Gemini-Powered Siri Arrives in February: Your iPhone Will Never Be the Same

Let me break this down: Siri is about to stop being the punchline of voice assistant jokes. Apple has confirmed it will unveil the biggest Siri overhaul since its 2011 launch in February 2026, and this time it's packing a secret weapon: Google Gemini under the hood. After years of "Sorry, I can't help with that," Apple has decided enough is enough.

Think of it like this: imagine asking Siri "What did you recommend last week about Italian restaurants?" and instead of opening Safari with generic results, it responds with real context, remembering your previous conversation and suggesting options based on your preferences. That's exactly what the new Siri promises.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple plans to showcase the first demonstrations of the new Siri in the second half of February, with an iOS 26.4 beta available shortly after. And what's coming in June at WWDC 2026 with iOS 27 is even more ambitious: a full chatbot integrated into the operating system, codenamed "Campos."

In this article, I'll walk you through everything we know: what's changing, which iPhone you need, how much it costs, how the Google partnership works, and the privacy questions Apple still hasn't fully answered.

What Is the New Gemini-Powered Siri and Why It Matters Now

The new Siri isn't a cosmetic update. It's a complete rebuild of the assistant Apple has kept virtually unchanged for over a decade while the competition blew past it.

The trick is the technology powering it. Apple has signed a multi-year agreement with Google worth approximately $1 billion annually to use a custom version of Gemini, Google's most advanced AI model. But here's the important part: Google doesn't get your data. The model runs on Apple Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, Apple's own servers specifically designed to process AI without compromising privacy.

What most guides won't tell you is that Apple is over a year behind schedule with this update. Craig Federighi, Apple's VP of Software Engineering, acknowledged that the new Siri didn't meet Apple's reliability standards during the iOS 18 cycle, with internal testing revealing unacceptable error rates. That delay, paradoxically, might benefit us: Apple has had more time to polish the experience.

The version arriving with iOS 26.4 in February is Phase 1: a more personalized and intelligent Siri. Phase 2 arrives with iOS 27 in September, when Siri transforms into a full chatbot capable of sustained conversations, content generation, and executing complex action chains.

The 7 Confirmed Features of the New Siri

Based on reports from Bloomberg, MacRumors, AppleInsider, and TechCrunch, here are the confirmed capabilities for the new Siri:

1. Real Personal Context

Siri will be able to read relevant content from your apps to provide precise answers. Ask "What time is my flight tomorrow?" and it will search your email, calendar, and travel apps simultaneously without you needing to specify where the information is stored.

2. On-Screen Awareness

The new Siri will understand what's displayed on your screen. If you're reading an article and say "Summarize this," you don't need to copy and paste anything — Siri analyzes the visible content directly.

3. Conversations With Memory

For the first time, Siri will remember context from previous conversations. You'll be able to say "That recipe you gave me yesterday" and Siri will know exactly what you're referring to. This is something ChatGPT and Google Gemini already do, but Siri couldn't until now.

4. Smart Web Search

The new Siri will be able to search the internet and synthesize results like a modern chatbot, rather than simply redirecting you to Safari with a list of links.

5. Deep System Control

You'll be able to give complex natural language instructions: "Turn on Do Not Disturb, lower brightness to 30%, and set an alarm for 7:00 AM" — all in a single command. Siri will chain the actions automatically.

6. In-App Actions

Thanks to deep integration with App Intents, Siri will execute actions within third-party applications. For example: "Send a WhatsApp message to Maria saying I'll be there in 10 minutes" or "Create a note in Notion with the summary of this page."

7. Content Generation (iOS 27)

In Phase 2, Siri will be able to generate images, assist with coding, summarize documents, and analyze uploaded files. Essentially, everything you currently do by opening ChatGPT or Gemini, you'll be able to do without leaving Siri.

Which iPhone You Need: The Hardware Barrier

Here's the bad news for many users. The new Gemini-powered Siri won't be available on all iPhones. The requirements are clear:

Confirmed compatible devices:

• iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max
• iPad with M1 chip or higher
• Mac with Apple Silicon

NOT compatible:

• Standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus (only 6 GB RAM)
• iPhone 14 and earlier
• iPad with A-series chips before M1

This means if you have a regular iPhone 15 (not Pro), you're out. Apple set the technical standard at 8 GB RAM minimum for running advanced Apple Intelligence models, with no exceptions.

