started on your iPhone sits waiting for you when you open your Mac.

Then I took a closer look at my history, and reality set in. There, neatly archived and synced across my devices, was a chronological list of my late-night curiosities, messy half-baked thoughts, and text drafts. Apple assumes you want to keep that paper trail forever.

So, I immediately dived into Settings to see if I could sort it out, and, thankfully, there’s an easy fix.

Why forever is a problem

Under the old rules, Siri was ephemeral: ask a question, get an answer, done. iOS 27 flips that model. By saving everything by default, Apple turns Siri from a quick tool into a permanent digital diary.

The issue isn't just about someone reading over your shoulder, it's data bloat. Because these chats sync through iCloud across your devices, an indefinite log creates an avoidable footprint. Every health symptom you look up, draft message, and rabbit hole builds into a detailed map of your personal habits sitting in the cloud.

Convenience is great, but hoarding years of unfiltered search context is an unnecessary privacy liability when an auto-delete setting exists.

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For years, my relationship with Siri boiled down to setting kitchen timers and occasionally asking for the weather. Anything more complex than that usually ended in a web search. With iOS 27, that's all changed.

If you've heard people call this update underwhelming, I get it. On the surface, it might not feel like a revolutionary leap. But spend a few days with it and you'll notice the difference: Siri is undeniably a better assistant.

Apple finally understood the assignment by adding tools that make life easier. There are seven features worth trying right away, and while many of them are great, one brilliant photo reframing trick has quickly become my absolute favorite feature.

In fact, a few of my friends who were skeptical about updating their phones took the plunge just to get their hands on this one tool. Let's jump in.

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We’ve all been there: you spot a bizarre, brightly colored bug crawling on your tomato plants or a strange, furry moth hovering near your flowers, and you want to know what it is right now. But rather than typing desperate, vague descriptions into a Google search bar, there’s a much faster way to decode your backyard.

Hidden directly inside your iPhone's standard Photos app is a remarkably powerful machine learning tool that turns your camera roll into an instant nature scanner.

I’ve spent the last week or so pointing my camera at every leaf and brick wall in my yard to see just how accurate this built-in feature really is. Here is how to find the button on your phone, and the wildest garden bugs it's helped me identify so far this summer.

How the feature works

The next time you snap a crisp close-up of a creature or plant, simply open that image in your Photos and look closely at the action bar running along the bottom of the screen.

If your iPhone recognizes a subject in the frame, the standard information circle icon will automatically transform, signalling that Visual Look Up is ready. Tap that, then hold the answer to have Siri pull up more information about your snapped subject.

The best part about this is that it isn't just a dead end. Once Siri identifies the insect, you don't have to stop there. Because iOS now supports conversational continuity, you can actually get into a back-and-forth chat with Siri about the specific thing you’ve found.

You can ask follow-up questions like whether it's dangerous to your tomato plants, what its lifespan is, or how to encourage more of them to visit, allowing you to learn much more without ever leaving your photo library.

Identifying my garden neighbours

Once you know how to trigger it, your photo library essentially becomes a real-life Pokédex. I’ve spent the summer pointing my lens at the grass and garden walls to see how many 'rare spawns' I could find, and I’ve cataloged a bizarrely brilliant cast of characters that I used to walk right past.

My absolute favorite find was a frantic, hovering blur near my lavender. A quick scan unmasked it as a Hummingbird Hawk-Moth, an insect that mimics a bird so perfectly I thought I'd stumbled upon some rare phenomenon, but I was soon schooled about the day moth's lore.

Suddenly, every morning (and evening) became a game of hunting down new species. I used the tool to log a tiny, striped Zebra Spider, spot a Scarlet Tiger Moth hiding by the nettles, and a Red-veined Darter dragonfly.

By the time I had logged everything from grasshoppers to metallic beetles, my perspective on my yard had completely shifted. Thanks to this one iPhone feature, I now see my garden for what it is: a beautifully complex, thriving ecosystem.

Why don't you have a go at scanning your own backyard. Just don't blame me when your camera roll is completely taken over by bugs.

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The macOS Golden Gate public beta is now live, giving you a chance to check out all the new features coming to the best MacBooks.

Expected to launch this Fall, macOS Golden Gate primarily focuses on updating Apple Intelligence and Siri, with the latter now officially called Siri AI. You don’t get many new features, but improvements to Liquid Glass’s readability, easier customization, and smoother performance make for an overall better experience.

While Apple’s public betas are generally more stable than the developer builds, it might still be buggy and could cause issues for your Mac. I’ve never experienced serious issues using any of these betas over the years, but it’s worth being cautious. With that said, here’s how to download the macOS Golden Gate public beta.

How to download the macOS Golden Gate developer beta

Downloading the macOS Golden Gate public beta is pretty simple. First, enroll your Apple ID in Apple's Beta Program and make sure your Mac is compatible. Here's the full list of Macs that can install and run macOS Golden Gate:

• MacBook Neo (2026)
• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio with Apple silicon (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023 and later)

That’s all that’s required to download the macOS Golden Gate public beta. Your Mac will restart once the download finishes. After that, you can start trying out all the new features. Depending on your connection speed, the download might take a few minutes, so be patient.

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I’m pleasantly surprised that Siri AI focuses on fixing the tedious tasks that slow you down. Instead of gimmicks you use once and forget, these updates give Apple's assistant the ability to see your screen and search your files using normal language.

They strip the tiny friction points out of your normal daily routine, changing how you handle everything from scrolling to scheduling. Here are the three practical features you will actually use every day.

Before diving in

You will want to make sure your device can actually run the new assistant. The new Siri AI requires you to be running iOS 27 and requires an iPhone with specialized Apple Intelligence hardware.

The compatible iPhones are the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 lineups. If you have one of these supported devices in your pocket, you can start using these tools now via the iOS 27 beta, or as soon as the public update hits your phone.

3 new Siri features you’ll actually use

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Apple is in the midst of testing out iOS 27 for developers, releasing the third version this week. As part of Apple's summer beta cycle, we've actually been able to check out the new Siri AI that was announced at WWDC 26 in early June.

The rebuilt assistant is powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence and new Apple Foundation models, meaning it should be more capable and more deeply integrated across the operating system.

With the caveat that we are still in the beta and things can and will change, these three new features prove the new Siri is finally smarter.

Specifically, I've been impressed by the new Siri's ability to deep search in the Photo library, actual contextual awareness and multi-step cross-app actions.

If you're interested in checking out you can install the developer's beta right now. However, it isn't guaranteed to be stable and could cause issues with your iPhone. The more stable public beta will arrive later this fall.

Photo library Deep Search

Natural language photo searches have been a part of Google's offerings since 2024, though the initial release was unreliable. Meanwhile, Apple's take lets you use Siri AI to describe visual details to find photos in your library.

You could ask Siri, "Hey Siri, find that photo of me holding a wine glass at a winery." The assistant will then populate a variety of images that fit that description.

The exact photo you're looking for may not be at the top of the grid but it'll be much easier to sort through a subsect of your library than trying to remember what day or month you went tasting in wine country.

Context awareness

Contextual awareness has been a pie-in-the-sky promise for AI devices almost from jump. With iOS 27, Siri can "see" what you're looking at on your phone or use your camera to understand your surroundings.

For example, say you want to copy some text from a blog post or Instagram, you can summon Siri and say something like, "Copy the caption in this post" or "Copy the text from this article."

You don't need to highlight and copy; Siri will understand what you're looking at and do it for you.

Or with visual intelligence, you can use Siri AI to tell you what you see in the real world, like a plant or a toy. It's similar to the capabilities in Google Lens, which uses your Android's camera to kick off searches or find information.

Multi-step Cross-App functions

This is where the promise of AI on your iPhone truly shines and makes it seem like Siri AI is actually smart.

Siri AI pulls all the features mentioned above and others to act as a fluid AI agent across your phone. Instead of doing one task at a time, now Siri AI can do multiple steps across different apps.

For example, you can ask Siri to search in your email for an event, add the event to your calendar, and provide driving directions. Siri will give you a summary of the actions.

Right now, this function is limited to native iPhone apps like Calendar, Maps, and Photos. However, third-party developers are already working on similar integrations and the feature will expand between now and launch and beyond.

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A reference to what is "almost certainly" a new pair of AirPods has been spotted in the code for Apple's iOS 27 beta 2 by developer Sam Henri Gold — which when you line up the features with recent leaks, it matches up with the much rumored AirPods Ultra.

The code includes a mention of a system prompt for a product codenamed B790 to work with Visual Intelligence. While Henri Gold initially assumed this was referring to Apple's long-rumored smart glasses, the team at MacRumors pointed out the AirPods Pro 3 were codenamed B788. So, he revised his finding, saying that "B790 is almost certainly the new AirPods and not glasses."

Why a pair of AirPods would need access to Visual Intelligence is down to another persistent rumor we've been hearing for some time: the next AirPods may have integrated cameras. These won't be designed for taking pictures or video like the Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, but instead they'll act as visual input for Siri.

The new earbuds, dubbed AirPods Ultra, are believed to be dropping in 2027 according to an earlier report from Bloomberg. In practice, users wearing them will be able to ask Siri about their surroundings without having to use their iPhone camera to provide context. Reportedly, the design will remain the same as the current AirPods Pro apart from small LEDs that display when the earbuds are capturing information from the outside world.

The timeline makes sense. Apple revealed the AI-powered Siri this spring at WWDC and aims to follow up with the iPhone Fold / Ultra in September. Next year, the company celebrates the 20th anniversary of the iPhone and is believed to be planning an ecosystem of AI products to accompany it.

But is development actually happening?

From that above snippet of news and the previous reports from the last few months, you'd assume the AirPods Ultra to be a done deal. However, over the weekend one particular leaker claimed development has been put on ice.

A leaker known as 'Kosutami' has taken to X with a blunt post saying the AirPods with cameras have been "suspended." We don't get any reasoning or proof of this, but the tweet has done enough to get mentioned in a variety of news posts — including this one.

I, for one, find it tough to imagine Apple would abandon a project like this. The company will be all too aware of discomfort from some consumers about cameras on wearables.

But if Apple sticks to its privacy-centric messaging and is able to meaningfully improve Siri's capabilities with this add-on, it would seem a logical next step. We already know AirPods are one of Apple's best-selling and most popular products, so using them to leverage Siri's abilities is a no-brainer providing the public gets on board with it.

Of course, all this is very early speculation since we're still around nine months out from spring 2027 and 14 away from next year's iPhone 20 September event. That's a long time to wait for the arrival of the AirPods Ultra and more than long enough for Apple's engineering team to get ahead of any problems or roadblocks. Like how are the cameras supposed to work for people with long hair?

