Some people testing iOS 26.4 are 'concerned' about Siri, says report

It's been a year since Apple announced its upgraded Siri with advanced features. A new report suggests there are dark clouds still looming over it.

Apple is lagging behind in the AI race, and it seems the company is facing more internal consequences than external ones. It remains the most valuable brand in 2025 but is struggling to develop AI features that can match the likes of Google and OpenAI.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that some people at Apple testing the unreleased iOS 26.4 update have expressed "concerns" about the performance of the upgraded version of Siri, without pointing towards anything specific.

Since iOS 26.4 is expected to be released in about six months, Apple still has considerable time to fix the issues. However, it's been more than a year since Apple flaunted an upgraded version of Siri, which would make the iPhone's voice assistant smarter with features like personal context and on-screen awareness.

Apple has settled for OpenAI's ChatGPT to do the heavy lifting so far, and Elon Musk didn't miss the chance to add some drama to it. We have been hearing that Apple has been working on a revamped Siri with ChatGPT-like capabilities. But what the rumors have revealed so far are unexpected delays, and no major Siri upgrade was announced at this year's WWDC, where iOS 26 was introduced.

What adds to the pain for Apple is that its home-baked AI models have trailed behind those of its rivals. The most recent expectations are from the iOS 26.4 update, which would bring the upgraded Siri to the market around Spring 2026.

While Google has mocked Apple for its AI struggles, recent reports suggest Apple might knock on the search giant's door to use Gemini AI in the revamped Siri. On the other hand, the iPhone-maker is reportedly considering outside technology from OpenAI or Anthropic to power its voice assistant.

Apple's AI struggles have become harder amid the stream of departures, including senior AI executives. This most recent among them is Ke Yang, who jumped ship to Meta just weeks after being appointed to lead Apple's ambitious ChatGPT-like AI project. Yang was the head of the Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team, which was built for Apple's upcoming Siri revamp.

Still, Gurman notes that the AI race hasn't affected Apple's iPhone 17 sales (yet). The Cupertino giant is, in fact, planning to ramp up production for the regular, Pro, and Pro Max variants of the iPhone 17 series. We may get more clarity about its future plans as Apple is due to host its Q4 2025 earnings call at the end of the month.