Siri 2.0 delayed again: apple shifts focus to gemini for ios 26.5

iPhone users anticipating a major upgrade to Siri are facing another delay. Apple has pushed back the release of the highly anticipated Siri 2.0, now slated for iOS 26.5, after encountering complications with the ai's performance.

Personal siri's debut postponed

Initially slated for the iOS 26.4 beta, this iteration of Siri promised a significant leap forward. The vision? A digital assistant capable of understanding complex, multi-step requests – envisioning tasks like lighting a photo or managing contacts without leaving the current app. This advancement hinged on integrating a powerful new ai model.

The delay stems from reports that the ai, designed to function as a more conversational chatbot, exhibited issues with generating inaccurate or nonsensical responses – a common pitfall with large language models. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman first reported the setback, dashing hopes of an immediate release.

Gemini partnership: a $1 billion bet

Instead of a quick fix for iOS 26.4, Apple is now doubling down on a partnership with Google. The company is reportedly paying Google a rumored $1 billion annually to integrate a custom Gemini model— boasting 1.2 trillion parameters, a substantial increase from the 150 billion parameter model currently powering Siri. This move suggests Apple recognizes the need for significantly more processing power and data to deliver a truly sophisticated ai assistant.

Android users already have access to Gemini as their digital assistant, enabling features like setting alarms and timers within the app—capabilities currently unavailable to iOS users. The iOS 26.5 beta, expected to arrive within days of the iOS 26.4 beta, will likely bring the first taste of this enhanced functionality.

Those eager to experience the power of Gemini can download the app from the App Store. While occasional