Latest news with #WWDC2024
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Siri AI still planned for iOS 26, but you'll have to wait
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Quick Summary The long-awaited AI-powered Siri finally has a launch window, reports suggest. That would see it arrive in early 2026. There's something of an elephant in the room at Apple Park. A little over a year ago, at WWDC 2024, the brand announced a new all-singing, all-dancing, AI-powered Siri. It sounded fantastic, but there's just one problem – one year, four seasons and another WWDC later, we still don't have anything to show for it. The project has hit a snag or two over the last year, meaning the whole thing has been delayed. Fortunately, there is news about it – and it's good news. While the feature isn't expected to arrive directly in iOS 26, a new report from Mark Gurman suggests it will come in iOS 26.4, which typically arrives around March. We might not even have to wait that long for a glimpse. The report suggests that – if the next few weeks of development prove promising – we could be given a sneak preview of the development alongside the launch of the iPhone 17 range. That event is expected in September, which is really rather close indeed. The new Siri is said to make use of contextual information from apps across your device, to help inform its operation. That means, for example, it should be able to pull from things like your messages and your calendar, to personalised information which is actually useful to you. When iOS 18 was first in development, that made use of two halves of Siri. Common and simple tasks were handled by and older generation, while newer and more complex tasks were taken on by a revamped Siri engine. The combination of the two caused a series of bugs, which resulted in the entire thing being rebuilt from the ground up. While that has caused significant delays, the prospect of an entirely new Siri engine, designed from top to bottom to power this update, is really enticing. While the rumoured Spring 2026 launch window might feel like a lifetime for some fans of the brand, it's tantalisingly close for those who are keen to get started with Siri 2.0.
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Forbes
Apple Loop: Apple Confirms iPhone's AI Failures, Finder's Uncomfortable Chain, WWDC's Successful Retreat
Taking a look back at this week's news and headlines from Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, including Apple's explanation of its AI failure, new feaures for iOS 26, macOS 26 and iPad OS 26, an uncomfortable change for Finder, multitasking on the iPad, and what it all means. Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the many discussions around Apple in the last seven days. You can also read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes. Apple's PR team has lined up several interviews following the keynote at this week's Worldwide Developers Conference to reinforce its decisions around its approach to Artificial Intelligence, the significant promises made at WWDC 2024, and why these have not been delivered to consumers: '[WSJ's Joanna Stern] asked why Apple, with all of its resources, couldn't make it work. 'When it comes to automating capabilities on devices in a reliable way, no one's doing it really well right now,' Federighi said. 'We wanted to be the first. We wanted to do it best.' While the company had 'very promising early results and working initial versions,' the team came to feel that 'this just doesn't work reliably enough to be an Apple product,' he said. (via The Verge). There may not have been a classic 'over 200 new features' for iOS 26's launch during the WWDC keynote, but there is a significant bundle to explore. A subset of these rely on the onboard tools provided by Apple Intelligence. Tim Hardwick summarises the key iOS 26 AI features, including Apple's twist on the emoji and reaction GIFs: "New Genmoji and Image Playground Features – Enhances existing Apple Intelligence image tools with the ability to mix emoji together, customize generated characters, and access ChatGPT-powered style options including anime, oil painting, and watercolor effects.' (MacRumors). Many of these features, while new to iOS, are mainstays of third party podcast apps. That has not escaped the notice of the developers, including Overcast's Marc Arment and his slightly tongue-in-cheek response to the addition of more playback speeds: 'I'm screwed" I think this remains a humorous response, given Overcast still has its silence skipping option, minimal tracking of user data, a clean implementation of banner ads to support the service, and an incredibly loyal user base. (Mastodon). While Apple has rowed back on its generative AI ambitions from 2024, it still continues to work in the smaller elements of Apple Intelligence into its platforms, including the latest version of macOS Tahoe, announced this week: "Tahoe also has new Apple Intelligence features, such as Live Translations, improved Shortcuts, and updates to Genmoji, Image Playground, and Reminders. You'll be able to get live, automatic language translations in the Messages app — both incoming ones and outbound ones you write. And, similar to Windows 11's feature from last