Siri is expected to receive a major upgrade soon, which will allow it to perform complex tasks only through natural language commands. The new utilities were previously speculated to arrive with the release of iOS 18.4, but it appears that the company is running behind schedule. We have been hearing for a long time that Apple's software engineers are having a hard time delivering Apple Intelligence upgrades, and it seems that the trend will continue until next year.
Siri's on-screen awareness, personal context understanding, and deeper in-app controls delayed until iOS 18.5
Mark Gurman notes in his latest Power On newsletter that Apple will delay major AI features in iOS 19, which include Siri enhancements and much more. Apple's software engineers seem to be running behind schedule, potentially due to the complexities involved in generative AI technology. The delays are so extensive that the company is also planning to delay some of the iOS 18 features by a month or so.
We have previously reported that the new Siri experience was slated to arrive with the release of iOS 18.4, but based on the recent report, Apple has delayed it until iOS 18.5.
The follow-up release, iOS 18.5, is where the good stuff is supposed to wind up. It has the AI-infused Siri that the company showed off last June, as well as support for Apple Intelligence in China.
Apple engineers have been working on iOS 18.5 since February, and Gurman claims that the company will release the first beta of the update in April, while the final version is slated to arrive in May. Siri is lagging behind the likes of Google Gemini and ChatGPT when it comes to information and relevancy, and Apple is aiming to change that. The next major update for Siri will redefine how Siri works on the iPhone and all other compatible devices, offering Apple Intelligence assistance through various means.
The next version of Siri will be a test of whether Apple can mount a comeback. The software is likely be released in May, a full 11 months after it was introduced.
At this point, it is unclear if Apple will include major features for Siri in the upcoming betas of iOS 18.4 or if it will introduce the new utilities in iOS 18.5. We will keep you posted on the latest, so be sure to keep an eye out.
