Smarter Siri is coming very soon, new report claims
Apple's Siri is (finally) getting smarter. A massive Apple Intelligence update is about to launch, marking a significant milestone for the company's ecosystem. The first beta of Apple's new iOS 18.4 is coming very soon, and it will include a much improved, smarter voice assistant Siri.
iOS 18.4 Release Timeline
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the first iOS 18.4 beta is coming in a matter of days; more precisely, "sometime between the middle of this week and the next one." While the beta is imminent, the broader rollout will take a bit longer. A public version of iOS 18.4 is due in April, says Gurman.
To help track these developments, here is the expected schedule based on the report:
| Milestone | Expected Timing |
|---|---|
| iOS 18.4 First Beta | Middle of this week to the next |
| Public Release of iOS 18.4 | April 2025 |
| New iPhone SE Launch | This week |
New AI Features and Siri Enhancements
It's a very important update for iPhone owners as it should finally include the long-promised changes to Siri. In its promotional materials, Apple says that Siri will also have richer language understanding, more natural communication, and the "ability to take action in and across apps."
The update aims to make the assistant more practical for daily tasks. This will include the ability for Apple's digital assistant to tap into your personal data to provide better answer to your queries. Furthermore, reports suggest the following:
- Apple's new AI-powered Siri will reportedly be powered by Google Gemini.
- Apple built its own ChatGPT-like app to test out new Siri AI revamp.
- Integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT should help Siri reach the level of the most advanced voice assistants.
- Apple Intelligence is getting more languages.
Expanding the Apple Intelligence Suite
It is an important update for Apple, which unveiled a suite of Apple Intelligence features last June, but still hasn't gotten to launching them all yet. Gurman does say that this will not put Siri on the same level as the most advanced voice assistants out there immediately, but the new Siri could arrive as early as next spring with these substantial upgrades.
Additional Hardware Updates
Beyond software, Gurman also reiterated his previous prediction that Apple will launch a new, revamped iPhone SE this week, likely accompanied with Apple's new PowerBeats Pro 2 earbuds. Looking further into the future, Apple is ramping up efforts to create a tabletop robot, which could hit the market in 2027.