year, you can get translated live captions of someone speaking on a FaceTime call." (The Verge). Sometimes it is the smallest change that can create the biggest mental 'what the' reactions. And macOS 26 Tahoe has one such moment. Apple has decided to flip the colours of the Finder logo. What was blue on the left white on the right, is now blue on the right and white on the left: "The Big Sur Finder icon has been with us ever since,1 and I hope Apple reverses course here. I understand that the new icon is meant to be in sync with the new Liquid Glass user interface, but some things are just tradition… This has been filed with Apple as Feedback FB17840162. Yes, seriously." (512 Pixels via Daring Fireball). The launch of iPadOS 26 is the last of he big hitters from the event. Apple continues to walk its tablet platform towards the Mac platform, but never quite getting there. This year is no different, as Apple's Craig Federighi joked from the stage "More windows, a pointier pointer, and a menu bar? Who would've thought? We've truly pulled off a mind-blowing release!' Yet talking to Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham afterwards, highlighted what apple felt was needed for the iPad to be a multi-tasking computer: ""We wanted to offer a new baseline of a totally consistent experience of what it meant to have Stage Manager," Federighi told Ars. "And for us, that meant four simultaneous apps on the internal display and an external display with four simultaneous apps. So, eight apps running at once. And we said that's the baseline, and that's what it means to be Stage Manager; we didn't want to say 'you get Stage Manager, but you get Stage Manager-lite here or something like that. And so immediately that established a floor for how low we could go.'" (Ars Technica). What does it all mean? Ben Thompson brings it all together under the headline of 'Apple Retreats' followed by a detailed look at an event where Apple quietly dialled down the expectations lit up by last year's WWDC and refused to offer any major hype for the coming twelve months. Thompson argues this is exactly what is needed as a course correction to find a better future: " Apple is a company that went too far in too many areas, and needed to retreat. Focusing on things only Apple can do is a good thing; empowering developers and depending on partners is a good thing; giving even the appearance of thoughtful thinking with regards to the App Store (it's a low bar!) is a good thing. Of course we want and are excited by tech companies promising the future; what is a prerequisite is delivering in the present, and it's a sign of progress that Apple retreated to nothing more than that." (Stratechery). Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don't forget to follow me so you don't miss any coverage in the future. Last week's Apple Loop can be read here, or this week's edition of Loop's sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.
Tom's Guide
13-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
Siri may not get an AI upgrade until next Spring — what we know
The failure to deliver Siri, as originally promised at WWDC 2024, has been a real low point for Apple Intelligence. We know that Siri will still get the AI-infused upgrade that was promised, but we don't know exactly when it'll happen. But Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has some idea. According to Gurman's latest report, Apple has set an "internal release target" of Spring 2026. This means that, if Apple is successful, it would see the new Siri released alongside iOS 26.4. That is a pretty big "if," though, and Gurman's sources claim that an exact date hasn't actually been set yet. During the WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple itself stated that it would be able to share more about the upgraded Siri "in the coming year." This internal deadline would fit in with that, but Apple's words were vague enough that it does give the company some leeway in the event it can't get Siri working properly by this time next year. Gurman does note that the timelines could change depending on how the development process actually goes. But if the next several weeks go well, then there's a chance that a preview will be available around the time the iPhone 17 launches — but no final decisions have been made. Tom's Guide Global Editor in Chief Mark Spoonauer got to speak to Apple executives, including software chief Craig Federighi, at WWDC. Siri was naturally a big topic of discussion, and according to Apple, the development involved two versions of the actual architecture. According to Apple, Version 1 was working ahead of WWDC 2024, but the limitations of that architecture weren't at the "quality level" Apple felt its customers needed and expected. So Apple had to move on to Version 2 of the new Siri architecture. So Apple opted to delay the new Siri features, instead of releasing a version that wasn't as good as it needed to be. Though it sounds like Apple didn't fully appreciate the issue until this Spring. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Apparently, Apple won't announce a date for the updated Siri until it's ready to be released. That way, people can actually enjoy the new features virtually right away.
India Today
13-06-2025
- India Today
Apple plans major Siri AI upgrade for March 2026 with iOS 26.4, new Knowledge chatbot also in the pipeline
Just a day after Apple execs revealed reasons behind the AI-driven Siri delay, a new report highlights that the tech giant may finally launch it next year. Apple's long-awaited revamp of Siri is now projected to launch alongside iOS 26.4, which is typically released in March, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The upgraded virtual assistant is designed to offer far more sophisticated capabilities, tapping into on-screen content and user data to execute complex, multi-step commands with greater Apple has yet to officially confirm the precise release date, the company maintains that the new Siri will debut 'in the coming year.' This phrasing has sparked ongoing debate, with interpretations varying between a 2025 arrival and a possible delay into 2026. Internally, the development timeline has undergone several revisions. Apple Siri launch: TimelineApple first unveiled its enhanced Siri capabilities, powered by Apple Intelligence, during WWDC 2024 last June. The company heavily promoted the upcoming features in its marketing for the iPhone 16 series, showcasing demonstrations that emphasised the virtual assistant's new functionality. Many customers purchased the latest iPhone models with the expectation that these advanced Siri features would be available shortly after launch. But that did not end well for Apple. Here is why. However, earlier this March, Apple announced a delay in the rollout, leaving many early adopters disappointed. The postponement has sparked frustration among users who had anticipated immediate access to the promised WWDC 2025, held this June, Apple noticeably shifted its approach. Unlike previous years, the company refrained from previewing features scheduled for future release. Instead, nearly all the announcements made during the keynote are already available in the initial developer beta, signalling a more cautious and immediate product is Apple running late to roll out Siri? According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the repeated postponements have primarily resulted from technical hurdles. Apple's engineers reportedly struggled with a problematic hybrid system that attempted to merge legacy Siri architecture with new AI-powered features. This experimental setup frequently failed, with error rates hovering around 33 percent during the setbacks, Apple remains committed to delivering a more intelligent and contextually aware Siri, as it looks to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. During an interview with WSJ, Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, and Greg "Joz" Joswaik, Senior Vice President of Marketing, shared that while the initial results were good, Siri's second phase was not as promising. They said that Apple is in no hurry to push out the wrong features just to be the first, and it "wants to get it right".The delays and drawn-out rollout of Apple's revamped Siri have led to significant changes within the company's leadership. According to reports, John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of AI, has been moved away from overseeing Siri and other consumer-oriented projects. Revamped Siri: What to expectadvertisementGurman also highlighted what new is coming in with the revamped Siri. According to report, Apple is preparing to introduce its large language model (LLM)-powered Siri upgrade. The development process has reportedly become more complex as Apple works to navigate around numerous legacy components still embedded within Siri's current infrastructure, effectively merging multiple projects into a single, more unified Chatbot: Once Siri is fully rebuilt using LLM technology, the assistant is expected to support a new app intent framework. In addition to the Siri overhaul, Apple is also said to be developing a standalone chatbot, internally referred to as "Knowledge". This application would pull information directly from the web, operating similarly to previously reported internal Apple projects, such as Ajax and Ask—sometimes nicknamed 'AppleGPT.'However, it remains uncertain whether Knowledge will ultimately launch as a consumer-facing product. Reports suggest that Apple's Senior Vice President Greg Joswiak prefers to keep Apple Intelligence as an integrated, behind-the-scenes feature, rather than introducing a separate app. The Knowledge project is reportedly being led by former Siri head Robby A third AI initiative is also in progress, aiming to transform Siri into an always-on digital copilot that operates in the background. This future version of Siri would provide real-time updates, suggest actions, and perform tasks autonomously, much like the recently introduced Workout Buddy in watchOS many of these features are still under development, they offer a glimpse into Apple's ambitious vision for the next generation of its virtual assistant.
Engadget
12-06-2025
- Engadget
Apple's AI-infused Siri may not show up until spring 2026
The new version of Siri that was demoed alongside Apple Intelligence might not be released until Spring 2026, Bloomberg reports. Apple officially delayed Siri's release to some time "in the coming year" back in March. The new Siri could be included in a planned iOS 26.4 update next year, which Bloomberg writes will likely arrive in March. Apple announced the smarter and more personal version of Siri at WWDC 2024 over a year ago now, and nearly two years before this hypothetical Spring 2026 release date. The company could demo the updated AI assistant again at its iPhone event in the fall or even release the new Siri early, but timing reportedly remains up in the air. Apple's proposed update to Siri is supposed to give the company's aging voice assistant the authority to take action inside of apps and understand the content and context of your screen. The company's demos showed off Siri referencing emails for flight information and embedding photos in documents, all on its own, as evidence of how much more capable the assistant could be. In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal , Apple executives attribute the delay of the new Siri to it simply not being up to the company's standards. Internally, Bloomberg writes that there's also disagreement between Apple's marketing and engineering teams as to who is really at fault. The company shouldn't have hyped up the new Siri at WWDC 2024 or built an ad campaign around features that might not ship (Apple's pulled its Siri ads in March). But the engineering team may have been misleading as to how ready the assistant really was. As testament to how careful Apple is being now, its focus on AI at WWDC 2025 was far more muted. The closest the company got to touching on some of the magic of the new Siri was the updated version of Spotlight that's coming in macOS 26, which can leverage the same App Intents framework Siri is supposed to use to perform select actions in apps, like sending a text in Messages without having to open the app.
