Technology

Apple’s Record‑Breaking Services Year Fuels a New Siri Powered by Google Gemini

Apple Siri Gets Gemini AI – What Changes in 2026

Apple is revamping Siri by integrating Google’s Gemini large‑language model, delivering deeper contextual understanding, multimodal queries, and on‑device privacy‑focused AI. The multi‑year partnership gives Apple access to Gemini 1.5 and future Gemini 2.0 models, turning the services‑driven revenue surge into a competitive AI advantage for iPhone, Watch and iOS users.

Record‑breaking Services Growth in 2025

Apple’s services segment, which includes iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV+, the App Store and newer offerings such as Apple Fitness+, posted historic growth in 2025. Subscriptions rose across every market, pushing services revenue above 25 % of total earnings. The surge helped cushion hardware sales amid supply‑chain constraints and a mature smartphone market, providing predictable cash flow for heavy AI investment.

Gemini‑Powered Siri Deal Overview

Apple announced a multi‑year agreement to power the next generation of Siri with Google’s Gemini models. The partnership grants Apple access to Gemini 1.5 now and the upcoming Gemini 2.0, positioning Siri on one of the most capable large‑language‑model platforms available.

Industry estimates place the deal’s total value between $5 billion and $10 billion over its lifespan, securing a powerful AI backend while giving Apple a seat at future Gemini upgrades.

Key Improvements in the New Siri

  • Deeper Contextual Understanding: Gemini’s advanced prompting lets Siri interpret natural, conversational queries and retain context across multiple turns.
  • Multimodal Interaction: The model can process text, images and short video clips, enabling Siri to answer visual questions such as “What’s the calorie count of this dish?” from a photo.
  • Personalized, Privacy‑First AI: While model training runs in Google’s cloud, inference will occur on Apple Silicon chips using secure enclaves, keeping user data on‑device.

Strategic Implications for Apple and Google

For Apple

The Gemini integration turns services momentum into a tangible AI product, strengthening ecosystem lock‑in. A smarter Siri can drive iPhone and Apple Watch sales by offering capabilities that competitors’ assistants lack in Apple‑first services such as iMessage, Apple Pay and HealthKit.

For Google

Apple becomes a new revenue stream for Google Cloud and positions Gemini as the default AI engine for one of the world’s most valuable consumer brands, demonstrating Google’s collaborative approach in the AI arms race.

Industry Impact

The alliance highlights a trend where hardware‑centric firms outsource heavy AI model development to specialist cloud providers, accelerating a platform‑as‑a‑service model for consumer assistants across ecosystems.

Potential Challenges and Privacy Concerns

Apple’s privacy promise faces scrutiny over how much data may be sent to Google for model updates, raising potential regulatory questions under the EU Digital Services Act and U.S. antitrust scrutiny. Technically, merging Gemini’s large parameters with the on‑device limits of the A18 Bionic chip will demand sophisticated model compression and distillation.

Future Outlook and Launch Timeline

The Gemini‑powered Siri is slated for release later this year, aligning with Apple’s September hardware event that will introduce the iPhone Air and other products. Successful rollout could revitalize Siri’s reputation, turning it from a functional utility into a compelling AI companion and setting a precedent for future hardware‑AI collaborations.

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