Apple may finally be close to delivering on its promise of a smarter, more useful Siri. According to a report from The New York Times, sources familiar with the project claim that the upgraded virtual assistant could arrive this fall — just in time for the 2025 holiday season. After years of slow progress, internal clashes, and missed deadlines, the new Siri might soon become a reality on our iPhones.
As someone closely following Apple’s AI journey, I’ve gathered everything you need to know about this development — from the features expected to launch, to the leadership shakeups and delays that have held Siri back. Here’s the full breakdown.
A Smarter Siri, Finally?
Sources told The New York Times that Apple is targeting a fall 2025 release for a more personalized version of Siri. This refreshed voice assistant is expected to perform practical tasks like editing and sending photos by voice command — something that was initially teased for iOS 18.
Although the company hasn't made an official launch announcement, this timeline is the most concrete yet. It also aligns with a previous statement made by Apple spokesperson Jacqueline Roy to Daring Fireball, saying the AI features will begin rolling out “in the coming year.”
Why Siri’s Upgrade Took So Long
While rivals like Google and Amazon have pushed their AI assistants forward at breakneck speed, Apple has struggled to keep up — and I’m not just talking about technology.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple’s AI division believes a truly modernized Siri — one that holds fluid, context-aware conversations — might not be ready until at least 2027. The main roadblocks? Internal leadership conflicts and underwhelming ambition.
John Giannandrea, who previously led Apple’s AI and Siri efforts, was ousted in March 2025. According to Bloomberg, CEO Tim Cook lost confidence in Giannandrea’s ability to drive the Siri overhaul forward. Meanwhile, internal clashes between senior execs Robby Walker and Sebastien Marineau-Mes reportedly stalled progress even further.
Former employees from Apple’s AI/ML team went as far as labeling the department “AIMLess” — a brutal internal nickname that points to a lack of direction and risk-taking inside the company.
Apple’s AI Hardware Setbacks
Leadership issues weren’t the only thing holding Siri back. Apple’s AI ambitions were also bottlenecked by hardware limitations.
Back in 2023, Tim Cook pushed to double the AI team’s chip budget to accelerate progress. Unfortunately, finance chief Luca Maestri shot down the request. Instead of investing in new hardware like other Big Tech players, Maestri reportedly ordered the team to work with existing chips — many of which were already five years old.
This placed Apple at a significant disadvantage compared to companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon, which were purchasing AI chips in the hundreds of thousands. In contrast, Apple’s AI team had only 50,000 older chips to work with.
Can Siri Catch Up to the AI Race?
Given these delays, I’ve often wondered whether Siri can ever truly catch up to its rivals. Apple has traditionally favored privacy and tight ecosystem control — which can slow innovation in AI, especially when massive datasets are involved.
But there’s hope. Apple’s slow and steady approach could still pay off if it can deliver a truly useful, privacy-focused voice assistant that integrates seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem. Editing and sending photos via voice is a small but meaningful step toward a smarter Siri.
What to Expect This Fall
If the fall 2025 rollout does happen, here’s what I expect from Siri’s upgraded version based on current reports and insider leaks:
- Photo Editing & Sharing by Voice: You’ll be able to ask Siri to find, edit, and send images to contacts.
- Context-Aware Suggestions: Siri may better understand who you’re talking about and what you want to do, without needing multiple commands.
- Smarter Automation: Siri could finally learn from your habits and routines more effectively.
- Deeper iOS Integration: Expect new Siri features to appear throughout apps like Photos, Messages, Mail, and even Shortcuts.
After watching Apple trail behind in the AI space, this potential upgrade feels long overdue. I’ve seen Apple slowly lay the groundwork with incremental Siri updates over the years, but never something truly transformative. This time, it seems like we might actually be getting a virtual assistant that lives up to Apple’s polished standards.
Of course, I’ll be keeping an eye on any new announcements at WWDC or upcoming iPhone events. Until then, let’s hope Apple delivers what it promised — a Siri that finally feels like it belongs in 2025.
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