Google Confirms New Siri Powered by Gemini to Launch Later This Year
Google publicly discussed its collaboration with Apple at the GoogleCloudNext 2026 conference today, confirming that the Gemini large model will power a new, more personalized Siri, planned for release to users within 2026.
Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian stated during a speech at the conference in Las Vegas that Google is working with Apple as its “preferred cloud provider” to jointly develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology. According to Kurian, these models will support future Apple Intelligence features, including the more personalized Siri planned to launch later this year.
In terms of the timeline, Kurian’s speech did not provide substantial updates on the release date, but it once again confirmed Apple’s previously announced schedule. When Apple first announced the delay of the smarter Siri in March 2025, the company stated that the related features would be launched “next year.” Later in 2025, Apple stated that Siri would receive an update sometime in 2026, but did not provide a more specific timeframe. In February of this year, Apple again confirmed to CNBC that the new version of Siri is still planned to launch within 2026.
According to previous reports, Apple originally planned to release the new Siri based on Apple Intelligence in the spring of 2026, but encountered issues with accuracy, forcing the company to adjust its internal schedule. Since Apple’s public commitments have never specified a concrete date, only limiting it to within 2026, this adjustment does not strictly constitute another “delay.” Currently, Apple only needs to complete the Siri update by December 31, 2026, but the market is expected to get a first look at the actual performance of this next-generation smart assistant in the upcoming iOS 27.
Kurian also reiterated in his speech that Google Cloud is Apple’s “preferred cloud provider,” consistent with Google’s previous public statements. However, it remains unclear whether the new Siri and the Apple Intelligence features supported by Gemini will completely rely on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute in actual deployment, or will run directly on Google’s servers. According to previous reports, Apple has asked Google to assess the feasibility of deploying servers in its data centers to run Siri, as Apple expects cloud computing demand to increase significantly after the smarter Siri is officially launched.
As is customary, Apple plans to officially release iOS 27 at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2026) opening on June 8, 2026. It is expected that Apple will further disclose more details about Siri and Apple Intelligence at that time. WWDC is considered a key window to observe the functional form and privacy technology roadmap of this personal digital assistant, which will be powered by Gemini and deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem.