A smarter Siri won’t be ready for another year
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman cited an unnamed source via his Power On newsletter. In the report, he mentioned the majority of Siri’s new features are set to arrive first on iOS 18.4 Beta which is expected to be available to developers and testers in January 2025.
Meanwhile, only sometime in spring 2025 will these be shipped to public users via the definitive version of the said firmware. It was specified these major Siri features will be delayed, including support for onscreen awareness and taking actions in and across first and third-party applications on the iPhone.
Essentially, these functions give Siri wider access to content across different apps, utilizing these when performing actions prompted by users. For instance, you can ask the assistant to play the song your contact recommended on iMessage or command Siri to send specific photos to a recipient without lifting a finger.
What is likely coming to Siri this year
Gurman added some enhancements are still in the pipeline for a release this year, which cover the redesigned animation when Siri is in use as well as the integration of ChatGPT with Apple’s assistant. These two changes are likely part of the iOS 18 update, which should be ready this fall.
Now, it remains unclear which of these upcoming Siri upgrades will be affected by Apple’s plan to limit selected generative AI features availability to non-European countries. Apple mentioned it will not release Apple Intelligence, the new iPhone Mirroring, and the updated ScreenPlay tool in Europe due to the bloc’s Digital Markets Act regulation.
With these developments, Apple’s roll-out of Apple Intelligence is shaping up as a stretch and patchy, especially if you add that the AI is only compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro (review) and the new iPhone 16 series.
What are your thoughts on Apple’s plans? Do you think this makes Apple Intelligence less exciting as its release is delayed? Let’s hear your opinion in the comments.