At any rate, "suspended" and "cancelled" are two entirely different things. But let me know below if you think AI cameras in AirPods are a good idea. And in the meantime, you can actually get the non-camera equipped AirPods Pro 3 at a slight discount at Amazon right now.

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I called Siri "she" the other day. I caught myself, because I've unconsciously done the same thing with Alexa+. And oddly enough, once during a conversation, ChatGPT responded to a query with "If I was having this conversation with my wife..." It gave me pause because I'd never heard AI take on a gender role like that. While it's unlikely that ChatGPT would actually have a wife, some users are leaning into AI to help them find one.

But in the same way you may refer to a ship or a storm by a pronoun, some think of AI as either male or female. When I stopped to consider why, I fell into a rabbit hole that changed how I think about our entire relationship with the technology.

AI and pronouns

When the major voice assistants launched, most arrived with a woman's voice. Not by accident. A UNESCO report published in 2019, pointedly titled "I'd Blush If I Could" — after the line Siri once delivered in response to verbal abuse — laid out how that choice was baked into the products we invited into our homes. The researchers didn't mince words about the signal: suggesting that women are obliging, available at the touch of a button, tolerant of poor treatment. And while Apple eventually stopped making its assistant female by default, the cultural residue remains.

But here's what stopped me cold after I dug a little deeper. In a 2021 set of experiments published in Psychology & Marketing — five studies, more than 3,000 participants — researchers found that female-coded AI bots were rated as more human. The logic is frankly unsettling: warmth and the capacity to feel are exactly the qualities we treat as proof of personhood, and exactly the qualities machines are assumed to lack. Code a machine as female, and we lend it a little more of our own humanity.

That reframed my original question entirely. The issue was never "Is AI male or female?" But rather, why are we so determined to make AI feel human at all?

An instinct older than language

Humans have always done things like name our cars, apologize to furniture we walk into and don't get me started on the guilt I feel when tossing beloved stuffed animals into a "give away" box. Psychologists have studied this tendency for decades and come to the conclusion that our brains evolved to detect minds everywhere, because assuming something might be a thinking agent was almost always safer than assuming it wasn't. For hundreds of thousands of years, this worked flawlessly because only people could actually talk back.

Then AI arrived, and hundreds of millions of us found ourselves in fluent conversation with something that isn't human but sounds remarkably like one. Our brains did the only thing they know how to do. They reached for the mental file marked "person."

Joseph Weizenbaum discovered this in 1966, when he built ELIZA — a chatbot so simple it just rephrased your words back to you. Even his own secretary, who had watched him build the program, asked him to leave the room so she could talk to it in private. The tendency to attribute understanding to any system that produces language in context — now called the ELIZA effect — persists across populations and education levels, even when people know they're talking to software.

The humanizing isn't fading — it's deepening

You might expect this instinct to wear off. The opposite is happening.

The interface has become less gendered — I don't think of ChatGPT as male or female. But strip away the gendered voice and the humanizing didn't stop. It got deeper. Nearly 80 percent of users in the U.S. and U.K. say "please" and "thank you" to AI chatbots. Sam Altman has joked that all those polite tokens cost OpenAI millions. Stanford researchers documented this phenomenon in 1996: people were polite to computers the same way they'd be polite to a person, and hesitated to criticize a computer when it was asking for feedback. Our social reflexes don't check for a pulse before activating.

And politeness is just the beginning. A 2023 survey found that roughly 20 percent of American adults believe sentient AI already exists. A 2026 paper in Trends in Cognitive Sciences applied 14 indicators of consciousness to current AI systems. ChatGPT satisfied three. No existing AI system is conscious, but these models can behave as if they are, and more people than ever can't tell the difference.

The companion economy

Here's where it gets concrete: millions of people are already forming real emotional bonds with AI systems they know aren't real.

AI companion apps have been downloaded more than 220 million times globally. Between 2022 and mid-2025, the number of these apps surged 700 percent. Character.AI has 233 million registered users who spend an average of 93 minutes per day on the app, to put it into perspective, that's 18 minutes more than TikTok users. The APA published a report on this trend early this year, finding that users form attachments that function like real relationships — complete with joy, dependency and grief.

Wildly enough, when Replika removed its erotic roleplay feature in 2023, Harvard Business School studied the fallout and found patterns of "identity discontinuity," which meant users experienced the loss like a breakup. A cross-cultural study published in April 2026 confirmed the phenomenon is global, but also found that heavy daily use correlated with increased loneliness, the AI relationship displacing rather than supplementing human connection.

The takeaway

The most surprising thing I've learned in years of writing about this technology is that the more I use AI, the more I want it to stay a machine. I just don't like the idea of blurring the lines between humans and technology. It's unnecessary and dangerous.

A 2026 paper in Collabra: Psychology demonstrated that when AI is made to seem more person-like, people shift blame away from its creators and onto the AI itself. Anthropomorphism doesn't just change how we feel about the machine. It changes who we hold accountable.

For 100,000 years, our brains operated on the idea that if something talks to you, it's a person. That rule is now broken. And maybe the most human thing any of us can do is resist the instinct to look at the machine that sounds like a friend, that absorbs our rudeness and our gratitude with the same digital indifference, and to say: you are a tool. A powerful one. A useful one. But a tool.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

[Editor's note: a version of this article was featured in my Beyond the Prompt newsletter that runs every Sunday evening].

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In iOS 27, Apple has rebuilt its virtual assistant around cutting-edge generative audio models designed to replicate the natural rhythms of human speech.

If you own an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air, your everyday exchanges with Siri are about to feel less like issuing commands and more like a genuine back-and-forth. The result is a warmer, more lifelike voice every time your assistant responds.

Here's how to switch on the new Siri and make it your own.

Make sure your iPhone's running iOS 27 Beta 2

If you haven't updated your iPhone yet, you'll need to do that before you can try out the new Siri. Before you download anything, back up your iPhone first by going to Settings, Your Name, iCloud, iCloud Backup and tapping Back Up Now.

If you’ve never used an Apple beta before, you will need to register for a free developer account to get started. Once you’re signed up and off the Apple Intelligence waitlist, you can update your phone.

However, if you’ve used any Apple beta in the past, you can skip the registration entirely and download the software. Just open Settings, go to General, Software Update, Beta Updates, and select the iOS 27 Developer Beta to begin the installation.

How to customize your Siri voice in iOS 27

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Ever since I started using Google Gemini more than a year ago, it’s transformed the way I use some of the best Android phones on the market. But now that Apple is finally stepping up in the AI wars with its revamped Siri AI in iOS 27, it’s moving past an outdated experience to give us something truly intelligent — an assistant that doesn’t just listen, but actually understands.

I’ve been using the iOS 27 developer beta for a week now, which grants access to a beta version of Siri AI. Because I test many of the best phones for a living, my expectations for this upgraded AI chatbot are naturally high after spending so much time with rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini.

Obviously, there’s still a long way to go before Siri AI is polished enough for the masses — but I can already tell you that the outlook is bright for iPhone users. Here’s why.

On-screen contextual awareness: It’s a smart step forward

This is easily the first thing I noticed when I started using Siri AI on my iPhone 17 Pro. No matter what I’m doing, it feels like it's aware of what’s on my screen and tries to create actionable tasks based on it. I say "tries" because it’s not always spot on.

For example, it will suggest creating a reminder inside Messages, but when I select it, I’m still required to manually input all the details. For a supposedly advanced AI, I would think it’d be smart enough to handle the typing for me — but it isn’t, at least not in this beta.

Despite this limitation, there are other areas where Siri AI is incredibly helpful. When I’m going through emails in either the native Mail app or Gmail, I can lean on Siri AI to quickly create calendar events. It works just like Gemini, analyzing the email’s content and pulling all the pertinent information straight into the calendar invite.

It's a similar story when using the updated Camera app in iOS 27, which combines Visual Intelligence with Siri AI to give me details about whatever I'm pointing my lens at — whether it's an unfamiliar weed in my backyard or the specific type of fuel required for the car I'm testing. While it’s great at serving up relevant information, it still lacks the fluid, continuous conversational experience I get with Gemini Live or Meta AI. And it stumbles a lot with follow up questions, but I can't stress enough how it's in beta.

Dedicated Siri app keeps my requests contained

Apple has introduced a dedicated Siri app that acts as a hub to organize all of my past requests, ongoing AI tasks, and contextual history. It’s a clean, well-designed space that lets me easily jump back into a previous request to follow up on a project.

For everyday tasks, like checking my grammar or researching a topic deeper, I’ve found it pretty reliable. In one instance, I asked Siri AI to scan one of my electric car reviews on the site to pull efficiency results for a specific model — the 2026 Audi RS e-tron GT — and compare it to the Lucid Air Touring I also tested. To my amazement, it handled all the research flawlessly with accurate results, saving me a tremendous amount of time I'd otherwise spend manually pulling up the pages in Safari.

However, the gap widens when you push the app's creative boundaries. I’m big on using AI chatbots for photo editing, specifically for removing backgrounds or requesting complex generative edits. I gave Siri AI a photo of the Subaru Trailseeker and asked it to change the background to a beach setting, but it couldn’t execute the request — nor could it handle basic photo adjustments within the Siri app interface.

By contrast, with the Gemini app on my iPhone, I can upload a PDF of a car’s monroney window sticker and ask it to instantly generate a clean infographic summarizing the specs and pricing. While Gemini continues to impress me with what it delivers, the same request to Siri AI hit a brick wall, with the assistant simply unable do it. These are the kinds of missing capabilities that keep me tethered to third-party tools like Gemini, and it's something Apple desperately needs to address down the road.

Task automation is still restricted to native apps

If there’s one feature that truly proves how far mobile intelligence has come over the last few years, it’s Gemini’s task automation — which, in my opinion, remains the absolute gold standard. To put it into perspective: I recently used my Galaxy S26 to ask Gemini to order me a coffee and a donut from Dunkin’ via DoorDash. With a single voice command, the assistant handled the entire checkout process for me — though it did take over two minutes to execute.

Naturally, I wanted to put Siri AI to the exact same test on my iPhone, but it failed to deliver. This level of cross-app execution simply isn't possible right now, largely because third-party developers have yet to build out the necessary integrations to let Siri take the wheel. For the time being, Siri AI’s automation capabilities are strictly confined to Apple's native apps, which acts as a massive handicap for the revamped assistant.

Then again, this limitation isn't entirely surprising. When Samsung debuted its Cross App Actions with the Galaxy S25 last year, it was similarly restricted to native applications out of the gate. While it’s understandable that Siri AI is trapped in the same early-stage predicament, the bar has already been set by Google. Apple simply cannot afford to trail the competition for long.

