Last year, Apple raised expectations with the promise of an enhanced Siri that would assist users without the need for physical interaction. This messaging was prominent during the iPhone 16 marketing campaign. However, the company has since updated its communications to clarify that these advanced capabilities are not arriving anytime soon. Apple has encountered challenges with its Artificial Intelligence initiative, branded as Apple Intelligence.
While it was showcased at the June Worldwide Developers Conference as a key feature of the iPhone 16, the rollout only began a month after the September launch of the devices. So far, Apple has introduced features like writing tools, notification summaries, and smart replies. While functional, these offerings lack novelty and do not provide any significant advantage over competing smartphones on the market in 2025. A major anticipated improvement was a revamped Siri with contextual awareness, expected with iOS 18.4.
Apple promoted a vision where Siri would access information from the phone, understand the current screen content, and perform multi-step actions. This capability was a key selling point for the iPhone 16, leaving early adopters feeling disappointed as the launch of these features continues to be delayed. Despite some improvements in Siri’s conversational capabilities and the introduction of ChatGPT integration, Apple has not provided a definitive timeline for when users can expect the promised features. The company admits that the development has proven more challenging than anticipated, suggesting a tentative rollout in the coming year.
Initial reports hinted at a May release, but ongoing issues have stalled progress, resulting in speculation that a fully functional Siri may not be ready until 2026. The outlook suggests that Apple might consider scrapping existing work to start afresh, leading many to doubt if the originally promised super-powered Siri will materialize.