Apple's $1B Bet on Google Pays Off with Siri Upgrade
Apple's latest update to its iOS operating system, version 27, is set to roll out on Monday, September 14. This new version brings with it a significantly improved Siri assistant, capable of reading emails, checking calendars, and executing actions across multiple apps.
The key to this upgrade lies in Apple's partnership with Google, which has seen the tech giant sign a multi-year deal reportedly worth around $1 billion per year to run Siri AI on Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro model. This model boasts eight times the parameter count of Apple's own in-house AI.
User data will travel through Apple's Private Cloud Compute, ensuring that Google processes queries without seeing who sent them. The partnership marks a significant shift for Apple, which has traditionally built its own chips, software, and AI from scratch.
The new Siri AI is only available on iPhone 15 Pro models and above, with earlier iPhones receiving iOS 27's other improvements, such as redesigned notifications and child safety filtering. However, the exclusion of European devices due to a dispute over the Digital Markets Act has sparked controversy.