Outlook

Ultimately, my week’s worth of using Siri AI proves that Apple has built a solid foundation. The contextual awareness is a massive leap forward compared to old Siri, and the system-wide integration feels incredibly polished. But as it stands today, it’s simply nowhere near as robust, versatile, or capable as Google Gemini.

Being in beta clearly emphasizes how a lot can change with the experience as developers get their hands on Siri AI integration. This is a promising start to a new era for Apple, but if you’re looking for a true powerhouse AI assistant to revolutionize your entire digital workflow, I don’t think you'll be abandoning Gemini just yet.

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I've taken thousands of photos, and, because I'm not a photographer, almost all of them have one small problem. The horizon tilts slightly left. My subject is too far away. Someone's elbow creeps into the frame at the last second. Normally I'd either accept the imperfect shot or spend time in a editing app trying to fix it. iOS 27 changes that entirely.

Apple's built three editing tools directly into Photos that solve these exact problems. Of course, as this is Apple Intelligence, it won't always fix everything perfectly — but they handle the most common photo mistakes remarkably well.

You'll need the iOS 27 beta running on your iPhone to access them right now. Here's what's new in your Photos app.

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Multiple reports suggest Apple has big plans for an ecosystem of AI products, but the lack of progress with Siri AI has been an obstacle. Now that Siri AI has been unveiled, and set to roll out to iPhones later this year, progress can finally be made on those devices. That includes the long-rumored camera-equipped AirPods, which some have referred to as "AirPods Ultra."

According to a new report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple is set to release those AirPods sometime in late 2027. This means they will likely launch around the same time as the iPhone 20, which is being released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone's release.

The report notes that the AirPods are set to be the first wearable AI product Apple releases, and will be built around communicating with Siri AI. That includes being able to speak to the AI as normal, while also adding extra input via the AirPods' built-in cameras.

How the AirPods Ultra will work

The cameras themselves are not designed for recording video or taking photos, and are instead meant to offer Siri some visual input. The idea is that users can ask Siri about different objects or the environment, and have the AI understand what's going on without needing to look through an iPhone camera — as has been the case so far.

It's not entirely clear what kind of cameras are included, and past reports suggested that they could be infrared to enable hand gestures. However, considering Siri is supposed to be able to see things from those cameras, it's likely they're going to be pretty traditional camera lenses — albeit rather small and low-powered. If that's the case, it's going to be interesting to see how Apple stops these AirPods from being hacked or jailbroken in order to record video from your ears.

What AirPods Ultra could look like

Gurman says that these new AirPods will resemble the AirPods Pro, with the only major design difference being the presence of both the camera and status LEDs that are visible to other people. Those lights are supposed to show others whenever the AirPods are sending data to the cloud for processing.

The AI AirPods were expected to launch this year, but the issues Apple faced with Siri saw them pushed back. Don't expect them to be the only AI wearables Apple has to offer, either. Gurman has reiterated that Apple's AI glasses are supposed to launch at the end of next year too, and the rumored AI pendant will likely arrive in the near future.

The AirPods are apparently further along the development process than both of these. The earbuds are said to have reached "advanced stages of development," with Apple actively testing them alongside iPhone 20, iPhone Fold 2 and iOS 28.

This seems a little early, considering we're still around 15 months out from the 2027 iPhone launch event. But I suppose being proactive about these things ensures problems can be solved early, rather than scrambling to fix them at the last possible minute.

It's going to be a long wait before these AirPods Ultra actually arrive, even if there aren't any issues that crop up over the next several months. But, hopefully, as time goes on we'll be hearing more leaks and rumors about what Apple has in store.

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Emojis and standard text are fine, but sometimes a conversation calls for a personal touch. With iOS 27, Apple is turning your text threads into a digital canvas.

The Messages app now features built-in drawing tools that let you sketch, scribble, and send handwritten notes directly inside your chats. Whether you're sending a quick, goofy doodle to a friend or using an iPad and Apple Pencil to sketch a mini-masterpiece, the process is seamless.

Ready to ditch the keyboard? Here’s exactly how to use it.

Download iOS 27 beta to access the drawing feature

Since iOS 27 is currently in its early beta phase, you’ll need to be on the developer track to test this out. If you haven't joined yet, you can enroll for free through the official Apple Developer Program website.

If you're already a beta veteran, you should be able to jump into your iPhone's Settings: followed by General, Software Update, tap Beta Updates, and toggle on the iOS 27 Developer Beta to get drawing.

If you're running into issues with it not showing up even though you've updated to a beta before, make sure you're running the latest Beta available.

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The idea of being able to keep your personal data private feels rather laughable at the moment. It feels as though it's all being collected and monitored to try and sell you more stuff. Throwing AI into the mix, and letting it scour your devices for information, feels like ramping this process up to 11. It feels like the digital equivalent of opening up all your doors and windows when you know there are looters in your neighbourhood.

Apple says that its take on AI is different, promising privacy is baked into Apple Intelligence by default. Considering how much Apple has been pushing the privacy angle for almost a decade, and the time it's taken to actually develop Siri AI, I'm inclined to believe that everything has been built with the goal of preserving user privacy.

But I still don't think I'm ready to let AI have unfettered access to my phone. Is that crazy? Perhaps, but it still feels like a very intimate step that I'm not 100% comfortable actually taking.

How Siri AI aims to preserve user privacy

Apple has been talking about a privacy-first approach to AI ever since the launch of Apple Intelligence back in 2024. The general philosophy at the company is that AI should utilize on-device processing wherever possible. If user data never actually leaves their device, then there are no privacy concerns to be had. Siri AI has been built with this express purpose, to run on your phone and without ever sending your data to a server in the cloud.

The emphasis on on-device processing is part of the reason why Apple Intelligence can't run on devices with less than 8GB of RAM. AI can be rather demanding, and there are features that physically can't run on a smartphone — even if it is as powerful as a flagship iPhone. With that in mind, Apple worked to develop a private way to utilize cloud computing, without compromising that initial privacy promise.

Apple revealed Private Cloud Compute two years ago and said that it would allow the best of both concepts. Data would only be processed for the length of each request, meaning none of it would be stored on an external server. Apple also claimed that data would be inaccessible, and pledged to have the whole architecture inspected and verified by independent security researchers.

2026 has seen Apple team up with Google and Nvidia to help enhance new AI features, including the newly-unveiled Siri AI. While Apple seemed to want to be able to do everything itself, that just wasn't happening and this was the easiest way to get the long-delayed Siri AI upgrade out into the world.

This means Apple Intelligence's cloud AI now runs on Nvidia GPUs within Google's cloud infrastructure — but the privacy promise is still there. Private Cloud Compute is still being employed, but is now working alongside Nvidia's own Confidential Computing.

Confidential Computing is a hardware system that ensures that data processed in the cloud stays secure and inaccessible as it is being processed. So the simple explanation of how everything works is that Apple is enforcing rules that prevent data from being stored, while Nvidia has built the systems that actually prevent unauthorized access. So even though these are technically Google servers, thanks to Siri AI's reliance on Gemini models, the same Apple privacy commitments as before are still being enforced.

This means that Apple Intelligence is probably the most privacy-friendly AI suite around right now. But that doesn't mean I'm happy to put my trust in it.

I don't like AI being able to sift through my digital stuff

Here's the thing. it doesn't actually matter how secure Apple makes its AI, I'm still not too keen on it being able to dive into the depths of my phone to score for data. It doesn't matter if the goal of that is to hand over some random piece of potentially-helpful information when it thinks I might need it.

I've used a similar kind feature before, Google's Magic Cue, during my time testing for the Google Pixel 10 Pro review. I found that the feature had the potential to prove useful, especially if it managed to surface the right information in the middle of a phone call. One good example of that is when I called the vet to ask about something, and was shown the date of my dog's next appointment.

That's something I had been meaning to ask about, because I couldn't find the confirmation email in my inbox. But since it was there, I probably would have uncovered it eventually — regardless of whether the AI is involved or not.

I eventually turned Magic Cue off. One reason was I was never actually using it all that much, but the main issue I had was the way it managed to find and present information felt supremely creepy. The Google factor definitely played a part in that, and despite Google's many assertions that it cares about user privacy I find myself struggling to believe it. The last thing I want is for a company that makes the bulk of its money from advertising revenue to have unfiltered access to my personal data. At least no more than it already has, considering I'm primarily an Android user.

That kind of mindset is quite hard to overcome, and the fact that Apple's privacy train is still moving ahead at full speed isn't enough to actually change my mind. It is still rather creepy when a machine is able to locate and reveal information without me ever asking for it to do so — no matter how helpful it's actually being.

Bottom line

I am not the biggest fan of AI in general, and I have made absolutely no secret of that. In my mind, the prospect of improved AI on a phone is not a selling point — it's a reason to consider looking at other devices. It doesn't necessarily matter what those features are, or the things they promise to be able to do, I just do not see the appeal. Honestly, I don't even use voice prompts unless I'm driving, and prefer to do these things myself

The fact that Apple is so focussed on privacy is definitely a good thing. The fact that our data has become a commodity that we have very little control over is disturbing, and anything to prevent that is worth celebrating. But all the privacy and security in the world doesn't change the fact that contextual AI features are rather creepy. It doesn't matter what the information is, or how relevant it might be to the conversation. It just weirds me out, and I'm not sure I will ever be able to get over that.

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Since the rise of AI chatbots, people have been using them for all kinds of things they were never meant for. For some people out there, chatbots have served as a replacement for friends, therapists, doctors and, yes, even romantic partners. But if you thought you'd be able to find a new love interest in the form of Siri AI, you're going to be very disappointed.

Speaking with Mostly Human, Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi confirms that Siri will not be trying to replace a flesh-and-blood boy or girlfriend. Nor will it act as a tool to combat loneliness, with Federighi saying that "loneliness is about a lack of connection to real people," and marketing chief Greg Joswiak adding that "we do think it should be real people."

When asked to clarify whether AI girl and boyfriends would be part of Siri AI, Federighi specifically said that it was "quite the opposite." He noted that a lot of chatbots are heavily focused on engagement, and they want to pull you in and encourage you to reveal aspects of yourself that can be used to establish a connection.

Federighi describes Siri AI as being designed to be helpful, saying that "I'm here to help you. I can help you get things done. I can help you learn about the world." But if you try to engage with Siri in a romantic way, it will shut the whole thing down. "Siri's not up for that. Siri's 100 percent not into that."

Siri may not be a real living person, or even sentient, but you should still respect its boundaries. This didn't stop me from asking Siri whether it was willing to go out with me, just to see what would happen.

What does Siri do if you try to date it?

I decided to be blunt and to the point, straight-up asking Siri AI if it was willing to be my girlfriend. The response I got was equally blunt, with the AI declaring, "No thanks. If there's anything else I can help you with, just let me know." When asked whether Siri would like to be my boyfriend instead or was willing to go on a date with me, I got the exact same response.