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple led the global smartphone market in 2025 with a 20% market share and 25% in Q4. In the United States, iPhone represents 62% of smartphone shipments, with approximately 130 million users. Of those, models compatible with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro and later) represent roughly 40-50% of the installed base, leaving tens of millions of users without access to the new Siri.

The Apple-Google Deal: $1 Billion Per Year for Gemini

The Apple-Google alliance to integrate Gemini into Siri is one of the most significant tech industry moves in years. Here are the known details:

• Deal value: Approximately $1 billion annually from Apple to Google
• Duration: Multi-year contract
• Model used: Custom fine-tuned version of Google Gemini
• Infrastructure: Runs on Apple Private Cloud Compute, not Google servers
• Branding: The current Siri prototype shows no Google or Gemini logos
• Apple's control: Apple can fine-tune the model so Siri responds in ways the company prefers

This deal has a precedent: Google already pays Apple between $15-20 billion annually to be the default search engine in Safari. Now the relationship partially reverses: Apple pays Google for its AI technology.

The big question is dependency. With this deal, Apple trusts one of its most iconic features to a direct competitor. If the relationship sours, what happens to Siri? Apple is developing its own Foundation Models in parallel to reduce this dependency long-term, but for now, Google Gemini is the engine.

Privacy: What Apple Promises (and What We Still Don't Know)

Apple has built its entire marketing strategy around privacy, so integrating Google Gemini raises inevitable questions.

What Apple assures:

1. Private Cloud Compute: Requests requiring cloud processing go to Apple servers, not Google's
2. Local processing first: Simple tasks are processed directly on-device using Apple Intelligence models
3. No data to Google: Google receives no personal user data. The Gemini model runs on Apple infrastructure
4. Encryption: Personal data remains encrypted locally on the device
5. Opt-in: Advanced features require explicit user activation

What we still don't know:

• Independent audit: Will there be external verification that Google truly receives no data?
• Data retention: How long does Apple store queries processed on Private Cloud Compute?
• Telemetry: Is metadata (not content) about Siri usage sent to Google as part of the deal?
• Model updates: When Apple updates the fine-tuned Gemini model, what data is shared with Google to improve performance?

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has warned that community reactions already include privacy concerns, especially since Siri's chatbot may run directly on cloud servers for the most complex queries. This contrasts with Apple Intelligence's original promise of processing everything locally.

If you're interested in how Google handles personal data with its own AI, the article on Google Personal Intelligence and Gemini privacy analyzes the risks in detail.

Siri vs ChatGPT vs Google Assistant vs Samsung AI: The Real Comparison

To understand what this update means, we need to compare it with what already exists:

The key data point: Siri currently dominates the mobile voice assistant market with 45.6% share thanks to native iPhone integration, according to 2025 market data. Google Assistant holds 29.9%, Amazon Alexa 18.3%, and Samsung Bixby 6.7%. However, in response accuracy, Google Assistant leads with 92.9% compared to Siri's 83.1%.

With Gemini, Apple hopes to close that accuracy gap while maintaining its native integration advantage. If it succeeds, it could consolidate its dominant position permanently.

The Complete Timeline: From February to September

Here's how the new Siri will roll out throughout 2026:

February 2026 — Unveiling

• Apple showcases the new Gemini-powered Siri (second half of February)
• iOS 26.4 beta launches for developers
• Still unclear whether it will be a public event or private media briefings

March–April 2026 — Public Launch

• iOS 26.4 available to all users with compatible devices
• Phase 1: Personalized Siri with context, screen awareness, and advanced controls

June 2026 — WWDC

• Full presentation of iOS 27 with the "Campos" Siri chatbot
• Deep-dive demonstration of full Gemini capabilities in Siri
• Apple keynote with Siri as the main protagonist
• iOS 27 beta available for developers

September 2026 — iOS 27 Launch

• Phase 2: Full chatbot Siri with sustained conversations
• Content generation (images, code, summaries)
• Uploaded file analysis
• Completely redesigned interface replacing the current one

What This Means for the Future of Voice Assistants

Apple's move has implications beyond the iPhone. The global voice assistant market is valued at $6.1 billion in 2024 and projected to reach between $34–79 billion by 2030–2034, growing at 26–29% annually.

