Apple released a public beta of its rebuilt Siri AI virtual assistant earlier this month following its unveiling at WWDC 2026.
The overhaul represents a critical attempt by Apple to close the gap with other AI assistants by replacing older systems with a large-language-model-based architecture. This shift aims to improve accuracy and introduce more user-centric features to keep the company competitive in the AI market.
Prior to this overhaul, the success rate of Siri hovered around 50% [1]. The new version, which is part of iOS 27, is slated for a full release in fall 2026 [3]. Early reports from hands-on testing in San Francisco suggest that while the assistant is finally considered "good," it still lacks the broad capabilities of some rivals.
One detailed comparison involved a user spending 48 hours testing Siri AI against Google Gemini [2]. The results indicated that while Apple has fixed many previous features, the assistant still has significant ground to cover to lead the market.
Apple introduced the new Siri during the last week of June 2026 at the Worldwide Developers Conference. The company focused on reducing the friction that plagued previous iterations of the assistant, a move intended to make the AI feel more natural and reliable for the average user.
Despite the improvements, industry analysts said that AI assistants in general still have miles to go before they reach full utility. Apple's approach focuses on deep integration with the operating system, though the current beta version continues to show rough edges in complex task execution.
“Siri is finally good, but AI assistants still have miles to go”
Apple's transition to a large-language-model architecture for Siri signals a departure from its previous approach to virtual assistants. By integrating this technology into iOS 27, Apple is prioritizing foundational reliability over experimental features, attempting to stabilize a tool that historically struggled with basic accuracy before attempting to outpace competitors like Google.