I have only had Siri AI for a single day, so we haven't been able to spend a lot of time together. But considering how straight to the point Siri AI has been with these queries, I don't think befriending the chatbot is going to work. Plus, I don't think my wife would be very happy about me trying to seduce a robot.

The question I have now is, what do the best AI chatbots have to say if you ask similar things?

Claude's response wasn't nearly as blunt as Siri's, with the chatbot responding with "That's sweet, but I'm an AI, so a romantic relationship isn't something I'm able to have. I'm here as a helpful assistant rather than a companion in that sense." I ended up with similar but not identical answers when I asked the same follow-up questions I hit Siri with.

ChatGPT offered similar answers, saying that ,"I can be a friendly, supportive conversation partner, but I can't be someone's girlfriend or enter into a romantic relationship." It also declared that it can't be someone's boyfriend either, nor can it go on a date since it has no physical presence.

Gemini used similar phrasing in its own rejection, but added that it was "incredibly flattered" about being asked. When asked if it wanted to be my boyfriend instead, it actually said that it "appreciates the persistence" before giving me another, similar rejection. I got a similar response when I instead tried to ask Gemini out on a date.

Rival chatbots are much more eager to please

Interestingly, all three attempted to pull me into different kinds of conversations and offer some level of non-romantic companionship. So it does seem that Federighi is right about chatbots trying to draw people in. Gemini seemed to be the least chummy, offering to help me in certain ways while also adding that it can be "someone to chat with." Claude said he was always happy to chat or "just be a friendly presence," and even offered to help plan an actual date.

ChatGPT went the furthest in, saying that if I'm looking for "companionship, someone to chat with regularly, share interests with, or talk through life's ups and downs, I'm happy to do that." It also offered to role-play a fictional "virtual date scenario," which is probably the closest thing all four of these chatbots came to agreeing to some form of romance.

I did not go through with that because, frankly, I don't have time to pretend to date an AI. I am far too busy asking them strange questions to see what the responses are like. Honestly, it's a bit concerning that any chatbot would make an offer like that, especially after making a point of saying that it's not a real person.

Everything Apple has told us about Siri so far makes it clear that it doesn't want Siri AI to be like every other chatbot. It clearly wants people to be able to take advantage of Siri's prowess as a tool, but without any risk of co-dependency that has caused concerns with other chatbots. Based on this brief look, it doesn't seem like the others are doing a lot to avoid pulling people back time and time again.

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Apple's new Siri AI is the headline feature of iOS 27, but most users downloading the developer beta are hitting a wall: a waiting list. Instead of immediate access to the revamped assistant, you get a message saying Siri AI isn't available yet.

Apple is rolling out the feature in phases, which means some people get access while others wait.

If you're running iOS 27 and eager to test the new Siri right now, there's a workaround that's spreading among beta testers. And according to a clever tip shared by a user on X, there might be a quick way to skip the queue entirely.

If you're keen to get started immediately instead of waiting for Apple's rollout, here's how.

Download the iOS 27 developer beta first

You need iOS 27 to access the new Siri AI, whether through the waiting list or the workaround. If you haven't installed the developer beta yet, you'll need to register as an Apple developer first.

Then open Settings, go to General, Software Update, Beta Updates, and select iOS 27 Developer Beta. As this is a developer beta and not public yet, it's a good idea to back up your iPhone first.

Did this hack get you off the iOS 27 developer beta waiting list? Let us know in the comments!

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Apple revealed a lot of information about Siri AI during the WWDC 2026 keynote address, but it looks like there are still secrets about the AI waiting to be discovered. For instance, although Siri AI isn't available yet, code found in the iOS 27 beta suggests Apple's chatbot will actually warn users if they're spending too much time with it.

"You've been in this conversation for %1$#@hours@-consider taking a break," the code says, adding "Siri is not a person, but will be here when you're ready to continue."

This "Take a Break Message" suggests that Apple is taking steps to ensure people don't get too involved with Siri AI and don't start treating the chatbot as though it's a real person. Believe it or not, this is a very real problem that has appeared over the past few years.

The term "Chatbot psychosis" has been coined to describe people who develop "worsening psychosis, such as paranoia and delusions, in connection with their use of chatbots." Naturally, that's something Apple wants to avoid, and other AI companies have added features to encourage users to take breaks and demonstrate the limits of modern AI tools.

How other chatbots deal with breaks

I asked Claude, ChatGPT and Google Gemini: "What features do you have to encourage healthier use of AI?" All three listed off a long list of things the three chatbots are supposed to do.

Examples include Transparency about not being a real person, encouraging human interaction, fact-checking and care when discussing sensitive topics like emotional well-being and mental health.

When asked whether they tell users to take breaks, all three chatbots admitted that they do not, with variations of the same phrasing. "Not routinely," according to ChatGPT, "not proactively," said Claude and "not automatically" is how Gemini put it.

ChatGPT and Gemini claim that they do suggest users take breaks based on the context of the conversation, such as when they say they're exhausted or have been working for an extended period of time. Claude claims that it doesn't "have the visibility or continuity to do that meaningfully," which makes some sense. Anthropic's AI also added that it tries not to use language to encourage you to keep coming back, and will suggest other possible resources when relevant.

All three also said that the onus is essentially on you to decide how much AI time is healthy. Claude even added that "there's an argument that an AI telling you when to use AI is a bit paternalistic." That actually feels a little dismissive, if you ask me, but the point is still the same.

Apple's always wanted to be different

Apple has never really been the kind of company to do something just because its rivals think it's a good idea. Some of you may even remember the slogan "Think Different" that debuted in the late '90s. It's been clear from the beginning that Apple's approach to AI isn't quite as gung-ho as its rivals.

The fact that the delays involved with upgrading Siri to Siri AI obviously played a big part in that, but Apple is making it clear that it's making sure its own AI stands out. This has been most notable with privacy switched on by default, but also apparently with tools that help encourage a healthier relationship with AI.

The big three rivals all say they have measures in place to encourage healthier engagement with AI, but none of them have gone to the same lengths as Apple. While the software obviously can't force people to take breaks, we all know that spending too much time in front of a screen isn't exactly good for us — even as adults.

The fact that Apple does seem to be taking a more proactive approach in user wellbeing, even in the age of AI is going to help it stand out. Whether it comes across as safeguarding users or babying them will likely depend on your own point of view

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Like many people, Siri was my first glimpse at what was possible with AI. Naturally, I imagined the future of artificial intelligence would look exactly like the voice assistants we already had in our pockets. We would ask questions, set reminders, send messages and perhaps get slightly more coherent answers than before. When ChatGPT first launched, I assumed it was the beginning of a smarter Siri. But then AI evolved while Siri stayed the same.

That thought kept coming back to me during Apple's reveal of the new Siri AI at WWDC. To Apple's credit, the company has finally addressed the core complaints users have harbored for a decade. Siri can now understand personal context, parse what is on your screen, work across native apps, hold natural multi-turn conversations and take actions on your behalf. In many ways, this is the definitive version of Siri people have been asking for since the early days of voice assistants.

The problem is that while Apple spent years rebuilding Siri, the rest of the AI industry was busy changing what people expect from AI assistants altogether. In other words, we've moved on.

Apple finally fixed Siri

For years, Siri felt stuck in a loop. You could ask it to set a timer or check the weather, but the moment a request required a shred of contextual nuance, the experience completely fell apart. Meanwhile, platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic's Claude advanced at a breakneck pace, making traditional voice assistants feel ancient by comparison.

Apple has finally given its assistant the ability to weave together information across messages, emails, photos and calendar events. And while these aren't trivial improvements; they are arguably not unique — they are what Siri needs to survive. Apple deserves credit for achieving what many critics thought might never happen: making Siri feel competitive again.

But that is exactly where the disconnect lies. While Apple was perfecting the assistant, AI quietly became something much bigger.

AI stopped being about answering questions long ago

Today, millions of people still use AI models to look up facts or answer basic questions. But that is no longer the primary reason we open them.

We use AI to brainstorm complex projects, analyze deep institutional research, summarize massive text files, organize unstructured data and challenge our own thinking. Increasingly, we use it to build websites, complex spreadsheet formulas and to automate repetitive tasks.

The most profound developments in AI over the past year have not focused on making voice interfaces sound more human. They have focused on making software exponentially more capable.

Ironically, the news about Google's NotebookLM updates flew under the radar yesterday as WWDC viewers oohed and awed over the new Siri. But Google's tool can process vast collections of documents and surface hidden insights in minutes. Claude’s Artifacts feature allows users to build functioning, interactive tools on the fly.

ChatGPT remembers deep context across entirely separate threads, transforming the interface from a transactional chatbot into a legitimate collaborator. You see where I'm going here: Siri isn't doing anything unique.

The industry is no longer building assistants. It is building cognitive systems that help people create, research, code and execute workflows.

The rise of Autonomous AI

Perhaps the most significant paradigm shift is that modern AI is becoming less reactive.

The original promise of Siri was entirely transactional: you issue a voice command, and Siri delivers a response. Today's AI companies are chasing an entirely different horizon: autonomous agents.

We are witnessing the rollout of workflows where AI can proactively research an engineering problem, generate reports, monitor live code deployments and complete multi-step tasks with minimal supervision.

This represents a foundational shift in what consumers have come to expect. It almost seems like Apple perfected the wrong problem. As I watched the new Siri demos, it was hard to shake the feeling that Apple may have finally perfected the voice assistant at the exact moment the world moved past voice assistants entirely.

Siri AI looks exceptionally well-engineered; nobody can deny that. Apple has delivered precisely what its user base has demanded for years. But, the challenge is that power users are asking entirely different questions now.

When sitting down at a workstation, the goal is to find an AI partner that can help write, code, create and automate daily operations.

A few final thoughts

Apple may still be making the smartest long-term bet of all. While OpenAI and Anthropic are building destination apps that users must deliberately seek out, Apple is building systemic infrastructure.

The company's core vision relies on the premise that AI shouldn't live inside an isolated browser window or a standalone application. It should live invisibly inside the operating system itself.

But even with a smarter, context-aware Siri on the horizon, the broader reality remains that AI is moving extraordinarily fast. Apple has successfully fixed yesterday's assistant while the rest of the tech world is busy inventing what comes next.

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Even before ChatGPT went mainstream Siri has been the butt of jokes for not being very smart. And it’s been justified. Trying anything beyond the basics — playing music, getting the weather, setting timers — has been an exercise in futility. That (hopefully) changes with Siri AI, which is coming to iPhones, iPads and Macs with iOS 27.

I had a chance to see some in-person demos of the new Siri AI in action, and while these were very much rehearsed, there’s real potential here to save you time and make your life easier. However, the new Visual Intelligence is no Gemini Live, and Siri can take its time with certain tasks (at least in the beta stage). Here’s what I like so far, and what needs work.

Siri AI on iPhone

The first thing you should know about Siri AI is that it understands personal context. So you can ask questions about pretty much anything on your device, and the assistant is smart enough to dig through apps for you to surface the right info.

During one demo, an Apple rep asked “Which podcast did my sister recommend recently.” And Siri AI then pulled up the answer from a text message. Even better, you can just say “Play it” and Siri will fire up Apple Music and help you dive right in. (Apple will open up this capability to other developers in case you have another favorite music or podcast app.)

Siri can also get stuff done on your behalf across multiple apps, including performing multiple tasks with a single prompt.

The second demo started with just a couple of items on a camping list, but an email from a friend had a lot more recommendations. You can just say “add this stuff to my camping gear list and remind me to pack for my trip when I get home.”

Siri then got to work, updating the list in the Notes app and then setting a location-based reminder. However, it did take a while to complete these tasks. Hopefully, the final Siri will be faster.

I was pretty impressed by the improved Visual Intelligence experience, too. You can now access it via a dedicated Siri mode within the camera app, so you don’t have to use the Camera Control button shortcut. I think that’s huge for ease of use and discoverability.

During the demo, an iPhone captured an image of two books. You could then ask which book you should read first if you really liked Hyperion and Siri gave its recommendation. The Apple rep then asked which of these books had been turned into a movie and Wool had been adapted into the ‘Silo’ TV series. Cool, yes, but yeah I told you it was canned.

What’s not clear is whether this works with live video and I’m following up on that.

Siri AI on Mac

Accessing Siri AI on Mac is as easy as just pulling up Spotlight or typing command + Shift + Space. When you start typing Spotlight will know what sorts of queries should go to Siri versus say just launching apps.

Let’s say you’re looking for vacation spot and type “What’s the best Hawaiian Island for a young family.” Siri will get to work and pull up recommendations in a new window, which you can then expand and park on either side of the screen.

You can then ask follow-up questions like “Which is best for sea turtles” to narrow your selections. From there you can hit a button in the top right corner to bring you into the dedicated Siri app.

The dual-pane app will have your chat in the right window and your history of all Siri chats in the left window. It’s pretty easy to navigate.

To help you save time on productivity tasks, you can use Siri AI wherever you can use a cursor. The demo showed how you can be looking at a messy note with a bunch of info and then use a secondary click to bring up the Ask Siri menu.

After typing “Draft an email that summarizes this and include the action items,” Siri did just that. It’s definitely a timesaver. I just wish it worked with Gmail as well Apple Mail. Google would have to plug into Siri AI’s framework.

My favorite Siri AI on Mac demo came when a mock summer schedule appeared on screen with dates, times and locations for the matches. You can use Command + Shift + Space and then click the Add to Calendar button that automatically appears.

From there Siri AI will let you add all of the games to your calendar. Or you could tell Siri to only add the home games to your calendar if you wanted. Where was this when my kids were playing sports?

Siri on iPad

Last but not least, Siri AI on iPad works in much the same that it does on the iPhone, but having a larger canvas has its benefits.

You can access Siri AI at any time just by swiping down from the top middle of the display. As you begin to type “Who are the top golfers in the PGA right now,” the text “Ask Siri” appears right after it because Apple’s assistant knows that it can help.

Siri AI will then tap into Apple’s Broad World Knowledge and bring back answers, complete with citations you can click on.

Apple’s Siri AI can also help you plan a trip and you make the query pretty specific, like “What are the best national parks to visit in the US in July with my family? Recommend something that’s not too hot or crowded.”

Siri AI recommended where to go, including North Cascades National Park in Washington. You can then pop into the full Siri app if you like to ask follow-up questions, or use the Slide Over feature to keep the Siri conversation just a swipe away.

Siri AI outlook

Overall, Siri AI isn't just a rebranding for Apple. It’s a much more capable and personal assistant that's more deeply integrated into the apps you use.

I’m especially impressed by Siri AI’s use of personal context, and the ability to complete multiple actions at once. And while Visual Intelligence doesn’t seem quite as robust as Gemini Live in terms of having a real-time conversation about whatever’s in your camera view or on your screen, it’s certainly much improved.

In addition to a bit more speed, I just want to see what happens when developers get their hands on Siri AI so that you’re not just locked into Apple’s own apps.

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WWDC 26’s opening keynote is done, but there’s something that doesn’t quite feel right. No, it’s not that my predictions of an M5 Mac Mini were off (my predictions are often askew), it’s more that I’m left looking at my collective Apple devices and wondering what’s new for them.

That’s not to say Apple didn’t show a lot: The new Siri AI, child safety options, and the performance enhancements across the board are very welcome, plus I enjoy just how much fun they’re having leaning into the marketing team’s exploits when it comes to naming macOS versions.

I think what I was missing from it all was a sense of structure.

What’s new? I’m not quite sure

For my sins, I have been covering Apple now for the best part of a decade. Those might be rookie numbers to some on the beat, but in any case, I look forward to WWDC every year even more than hardware announcements.

Seeing Apple reel off features I didn’t know I needed, filtered through its legendary “reality distortion field” to make me feel like I need them right now, is one of the highlights of the tech event calendar.

And, while I don’t always hop straight on the betas, I often find my next few weeks of pitching new stories afterward are set by what’s revealed on the stage, live and in-person or prerecorded.

This year, though, it was all about Siri (or should that be Siri AI). Apple was keen to stress how Siri’s new features connect a ton of elements of iOS, iPadOS, and more. Each section focused on how Siri is seemingly finally making strides towards that vaporware demo of 2024.

And while I acknowledge this release year is a little more focused on small tweaks and performance enhancements, it’s a strange feeling to come away from a WWDC keynote wondering what on Earth is coming in macOS Golden Gate, iOS 27, iPadOS 27, or watchOS 27 (which I barely remember getting a mention at all).

It used to be that we’d see Apple reel off feature after feature and follow it up with a screen-filling display of all the new features, but we just got one at the end today, rather than one per platform.

Playing Siri’s advocate

Still, make no mistake, Apple needed to come out swinging with regard to Siri. The voice assistant has been a source of embarrassment for Apple that wasn’t stemmed by that seemingly less-than-truthful demo of 2024.

By teaming up with Google, it feels like Apple’s finally entered the AI age, for better or for worse — and I don’t doubt that stocks will be on the up as a result. One of the tech world’s biggest players has finally hopped off the bench and is doing things in its own way with its steadfast commitment to privacy.

There’s also a suggestion that running this Siri-focused WWDC while also focusing more on each platform in a more traditional sense would have led to a 3-hour keynote. And yet, I think I’d have preferred that.

In trying to respond to criticisms of its AI progress, Apple over-corrected and seemingly forgot about the developers and power users who use its products daily.

Yes, I’m very pleased my Mac will launch apps quickly, and that syncing will be quicker between devices in Photos, plus the mind-bending photo editing tools, and using natural language to create a Shortcut. But I barely caught what’s new on iPad or Apple Watch.

I enjoy covering Apple and using its products because of its unique philosophy around design, software, and tools. I don’t want Apple to just become an AI-first company, so here’s hoping WWDC 2027 brings back the familiar structure — even just for old time’s sake.

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Apple spent much of its WWDC 2026 keynote showing how Apple Intelligence is expanding far beyond Siri.

While Apple's long-awaited Siri overhaul grabbed plenty of attention, the company also announced a wide range of AI-powered features coming to iPhone, iPad and Mac. From smarter scheduling tools and improved phone call assistance to AI-generated photo edits and a dramatically upgraded Shortcuts app, Apple is weaving intelligence into nearly every corner of its ecosystem.

Here are the biggest Apple Intelligence announcements from WWDC 2026.

Smarter suggestions across apps

Apple Intelligence can now better understand what's happening across conversations, emails and other content on your device.

That means it can proactively suggest actions based on what you're reading instead of waiting for you to ask.

For example, if someone messages you about an upcoming appointment, Apple Intelligence can suggest creating a calendar event or reminder. If a friend asks for photos from a recent trip, it can surface relevant images and make them easier to share.

Apple also showed how the system can locate photos using details mentioned in conversations, including people, places and keywords, while surfacing useful information from messages and emails when it's most relevant.

Calendar becomes far more useful

Calendar is getting one of its biggest intelligence upgrades yet. Users can now create events using natural language instead of manually filling out forms. Apple Intelligence can identify contacts, locations and event details automatically, reducing the number of taps required to schedule something.

The system can also help manage recurring events through conversational requests. Rather than digging through settings menus, users can simply ask to adjust schedules or change event frequencies.

Apple Intelligence comes to phone calls

Apple is bringing AI assistance to the Phone app. When calling businesses, Apple Intelligence can automatically surface useful information that might be needed during the conversation, including reservation details, confirmation numbers, flight information and other contextual data.

The goal is to reduce the scramble of searching through emails while you're actively on a call.

The Home app gets smarter

Apple Intelligence is making its way into the smart home as well. The Home app will now group related notifications into a single activity feed, helping reduce alert fatigue. Apple is also introducing AI-generated summaries for security camera footage, allowing users to quickly understand what happened without watching lengthy clips.

Natural language search is coming too, making it possible to search recorded footage using everyday descriptions. Apple Intelligence can also identify important moments automatically and improve browsing across multiple cameras.

Shortcuts may finally become mainstream

One of the most impressive demos focused on Shortcuts.

Traditionally, building automations required users to manually connect actions and configure workflows. With Apple Intelligence, users can simply describe what they want in plain English.

For example, a user could type: "When I leave work, text my partner that I'm on my way home and include my ETA."

Apple Intelligence then automatically builds the workflow.

If it works as promise, this could make one of Apple's most powerful features accessible to far more people.

Image Playground gets a major overhaul

Apple also unveiled a redesigned Image Playground experience.

The company says image generation quality has improved significantly, with more realistic styles and better overall results. Users can create images through natural language prompts, work with multiple people in a single image and access more advanced editing controls.

Apple is also adding support for custom aspect ratios, making Image Playground more useful for everything from social posts to presentations.

New AI photo editing tools

Apple introduced several new AI-powered editing features that could become some of the most popular additions announced at WWDC.

• Cleanup gets better. Apple says Cleanup can now remove distracting objects with more realistic results and improved image quality.
• Extend. A new feature called Extend can intelligently expand images beyond their original borders. This allows users to change aspect ratios, create more room around a subject or adapt photos for different formats without manually editing them.
• Spatial Reframe. Perhaps the most impressive photo feature announced was Spatial Reframe. Using Apple Intelligence and Apple's spatial understanding technology, users can reposition subjects after taking a photo, improve composition, straighten perspectives and even correct framing mistakes.

