Apple Enhances Siri, Yet It Still Feels Disappointing—What’s Going On?

After several delays, Siri AI has officially launched in the consumer beta version of iOS 27, which made its debut in July. The AI assistant now delivers on Apple’s promises: it understands your personal context, utilizes vast world knowledge to answer your questions, and retrieves pertinent data stored on your iPhone.

However, the launch feels somewhat lackluster. While Apple has finally rolled out a functioning — indeed, quite remarkable — AI assistant, its introduction seems to miss the excitement and novelty that would have accompanied it in the past.

The AI landscape has evolved significantly during the time Apple spent developing its AI. Today, AI tools can code and create software, AI agents are handling intricate tasks, and AI is aiding you in numerous ways, including reasoning, thinking, remembering, and even media creation. Simply being a functional chatbot or AI helper no longer carries the groundbreaking significance it once did.

That said, Apple’s Siri AI is undoubtedly valuable and practical. With its release, Apple has not only met but surpassed its commitments.

You can now engage in natural, conversational exchanges with Siri, which includes options for adjusting the expressiveness and pacing of its voice responses. Additionally, you can type to the assistant or use a dedicated app for the first time, allowing you to reference previous conversations.

The assistant is capable of understanding your personal context, enabling you to find items such as photos, emails, contacts, texts, or calendar events — even when you’re uncertain about what exactly you’re looking for. For instance, you could ask Siri to locate the last receipt saved on your iPhone without specifying where it is stored, and it will find it for you.

Moreover, you can ask about information saved solely as a photo, like your driver’s license number from an image of your license or a QR code you screenshot to remember a website. You can browse websites and use apps through Siri, completing tasks like getting directions, playing music, editing photos, drafting emails, enjoying audiobooks, and much more.

Fortunately, Siri now reliably and accurately plays the song, podcast, or audiobook you request on your preferred app — a basic function it previously struggled with.

Siri is also capable of brainstorming with you. Among other features, it can help refine ideas, explore new topics, or even suggest recipes based on random ingredients you have at home! You can inquire when your favorite band is touring or when a particular event occurs, and Siri will provide accurate information based on your location.

Furthermore, you can use Siri within the camera’s viewfinder to gather information about the real world or assist in splitting a restaurant bill among friends.

In summary, it’s exactly what you always imagined Siri to be: a practical assistant that simplifies using your iPhone through conversation, one that answers any question instead of directing you to the web.

These advancements were made possible through Apple’s collaboration with Google to leverage its Gemini AI models. Apple didn’t merely repackage Gemini AI; it employed Google’s technology to develop and enhance its own proprietary Apple Foundation Models. The result is AI models optimized to run on Apple’s silicon and private cloud computing infrastructure, delivering true functionality.

Yet, even with the successful rollout of a functional and helpful Siri, it feels somewhat like Apple has simply addressed a long-standing issue — a chronically flawed Siri — rather than achieving something revolutionary. This is how Siri was meant to operate all along. The only surprise is that, after many years of inconsistent performance, it finally works as expected.

The general public, who do not use beta builds on their devices, can anticipate accessing the new Siri when Apple officially launches iOS 27, scheduled for September.