Apple Reportedly Taps Google Gemini to Power Siri Revamp
▼ Summary
– Apple is reportedly paying Google to build a custom Gemini AI model for a major Siri upgrade targeted for spring 2026.
– Google’s Gemini was chosen over Anthropic’s Claude primarily due to more favorable financial terms, with Claude reportedly costing over $1.5 billion annually.
– The Gemini model will handle Siri’s query planning and summarization on Apple’s servers while Apple’s own models process personal data on-device.
– Apple plans to market the upgraded Siri as its own technology without acknowledging Google’s involvement in the backend.
– The partnership would represent Apple’s most significant AI arrangement to date by powering core Siri functionality rather than optional features.
A major overhaul of Apple’s Siri voice assistant is reportedly in development, with the tech giant turning to Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence to power the upgrade. According to industry sources, Apple is paying Google to develop a custom Gemini AI model intended to launch in spring 2026. This advanced system is expected to operate on Apple’s own Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, though neither company has made any official statement regarding the potential collaboration.
Internal evaluations by Apple reportedly compared AI models from both Google and Anthropic for the next-generation Siri platform. The decision ultimately favored Google’s Gemini, largely due to financial considerations. Sources indicate that utilizing Anthropic’s Claude alternative would have cost Apple more than $1.5 billion each year, making Google’s offering the more economically viable solution.
Under the proposed architecture, Google’s AI models would manage Siri’s query planning and summarization functions. These components would run on Apple’s servers while the company’s proprietary Foundation Models continue processing personal user data directly on devices. This hybrid approach maintains Apple’s commitment to on-device privacy for sensitive information while leveraging Google’s cloud-based AI capabilities for more complex tasks. The initiative carries the internal codename “Glenwood” within Apple’s development teams.
Apple’s marketing strategy for the revamped Siri reportedly involves positioning the technology as entirely Apple-developed, running through Apple interfaces on Apple servers. The company plans to avoid highlighting Google’s contribution to the upgraded assistant. In practical terms, Gemini would function behind the scenes while Apple presents the enhanced capabilities as its own innovation.
The targeted launch window for the Siri transformation aligns with iOS 26.4 in spring 2026. Previous reports have also indicated Apple’s development of a smart home display device on a similar timeline, which could serve as a showcase for the assistant’s expanded functionality.
Several details remain undisclosed, including the specific financial arrangements beyond the basic understanding that Apple is compensating Google. Neither organization has confirmed the partnership publicly, and the legal frameworks governing data handling between the companies have not been revealed. It remains uncertain whether the agreement has been finalized or if negotiations are still ongoing.
This potential collaboration represents Apple’s most significant AI partnership to date because it would form the foundation of Siri’s core functionality rather than supporting optional features. The integration could fundamentally change how Siri processes and responds to queries, though the public-facing branding would remain exclusively Apple’s.
If the reports prove accurate, users may find more answers beginning and concluding within Siri and Spotlight search on iPhones, potentially reducing early-stage web discovery. Questions remain about how information sources will be presented and whether user traffic patterns will remain traceable.
Apple has previously integrated third-party AI services, including ChatGPT access within Siri and Writing Tools as part of Apple Intelligence, while Anthropic’s Claude remains available to developers in Xcode 26. The Gemini arrangement would represent a deeper integration, potentially reshaping how millions of Apple device owners interact with their digital assistant.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