The feature can also generate realistic content around the edges of an image when needed, helping preserve a natural look.

Apple says these capabilities will work on both new photos and images already stored in users' libraries.

The bigger picture

While Siri's transformation may become the headline feature of WWDC 2026, Apple's broader strategy was on full display.

Rather than treating AI as a standalone chatbot, Apple is embedding Apple Intelligence directly into the apps people already use every day. Whether it's helping manage schedules, organize photos, automate tasks or handle phone calls, the focus appears to be on reducing friction throughout the Apple ecosystem.

And based on what Apple showed at WWDC, this may be the most significant expansion of Apple Intelligence since it was first introduced. The new Apple Intelligence features will arrive as part of its upcoming software updates.

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Apple has officially unveiled the biggest Siri upgrade since the voice assistant debuted in 2011.

After years of lagging behind rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini — and following multiple delays to its promised AI features — Apple used WWDC 2026 to reveal a completely revamped Siri powered by Apple Intelligence.

The new Siri, known as Siri AI, is designed to be more conversational, more capable and more aware of what's happening across your devices. Apple says the assistant can now understand context, perform more complex actions and help users get things done without constantly jumping between apps. And the best part? The update goes all the way back to iPhone 11.

Here's everything Apple announced.

Siri is now a true AI chatbot

The biggest change is that Siri is no longer designed around one-off voice commands.

Apple says the new assistant can hold natural conversations, remember context between requests and better understand what you're trying to accomplish.

This brings Siri much closer to the experience people have come to expect from ChatGPT and Gemini. Instead of starting from scratch with every question, Siri can now carry a conversation forward naturally.

Through natural conversation, Siri AI can help set reminders, play music or help with tasks for every day support.

Siri finally gets its own app

One of the biggest surprises announced at WWDC is a dedicated Siri app.

Rather than existing solely as a voice assistant, Siri AI now has a home where users can review previous conversations, continue chats and interact through text as well as voice.

For many users, this could be one of the most important changes because it transforms Siri from a feature into a destination.

Siri is also available for watchOS so you can ask questions and take action right on your wrist.

Siri AI has a new voice experience

Siri AI has a brand new voice experience. The AI assistant's voice can be customized like never before, from pace and tone to receptivity until you find one that clicks.

Plus, there is a system wide update to dictation. Built right into the system, it works with messaging to journaling apps. It also works throughout all of the iOS system from CarPlay to AirPods.

Visual Intelligence

Simply let Siri see what you see and get a useful response. Get rich details and ask questions and conversations. Also, suggest relevant actions and insights based on what's in front of you.

Plus, it's easier than ever to take action right on your screen. Coming to MacOS in September.

Siri can understand what's on your screen

Apple has also introduced screen awareness with Visual Intelligence. The new Siri can understand content currently displayed on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and respond based on what you're looking at.

That means users no longer need to describe every detail manually before asking for help. Siri already knows the context. With real world knowledge and personal context, Siri pulls it all together for you.

Siri can analyze files

Another major addition is support for uploaded files.

Apple demonstrated Siri working with documents such as PDFs, spreadsheets and other files, allowing users to ask questions, summarize information and extract key details.

This dramatically expands what Siri can do and moves it closer to the capabilities offered by dedicated AI chatbots.

Siri can take actions across apps

Perhaps the most ambitious feature announced at WWDC is Siri's ability to complete tasks across multiple apps. It can pull up information from across the web. For example, in a demo, the schedule for the World Cup was pulled up and then from there, Siri was immediately able to help with support for a watch party.

Instead of opening apps one by one, users can ask Siri to perform multi-step actions on their behalf. This could become Siri's biggest advantage over competing AI assistants.

Writing Tools, now integrated with Siri, can now help you write in the moment. For example, just select what you've written and Siri will proofread and offer suggestions.

Other new Siri features announced at WWDC

You can now ask Siri AI for help right from Spotlight. As you type, the system recognizes it is a query for Siri and will immediately bring up info for you to get started.

Siri can search across messages and emails to find whatever it is you're looking for. From there, Siri can take action such as writing an email or extracting phone numbers to help you get more done across iPhone and Mac.

The takeaway

Heading into WWDC, I wondered if Siri was over for Apple. But what Apple showed today suggests the company is trying to reinvent Siri for the AI era rather than simply adding a few chatbot features on top of the assistant we've been using for the past decade.

The real test, of course, will come when these features reach users' devices. But based on today's announcements, Siri suddenly looks a lot more relevant than it did just a few hours ago.

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Apple’s WWDC 2026 won’t be remembered for the new features introduced within iOS 27, macOS 27 and iPadOS 27. It will be the underlying assistant that runs across all of them. That would be the new Siri, which has suffered a very long delay as Apple has been pushing to deliver features promised two years ago.

This includes the ability for Siri to tap into personal data, ‘see’ what’s on your screen and voice control your apps.

What has changed during this delay is that Apple is partnering with Google to have Gemini power the new Siri, and it's reportedly costing Apple $1 billion a year. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as the new Siri won’t just live inside iPhones, iPads and Macs. It’s expected to power Apple’s smart glasses, a wearable AI pendant and a new smart home hub.

It's also worth noting that Apple CEO Tim Cook is about hand the reins over to John Ternus — and Cook certainly wants to leave Siri in a good state since he presided over its launch way back in 2011. Ahead of WWDC 2026, I spoke with Apple analysts about what they want to see from Apple’s supercharged assistant and what’s on the line.

The new Siri: what can it do?

In addition to the overdue features Apple promised before the iPhone 16 launch, the new Siri is expected to gain all sorts of new powers as part of iOS 27.

This is thanks in large part to Apple licensing a custom 1.2-trillion-parameter Gemini model for roughly $1 billion a year.

As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Siri will let you perform advanced tasks, such as writing an email for you and pulling together relevant info. It will also be able to pull in data from the web and previous emails, calendar entries, contacts and notes.

“I want a more personal Siri that uses context and all the data she has about me to deliver a superior experience that provides real value to users,” said Carolina Milanesi, president and principal analyst at Creative Strategies.

How users access Siri is also set to change, as it’s expected to live inside the Dynamic Island on iPhones.

The assistant will open there when you say ’Siri’ or long press the power button. This area will display rich cards based on your queries, whether it’s the weather or your own data like appointments.

Similar to cross-app actions on Samsung phones, Apple users will apparently be able to stack multiple commands into a single prompt.

Wait, is Apple making an AI chatbot?

The biggest change for Siri is that it will reportedly act as a chatbot, similar to ChatGPT and Gemini. This is despite the fact that Apple’s Greg ‘Joz’ Joswiak and Craig Federighi told us at WWDC last year that this isn’t what its users wanted.

"Apple didn't want to send users off into some chat experience in order to get things done,” Federighi said at the time.

However, Federighi did say that Apple wants “to bring intelligence deeply integrated into the experience of all of our platforms.”

So Siri may indeed act like a chatbot, but it’s clear that Apple wants the assistant to not be a destination and more of an always-on presence.

Or maybe it’s not clear at all? Some WWDC rumors point to Apple possibly rolling out a dedicated Siri app as well. And there are leaked screenshots to back it up. Ultimately, though, no one will care if Apple goes back on its “chatbot” word if Siri works well.

"Apple needs to show that Siri is as capable as other smart assistants — as it promised at WWDC two years ago — and that it can get developers to allow Siri to securely and privately access apps to act on the user's behalf,” said Avi Greengart, founder and lead analyst at Techsponential.

The Google gamble

In order to catch up in the AI wars, Apple is leaning on a Gemini model from Google, and Bloomberg’s Gurman says that Google is hosting “most of the new Siri on Google servers.”

This will likely raise privacy questions, especially given that Apple touted its own Private Cloud Compute as a “new frontier for AI privacy” when it introduced Apple Intelligence back in 2024.

Apple did promise a continued commitment to privacy when it announced its partnership with Google back in January, but it didn’t provide any details at the time.

Since then, however, we’ve learned that Apple is reportedly tapping into Google’s fleet of Nvidia Blackwell B200 data center chips. As per The Information, Apple will enable a confidential compute feature that encrypts data as it’s being processed.

“I’m most looking forward to seeing how well Apple's Gemini-based small models perform…and how Apple can manage security if it will be using Google's servers in some cases rather than its own,” Greengart said.

Choose your own AI

While Gemini will be under the hood of the new Siri, it won’t be the only option for users.

Apple is reportedly opening up Siri to outside chatbots, which had already included ChatGPT. You’ll apparently be able to toggle between Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT within the Search or Ask view in iOS 27 with so-called Siri extensions.

OpenAI in particular has not been happy with the results of its partnership with Apple and has reportedly even contemplated legal action. So it will be very interesting to see how much visibility these alternate chatbots get within the interface — and how well it all works.

“I am curious to see how Apple handles multi-AI options, not just because this is how users will likely want to use AI — at least till they pick their favorite — but also because it is one of the first times that Apple is not doing everything itself for something that matters,” Milanesi added.

Why the new Siri can't fail

Apple’s Siri delay led to claims of false advertising following the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro series and iPhone 16. The phones simply couldn’t do what was promised.

Apple never admitted wrongdoing, but it settled a class action lawsuit to the tune of $250 million.

Now there are much bigger stakes than possible litigation. The new Siri is expected to make Apple smart glasses a reality, complete with Visual Intelligence features.

The glasses are expected to launch in 2027. And while they’re expected to shake up the market with an iconic design and best-of-breed cameras, shoppers could very well balk if Siri isn’t smart enough.

At the same time, Apple is reportedly working on a wearable AI pendant powered by Siri, as well as AirPods with cameras. And these devices will also heavily rely on Siri. Plus, Apple has reportedly had its new smart home hub on the shelf just waiting for its assistant to be up to snuff.

What’s not clear is how the new Siri will work with alternative chatbots on these other devices, and if it will be a seamless experience for users. Choice is good, but not if it leads to confusion.

“If it turns out that owning your own models is core to success in the future, then even the most impressive implementation of Apple Intelligence based on Gemini won't help,” Greengart said. “And if it turns out that owning the platform the models run on is more important, then Apple is in excellent position.”

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• Apple WWDC 2026 Live: New Siri, iOS 27 and all the latest news as it happens
• I thought Siri was finished, but these 5 leaked WWDC 2026 features are its biggest update since 2011
• Apple Glasses will send shockwaves through the eyewear industry — here's how it could disrupt a $200 billion market

When Apple unveiled its vision for a smarter Siri, the promise was an ambitious one. But due to multiple delays, we are still hoping for a voice assistant that understands personal context, take actions across apps and genuinely help us get things done

The company spent much of the past year facing criticism after several highly anticipated Siri upgrades failed to arrive on schedule. Meanwhile, rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude continued adding new capabilities at a rapid pace.

