Apple Intelligence Siri is over a year late, but that might be a good thing (9to5mac.com)

Apple has announced that its new AI-powered Siri, driven by Google’s Gemini models, will soon be available on its devices, marking a significant step for the company in the AI/ML landscape. This update, set to launch with iOS 26.4 in the spring, has been delayed over a year, primarily due to Apple’s cautious approach to AI development and privacy concerns that limit data usage for training models. However, the delay has allowed Apple to broaden the accessibility of Siri, now supporting 11 iPhone models, including the recently launched iPhone 16 series, compared to just 2 models at the initial launch. The integration of Gemini on Apple's private cloud compute servers means that while Siri will leverage powerful remote processing capabilities, local models will still play a crucial role in functionality. This dual approach aims to enhance user experience across various iPhone devices, making advanced AI features more accessible to a larger customer base. As Siri evolves to support a wider array of applications and resources, users are hopeful that ongoing improvements can address long-standing localization issues, especially for users outside the U.S. The rollout of these updates indicates a shift in Apple’s strategy, potentially revitalizing Siri’s positioning in the competitive voice assistant landscape.