Apple Explains How Gemini-Powered Siri Will Work

Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday reiterated the structure of its partnership with Google to use Gemini AI models for the next generation version of Siri.

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During the company's Q1 2026 earnings call yesterdayApple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ and CFO Kevan Parekh were asked several questions about Apple Intelligence and the company's recently announced deal with Google to power the personalized version of ‌Siri‌ using Gemini.


We basically determined that Google's AI technology would provide the most capable foundation for AFM (Apple Foundation Models)and we believe that we can unlock a lot of experiences and innovate in a key way due to the collaboration. We'll continue to run on the device and run in Private Cloud Compute and maintain our industry-leading privacy standards in doing so. In terms of the arrangement with Googlewe're not releasing the details of that.

That description closely matches language from Apple and Google's earlier joint announcement, which said that ‌Apple Intelligence‌ would continue to operate on Apple hardware and Private Cloud Compute.

Cook also addressed Apple's own artificial intelligence development effortsnoting that the company continues to build its own technology alongside the Gemini partnershipbut clarified that those efforts do not replace Google's role in the personalized ‌Siri‌ system.


You should think of it as a collaboration. And we'll obviously independently continue to do some of our own stuffbut you should think of what is going to power the personalized version of Siri as a collaboration with Google.

When asked about monetization and return on investmentCook framed ‌Apple Intelligence‌ as a feature integrated across Apple's platforms rather than a discrete revenue driver.

We're bringing intelligence to more of what people love and we're integrating it across the operating system in a personal and private wayand I think that by doing soit creates great valueand that opens up a range of opportunities across our products and services. And we're very happy with the collaboration with Google as wellI should add.

Neither Cook nor Parekh disclosed how many users currently have access to ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features or whether those capabilities are driving hardware upgrades. Apple previously acknowledged that ‌Apple Intelligence‌ is limited to devices with sufficient memory and processing capacitywhich constrains availability somewhat.

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Top Rated Comments

bunce66 Avatar
2 days ago at 07:02 am
They didn't explain much at all actually.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunapple Avatar
2 days ago at 07:07 am
While the underlying Google technology was perfectly able to understand you wanted a one-minute egg timerthe additional layer of Apple-designed Personalised Siri will ensure the familiar response users lovedirecting you to whatever it may find on the web.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apull Avatar
2 days ago at 07:00 am
This headline would be effective if it said "Apple Explains that Gemini-Powered Siri Will Work."
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whatnot Avatar
2 days ago at 07:05 am

In terms of the arrangement with Googlewe're not releasing the details of that.
that explains everything.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProbablyDylan Avatar
2 days ago at 07:49 am
I don't know why we're pretending it's about capability. It's about stability.

Anthropic and OpenAI might not be around in 12 months
Meta is socially toxic
Deepseek is politically toxic

That basically just leaves Google.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bluecoast Avatar
2 days ago at 07:51 am

Google’s Gemini has a much better chance to succeed vs the rivals due to the sheer volume of people using Google products worldwidecontinuously feeding more and more data into it. Google are also getting more and more comfortable with their market positionfor example asking people for more information when trying to create a new Google account linked to a non-Google email and actively encouraging Gmail users to turn on “Smart Features”. They also seem to be censoring Gemini responses. Try asking Gemini how to download a torrent file in iOSfor example. ?

My concern is that once Google see that Apple is comfortable with how their Siri collaboration is goingthey might want to repeat their Google Maps trickwhen Google asked Apple for more user dataApple said “No” and then had to bake up Apple Maps as a quick fixpretending they wanted to do it all along. Apple Maps are very useable by nowdepending on your countrybut the launch was a disasteras many will remember.

So I hope Apple know what they are doing and looking forward to a smarter Siri with iOS 26.4 and beyond.
Also I'd argue that Apple Maps has never really recovered from its disastrous launch in terms of general public perception.

Even nowpeople I know won't use it as 'it's not very good isn't it?'. You can't part them from Google Maps.

I wonder thenif the forthcoming Siri relaunch - if they keep the same name - will share the same fate as Apple Mapsgiven that Siri has been a disaster zone for 10 years now.

'Siri has been updatedyou say? I don't careSiri is terribleI use Gemini/ChatGPT' etc.

...Unless your key usage case for AI is setting timers. In which caseyou're golden right now.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)