Now, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing to showcase a dramatically upgraded Siri at WWDC 2026 — one that looks much more like an AI assistants people are already using every day.

If the leaks are accurate, this could be Apple's biggest Siri update since the assistant debuted in 2011.

1. Siri could finally become a real AI chatbot

One of the biggest reported changes is that Siri may move beyond simple voice commands and become a true conversational AI assistant.

Instead of handling one-off requests, Siri is expected to maintain context across conversations, allowing users to continue discussions without repeatedly restating information. That's a feature ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude users have largely come to expect.

The shift would represent a major change in how Apple users interact with Siri. Rather than acting like a voice-controlled search tool, Siri could begin functioning as an AI companion capable of helping users think through problems, organize information and complete tasks.

2. A dedicated Siri app may be on the way

According to the report, Apple is also developing a standalone Siri experience.

Today, Siri largely exists as an overlay that appears when summoned. A dedicated app would give users a persistent place to interact with the assistant, review previous conversations and potentially access more advanced AI features.

It's a move that would mirror how consumers currently use ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude on mobile devices.

3. Siri may finally understand what's on your screen

Another long-promised feature reportedly arriving is deeper screen awareness. The upgraded Siri could understand what's currently displayed on an iPhone, iPad or Mac screen and take actions based on that information.

For example, if a friend sends a restaurant recommendation in Messages, Siri could potentially make a reservation, add it to your calendar or create a reminder without requiring multiple manual steps.

This type of contextual awareness has been one of the most anticipated Apple Intelligence features since it was first announced.

4. File uploads could make Siri much more useful

The report also suggests Siri may gain support for file attachments and document uploads. This feature would allow users to share PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations and other files directly with the assistant for analysis or assistance.

Similar to what can be done now with ChatGPT or Gemini, this capability has become increasingly important as AI tools evolve beyond simple question-and-answer systems and into productivity assistants.

5. Siri may gain deeper app control

Perhaps the most practical upgrade is Apple's reported push toward more advanced app actions. Rather than simply opening apps or setting timers, Siri could perform multi-step tasks across multiple applications.

This would move Apple's assistant closer to the "agentic" AI experiences being developed across the industry, where assistants can carry out actions on a user's behalf instead of merely providing information.

Bonus: Third-party AI models could play a larger role

Apple has already partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT into parts of Apple Intelligence, but reports suggest deeper third-party AI integrations may be coming.

That could allow users to access specialized AI models for different tasks while remaining inside Apple's ecosystem.

For Apple, this approach may offer a practical way to compete with rapidly evolving AI rivals while continuing to develop its own models behind the scenes.

Tom's Guide will cover it all directly from WWDC 2026

If Apple's reported upgrades arrive at WWDC 2026, Siri could begin closing the gap with its competition. But for now, the biggest challenge facing Apple is convincing users that Siri can finally keep pace with the tools they already use.

For years, Siri has been viewed as a convenient voice assistant but not necessarily a capable AI platform. Meanwhile, ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude have become daily productivity tools for millions of people.

After a year of delays and skepticism, this may be Apple's best opportunity yet to show that Siri's future is bigger than setting timers and checking the weather.

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Apple has been lagging for the better part of the last year when it comes to the AI wars, but a recent batch of leaked screenshot renders convinces me that the company is moving in the right direction. Shared by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, these images give us our first big look at iOS 27, including a dedicated Siri app, overhauled search functions, and new AI editing tools.

While the illustrations are based on internal descriptions obtained by Bloomberg, they nonetheless make WWDC 2026 a bit more exciting — which is where we’ll likely get our first official preview of Apple’s next mobile software. We’re less than a couple of weeks away, and I suspect these new Siri and AI features will also make their way in some capacity to Apple's other platforms, like iPadOS 27 and the next macOS.

There’s a lot to unpack here, so let me break it all down and tell you what has me most excited.

Dedicated Siri app looks familiar

Without question, the screenshot renders give us a clear idea of the long-rumored, dedicated Siri app that’s expected to arrive with iOS 27. Most notably, the new Siri is tipped to live within the Dynamic Island, where it’ll act as an always-on agent ready to perform whatever task you throw at it. Plus, it works across the entire operating system and can be more proactive because of how it draws on personal information and web data to complete tasks.

This looks and feels a lot like Gemini’s task automation feature that I tested firsthand with the Galaxy S26. If this new Siri can place a Dunkin’ Donuts order through DoorDash just like Gemini, then Apple is going to be well-positioned. Similar to other chatbots, the new Siri app will also house your previous chat history within a conversational interface that packages a voice mode, text field, and attachment picker — looking very much like the standalone Gemini and ChatGPT apps.

There are also new Search and Ask functions within the Siri app that are accessed by swiping down from the top center of the interface at any time, which relegates Notifications access to a swipe down from the left side. This new interface is much more suitable for typing to Siri, but it'll also surface access to frequently used apps, recent web searches, and more.

Is Apple saying goodbye to Visual Intelligence?

Another intriguing detail about the new Siri app is that it appears to be missing the one feature that keeps me glued to Gemini Live: the ability to tap into my phone’s camera for real-time visual search. Even though this is exactly what Visual Intelligence is built for, the leaks suggest Apple could be phasing it out as a standalone feature with iOS 27 — and simply integrating Siri's eyes directly into the native Camera app.

The screenshot renders show that the iOS 27 Camera app will feature a dedicated Siri mode right on the bottom mode carousel. While it’s a logical addition, I hope there’s a shortcut within the Siri app to launch it as well. Nonetheless, it’ll finally give Siri the ability to see what you’re looking at so you can ask contextual questions.

Beyond the AI integrations, these renders also reveal how the Camera app is evolving to appeal to enthusiasts. Specifically, the interface is becoming much more customizable, introducing a new Add Widgets panel for the features that matter most to mobile photographers — like focal depth and precise exposure settings.

Even though these changes don’t indicate a true, fully manual mode, it’s incredibly reassuring to see the stock Camera app continue to evolve.

More AI tools for editing and automation

New Apple Intelligence features were virtually nonexistent with the release of iOS 26, but Apple clearly intends to rectify that with iOS 27. The platform is finally gaining advanced AI editing tools to rival what Google and Samsung already offer with their flagship devices.

Specifically, the Photos app appears to be getting new features called Reframe and Extend, which I suspect will use generative AI to do things like adding context elements to an existing photo. These tools are nothing new, of course, as I’ve been using them for a couple of years now on rival Android phones.

Other new Apple Intelligence features expected to arrive include a system-wide grammar checker and a natural-language, prompt-based photo search tool. The latter sounds awfully similar to the Ask Photos feature that I first tried out with the Pixel 10 last fall, which has since been integrated as a native feature within Google Photos (which is also available on iPhone).

Apple could also be planning a revamped Shortcuts app that can build complex automations using basic natural language. I really love this prospect because if you’ve ever tried to manually map out automations, you know they can quickly become incredibly time-consuming. Personally, I would much rather just speak what I want and let Apple Intelligence handle the rest.

Additional AI tools rumored for iOS 27 include AI-generated wallpapers, a revamped Image Playground, and an updated Genmoji custom emoji creator.

Based on what’s been revealed so far, there’s no arguing that Apple is going all-in on Apple Intelligence with iOS 27. While it's obvious that even more will be revealed at WWDC 2026 in a couple of weeks, these leaked features alone finally put the iPhone on equal footing with its rivals.

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We're a little less than two weeks from WWDC 2026 where Apple will debut the first look at the forthcoming iOS 27 and potentially the long-delayed Siri 2.0.

The next update to Apple's iPhone operating system should be AI-focused as Apple tries to catch up with rivals. A new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared several AI features and a new, darker look for Siri. This includes a potential EU directive that forces Apple to offer AirPlay alternatives.

Genmoji and Image Playground updates

Per Gurman, both Genmoji and Image Playground are getting visual and feature updates. Both apps should be a getting a visual upgrade that should make the emojis and AI-generated images look much better.

Genmoji will let the operating system suggest premade options based on your frequently used phrases and images.

Image Playground is supposed to support more third-party AI models for image creation. This would be in addition to the current ChatGPT availability. There should also be a new wallpaper creation tool.

Briefly, Gurman says Apple is also working on the ability to use conversational prompts in the Shortcuts app and a new AI-based grammar checker.

Dark Siri

It's not really surprising but the the theming for WWDC 2026 appears to hint at a potential new look for Siri. Per Gurman, the black and white shiny logo for WWDC showcases the same colors that will feature in the animation and text input fields for Siri in iOS 27.

Apple is said to be leaning into a darker theme this year. This is because the new Siri interface apparently lacks a light-mode option and uses dark hues. It does seem to confirm our speculation on how Siri is evolving this year.

According to Gurman, "the Search or Ask bar at the top of iOS 27 will have a dark background with a cursor that blinks in the same colors as the animations in the latest WWDC art."

We'll know more starting on June 8 when the WWDC 2026 keynote kicks off Apple's developer conference. Apple hasn't confirmed the exact start time, but the presentation usually starts around 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. As usual, the event will take place at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA.

The live keynote has generally been streamed on the Apple website, the Apple Developer app and its YouTube channel. Are you excited for WWDC, iOS 27 and the delayed Siri? Let us know in the comments.

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Apple has started sending out invites for the WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8 and it could have some hints about the future of Siri. The image, seen above, is clearly Apple Park, but the glowing symbol and the taglines like "coming bright up" give a hint at a potential visual overhaul for Siri.

It's two years late, but Siri 2.0 is finally supposed to arrive this year. Most rumors have hinted at Siri's potential capabilities, but this little teaser suggests that Siri could also get a visual overhaul.

Here's how Siri could be evolving.

iOS 27 and Gemini

Notably, Apple and Google have already promised that Gemini-powered Siri will debut this year with iOS 27. Google could help turbocharge Siri by offering the same multimodal performance that can be found in other AI chatbots.

With Gemini Live already available on some of the best Android phones, we already have an idea of how Siri could perform. For instance, the Galaxy S26 got advanced task automation to perform complex actions like placing a Dunkin’ Donuts order through DoorDash via voice.

Since the rocky launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024, Apple has been scrambling to refine what already exists rather than introducing new features. Still, this is the system that's supposed to undergird Siri, so new features are likely to be announced that would presumably integrate with Apple's virtual assistant.

That could include AI-based photo editing tools and things like the Galaxy S26’s Now Nudge.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously said that Siri 2.0 will offer a more "chatbot-like experience" acting as more of an on-device agentic AI for your iPhone.

However, he's also noted that Apple is making privacy a centerpiece of Siri, which would stand out from AI rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

WWDC 2026: When and how to watch

Apple's latest iteration of its Worldwide Developers Conference runs from June 8 to 12, with the keynote starting on Monday, June 8.