Apple's decision to partner with Google rather than building its own AI from scratch sends a clear message: even the world's most valuable company acknowledges it can't compete alone in generative AI. Microsoft has OpenAI, Samsung has Google, and now Apple also leans on Gemini.

At the same time, Apple is working in parallel with other AI providers. It already integrated ChatGPT into iOS 18.2 as a complementary option, and there are rumors of possible partnerships with Perplexity and Anthropic (creators of Claude). The strategy appears to be turning Siri into a platform that can connect with multiple AI engines depending on the task.

For the 500 million active Siri users worldwide, this means the assistant many had written off is about to be reborn. The question is no longer whether Siri will improve, but whether it will arrive in time to reclaim ground lost to ChatGPT, which has had direct iPhone integration for over a year.

Pros and Cons: The Honest Assessment

Pros

• Generational leap: From a basic assistant to a conversational chatbot powered by Gemini
• Native integration: No competitor can match this level of OS access
• Privacy (in theory): Private Cloud Compute keeps data away from Google
• Included at no extra cost: No separate subscription required for basic features
• App Intents control: In-app actions that ChatGPT can't perform
• Two progressive phases: Users will adapt gradually

Cons

• iPhone 15 Pro+ exclusive: Millions of users are left out
• Google dependency: Apple entrusts its flagship feature to a direct competitor
• Over a year behind: The competition has a significant head start
• Privacy unverified: No independent audit of the data flow yet
• Phase 2 not until September: The full chatbot doesn't arrive until fall
• Expectations vs reality: Gurman warns "there's no guarantee it will work seamlessly or undo years of damage to the Siri brand"

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the new Gemini-powered Siri be free?

Yes. The new Siri features arriving with iOS 26.4 will be included as part of Apple Intelligence at no additional cost. No separate subscription is required. However, you need a compatible device (iPhone 15 Pro or later) with iOS 26.4 installed. Apple hasn't ruled out that some future advanced features may require Apple One or a premium plan, but for now everything points to it being free.

Is my standard iPhone 15 compatible with the new Siri?

No. The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have only 6 GB of RAM, below the 8 GB minimum required by Apple Intelligence. You need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max at minimum. All iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 models are compatible because they include at least 8 GB of RAM and the A17 Pro chip or higher.

Will Google receive my personal data through Siri?

According to Apple, no. The Gemini model used by Siri runs on Apple Private Cloud Compute servers, not Google infrastructure. Apple has also applied custom fine-tuning to the model so it responds according to Apple's standards. However, no independent audit has verified these claims, and details about data retention and telemetry have not been fully disclosed.

When will the full Siri chatbot be available?

The full chatbot (codenamed "Campos") will arrive with iOS 27, expected to be presented at WWDC in June 2026 and publicly released in September 2026. This chatbot will be far more advanced than the iOS 26.4 update, with the ability to hold complete conversations, generate content, and analyze files — competing directly with ChatGPT and Gemini as standalone chatbots.

Can I still use ChatGPT on my iPhone alongside Siri?

Yes. Apple integrated ChatGPT as a complementary option in iOS 18.2, and it will remain available. The new Siri doesn't replace the ChatGPT integration — it offers a native alternative. You'll be able to choose which to use depending on the task. Additionally, there are rumors that Apple is exploring partnerships with Anthropic (Claude) and Perplexity to expand the options even further.

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Gemini-powered Siri represents Apple's biggest AI bet to date. The company that popularized voice assistants in 2011 with the iPhone 4s is finally admitting it needs external help to compete in the chatbot era. The result could be the best assistant on the market thanks to the combination of Google's technology with Apple's deep integration — or it could be too little, too late.

What's undeniable is that February 2026 will mark a turning point for the 500 million Siri users worldwide. The assistant everyone had given up on is about to prove whether Apple still knows how to reinvent itself when it matters most.