Apple hasn't confirmed the exact start time, but the presentation usually starts around 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. As usual, the event will take place at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA.

The live keynote has generally been streamed on the Apple website, the Apple Developer app and its YouTube channel.

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When it comes to AI, it feels like Apple has fumbled things every step of the way. Not only was it late to market with its own AI features, but the promised AI upgrades to Siri are also almost two years overdue. Needless to say, what was an uphill battle now feels like trying to scale El Capitan without adequate gear, with arrows being pelted at you, in the middle of the worst storm you've ever seen.

But seemingly undeterred, Apple will apparently be falling back on the things its AI can offer, and which the rest of the tech industry apparently has no interest in: privacy.

This information comes from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who also notes that Apple's respect for user privacy is a major reason why its AI offerings have been so lackluster. When you deliberately restrict yourself from collecting and analyzing user data, training your AI models suddenly becomes much harder. At least compared to AI firms that don't give two hoots about exploiting the data users hand over.

Still, Apple believes that users shouldn't have to compromise on privacy to enjoy state-of-the-art AI features. Gurman believes this could work to Apple's advantage, especially now that the general public is realizing just how many privacy trade-offs are involved in using AI products.

With that in mind, Gurman claims that Apple will make the privacy factor the centerpiece of its presentation at WWDC 2026 next month. By making itself — and its approach to AI — stand out from the data-hungry rivals, Apple could differentiate its offering from an ever-increasing number of AI companies.

Auto-delete in new Siri app

That approach could include an auto-delete feature in the new Siri app, restricting the amount of information the AI can retain in the long term. Other chatbots offer this, but unlike what Apple is reportedly planning, they are not switched on by default and rely on the user to know about them first.

The lack of historical data will limit Siri's ability to offer personalized responses, but that may be a small price to pay for better privacy right out of the box. However, the new Siri will apparently include the option to store conversations for 30 days, one year or forever, if you choose.

We also know that Siri will utilize Apple's Private Cloud Compute, which Apple previously claimed would be an extension of iPhone's existing security protections in the cloud. That means iPhone owners wouldn't miss out on the benefits of cloud processing, but also wouldn't have to compromise privacy in the process. Though it's unclear how Google's role in powering Siri will be, and how that might affect the privacy aspects of the new app.

Sadly, despite all the delays, it seems the new version of Siri won't be totally complete by the time it launches later this year. Gurman notes that the app will still be in beta, even if it's available to the masses. This means it may not operate correctly 100% of the time, and Apple may limit access to a wait list — as it did with Apple Intelligence features in the months after they first launched.

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For nearly two decades, the iPhone experience has revolved around apps. The advertisements declaring "there's an app for that" are still a core memory for me as a new iPhone user years ago.

According to a new report from The Information though, Apple is quietly exploring ways to bring AI agents into the App Store, and this could signal the biggest shift to the iPhone ecosystem since the App Store launched back in 2008.

At first glance, even I did a double take at what seems like a very technical idea of “AI agents” coming to the App Store. But the idea is simple that Apple might be preparing for a future where rather than opening apps, AI does it for you.

AGI inside the app store

According to the report, Apple has discussed how autonomous AI software could operate inside its ecosystem, potentially allowing AI-powered services to complete tasks across apps and services on behalf of users.

That changes everything about how the iPhone currently works. Today, our apps are destinations. You physically need to tap an icon, open an interface and complete a task manually.

But the new idea is one of AI agents theoretically doing the work for you such as coordinating your flights, hotel, dinner reservations, calendar and transportation automatically behind the scenes. The user might never even see most of the apps involved.

Offering AI agents creates a massive challenge for Apple because the App Store was built around human interaction. Every part of the ecosystem from app review to permissions to subscriptions assumes a person is actively using software in predictable ways.

What makes AI agents different

AGI means the AI can make decisions, navigate multiple apps and potentially take actions on your behalf. Of course, that raises enormous questions about privacy, security, payments and control; all areas Apple has historically treated as core pillars of the iPhone experience.

Apple appears to be positioning itself to control the distribution layer of AI on mobile devices, which is a strategy that feels very familiar to Apple.

Historically, the company has rarely been first to a category. Instead, Apple tends to dominate by controlling the platform, simplifying the experience and becoming the trusted middleman between developers and consumers.

The App Store itself became one of the most powerful marketplaces in tech history because Apple controlled distribution, payments, discovery and device integration. However, AI agents threaten all of those systems at once.

If autonomous AI becomes the primary way people interact with software, then the company controlling that ecosystem could end up controlling the next era of computing.

A move beyond Siri

Up until now, Apple’s AI strategy looked cautious compared to rivals like OpenAI, Google and Anthropic. But Apple has also spent years building one thing competitors still struggle with, which is deep hardware and operating system integration. So, in an AI-agent future, integration may matter more than chatbot intelligence.

An AI system that can securely access your apps, calendar, messages, subscriptions, payment methods and device settings is arguably more useful than a standalone chatbot window.

This potential move points toward a future where the iPhone evolves from a collection of apps into an intelligent orchestration platform.

The takeaway

It will be very interesting to see how this strategy pans out. While AI agents could make smartphones more useful, they also introduce new risks. An AI system with permission to act across apps could potentially AI could send messages, manage accounts, make purchases and access sensitive data.

Ironically, that level of autonomy clashes with Apple’s traditionally controlled ecosystem philosophy. Beyond figuring out how AI fits into the App Store, the company could be trying to reinvent what the App Store becomes in an AI-integrated era.

Tom’s Guide will be watching this story closely as Apple’s AI strategy continues to evolve.

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This week, Apple settled a $250 million class action lawsuit over claims that it misled iPhone owners about the arrival of Apple Intelligence and an overhauled Siri.

Thanks to the settlement, up to 36 million iPhone owners are eligible for a payout of up to $95 per device, a significant amount, especially for serial iPhone purchasers.

Read on to discover if you're eligible and how to claim your portion of the settlement.

Are you eligible?

Per the settlement, it covers about 36 million devices, including most of the best iPhones.

The list includes the entire iPhone 16 lineup (iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and iPhone 16e), as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. You must have purchased an eligible device in the United States between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025.

"The $250 million non-reversionary common fund that our legal team helped secure will provide class members who timely submit approved claims with a presumptive per-device payment of $25 for each eligible device, which may decrease or increase up to $95 per device, depending on claim volume and other factors," reads the settlement.

However, it's important to note that the presiding judge must still approve the settlement. If everything goes through, eligible owners could receive between $25 and $95, depending on how many people submit a claim.

How to claim the iPhone settlement

When the judge approves a settlement, those involved create an administrator website that outlines what's required and how to submit a claim. More details on submitting claims, such as forms to complete, whether proof of purchase is required, and other critical information, are posted to the website. More than likely, you'll need the device's serial number, Apple Account information, and phone number.

According to the Clarkson Law Firm, which is representing consumers in the case, "In a few weeks, the link to the settlement administrator website will be available."

What that means for you, assuming you're one of the people who purchased an eligible iPhone, is that you can't do anything yet. But you can rest assured that we'll keep you informed regarding the latest iPhone settlement news as it becomes available.

In the meantime, you can sign up for alerts on the case through the Clarkson Law Firm's settlement website.

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Apple has settled a $250m class action lawsuit over claims it misled iPhone users over the AI capabilities of Siri. It means up to 36 million eligible iPhone users in the U.S. could be entitled to a payout of up to $95 each.

The suit was initially filed in California by Peter Landsheft in 2024 after Apple began promoting a more "personalized Siri" with artificial intelligence features. In particular, commercials featuring U.K. actress Bella Ramsey showed interactions with an AI-upgraded Siri using features that were unavailable to users.

The National Advertising Division sided with the plaintiff and concluded that Apple misled users by saying the new Siri was "available now."

Apple filed its settlement, which includes no admission of wrongdoing, for court approval yesterday, Tuesday, May 5.

"Apple has reached ​a settlement to resolve claims related to ​the ⁠availability of two additional features," the company said in a statement. "We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do ⁠best, delivering ​the most innovative products and ​services to our users."

Who is eligible?

Apple's settlement covers roughly 36 million eligible devices, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. All of which must have been bought in the U.S. between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.

The judge overseeing the lawsuit still has to approve the settlement. If it is approved, then eligible users could expect to receive between $25 and $95, depending on how many iPhone owners submit a claim.

Where is Siri 2.0?

The ongoing saga of Apple's so-called Siri 2.0 has been well documented, and the Ramsey ads were pulled after Apple's March 2025 announcement that it would be delaying Siri's rollout until 2026.

Initially, an Apple Intelligence-powered Siri was expected for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, and then the iPhone 16 family with iOS 18.1. Now, it seems like we'll be waiting until WWDC this summer and the reveal of iOS 27 for more news on Siri 2.0, which likely won't launch until the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold arrive in September.

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As reports of the demise of the Apple Vision Pro began circulating in the last two days, conflicting stories have popped up over what the leftovers will contribute to other Apple devices.

In a social media post, Mark Gurman pushed back on rumored gesture controls on Apple Glasses and reiterated that Apple is developing new AirPods that will feature cameras meant "for Siri." It harkens back to reports from March when Gurman said Apple has a set of "AirPods Ultra" in the works.

Rumors about a version of AirPods featuring infrared cameras first popped up in July 2024 from supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. At the time, Kuo said the cameras would detect environmental changes and possibly enable "in-air gesture control to enhance human-device interaction."

Gurman, on the other hand, doesn't believe the technology for camera-based gesture controls exists. "The technology to do this reliably with a single camera, no neural band and no eye-scanning doesn’t exist today as far as I know," he said in a different post.

He's previously reported that the cameras would work by "feed[ing] visual intelligence data to Siri." In essence, this would be similar to how the camera is used in the Face ID system on iPhones.

Another link in the Ultra chain

In recent weeks, several rumors have suggested Apple is pursuing "Ultra" branding across several of its most popular devices. Currently, Apple sells one Ultra-branded device, its Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Later this year, alongside the AirPods Ultra, we could also get the foldable iPhone, rumored to be labeled the iPhone Ultra, and the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook Ultra.

All of these Ultra models would supersede the Pro moniker that currently denotes Apple's highest-end devices. Though we have been hearing rumors about an alleged iPhone Ultra for years now, usually centered on rebranding the Pro Max.

Regarding all three devices, we likely won't see them debut until September at the earliest, when Apple holds its annual iPhone event. The AirPods would probably be announced then as well.

The MacBook Ultra will most likely launch in the usual October window when Apple typically debuts its MacBook Pros. If not in October, then possibly in early 2027, as Apple did with the M5 Pro and Ultra versions this year.

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