Apple’s much-anticipated overhaul of Siri, its digital voice assistant, has become a saga of delays, rumors, and mounting frustration for both customers and industry watchers. What was once heralded as a leap forward in AI-powered personal assistance has, as of February 2026, transformed into a story of missed deadlines, shifting promises, and an increasingly competitive tech landscape that refuses to wait for Apple to catch up.
Rumors began swirling in mid-February 2026, with reports suggesting that internal struggles at Apple might force a delay of the new Siri features expected in iOS 26.4, the next major update to the iPhone’s operating system. According to AppleInsider, anonymous tipsters pointed to issues in internal testing, with some speculating that even the much-touted Apple Intelligence upgrades could be pushed back. The stock market and analysts responded with their characteristic jitters, and the rumor mill spun into overdrive. Adding to the drama, Apple was simultaneously facing scrutiny from the FTC over alleged Apple News bias, compounding the company’s public relations headaches.
Yet, when CNBC pressed Apple for clarity, the company issued a terse but reassuring statement: "still on track to launch in 2026." While Apple is famously secretive about its product timelines, this rare confirmation was enough to temporarily calm some nerves. The company’s executives have been hyping the coming Siri relaunch for months, and it seemed unlikely they would continue to do so if the project were truly in jeopardy. Still, the original report on delays—citing issues from December 2025 and January 2026—may have confused an internal feature flag for an actual delay indicator, according to AppleInsider.
But the story doesn’t end there. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a journalist with a strong record for Apple scoops, reported that at least some of Siri’s new AI features, originally promised for iOS 26.4, are now being pushed to iOS 26.5 (expected in May 2026) or even iOS 27 (slated for September 2026). Among the features most likely to slip are "voice-based control of in-app actions" and "the expanded ability for Siri to tap into personal data," Gurman wrote, citing sources familiar with the matter. This would allow users to ask Siri to search old text messages for a podcast shared by a friend, then immediately play it. If accurate, this means that Siri’s AI overhaul will arrive almost two years after its initial announcement in June 2024—a delay that has left many early adopters, especially those who bought iPhone 16-series phones in anticipation, feeling shortchanged.
TechRadar’s coverage captured the mood among Apple fans and critics alike, describing the drawn-out wait as "a huge embarrassment for Apple." The site noted that, while Apple originally planned to deliver the new Siri as part of iOS 18 in 2024, the features have now been bumped to later iOS versions. "None of these issues dragged on for quite as long as the current Siri debacle," TechRadar commented, referencing past Apple missteps like ‘antennagate’ and the failed AirPower charger. The publication also pointed out that Apple’s reliance on Google’s Gemini AI technology for the new Siri—rather than its own in-house solution—underscores just how far behind the competition Apple has fallen. Android’s Gemini-powered assistants, for example, have been offering many of the promised features for years.
Meanwhile, the uncertainty over Siri’s timeline is having ripple effects throughout Apple’s product ecosystem. As reported by BGR and corroborated by Bloomberg, the delay of Siri’s core features could push back the release of at least four new Apple products: a smart home hub (reportedly called "HomePad"), a smart doorbell, a new Apple TV 4K, and Apple’s first-generation AR Glasses. Each of these devices is expected to lean heavily on the new Siri’s intelligence and app integration capabilities. The HomePad, for instance, is rumored to be a hybrid of a HomePod speaker and an iPad tablet, featuring a 6 or 7-inch display and Apple’s A18 chip. With Apple Intelligence support, it’s supposed to control apps, play music, and facilitate FaceTime calls—much like Amazon’s Echo Show, but with deeper iOS integration.
The smart doorbell, though less dependent on Siri, is designed to work seamlessly with the HomePad and could feature ultra wide-band technology for unlocking doors with an iPhone, as seen in new products at CES 2026. The new Apple TV 4K, expected to debut with the A17 Pro chip and enhanced AI support, has also been delayed, with recent tvOS updates offering little in the way of new features. Last but not least, Apple’s AR Glasses—once a symbol of the company’s innovation—are now said to be in a holding pattern. Early versions are expected to offer speakers, cameras, and voice control via Siri, but will lack the in-lens display needed for true augmented reality. If Siri’s features slip further, these devices might not launch until late 2026 or even 2027, according to Bloomberg and MacRumors.
Looking further ahead, rumors about iOS 27 (expected in September 2026) suggest that Apple is planning a full-fledged Siri chatbot, enabling natural back-and-forth conversations in the style of OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini. According to MacRumors, iOS 27 will also bring Apple Intelligence features powered by Gemini to the Calendar app, and possibly bits of the long-rumored Apple Health+ subscription, which was supposed to offer AI-powered health and fitness recommendations. However, the Health+ service has reportedly been reworked and may only arrive in pieces, if at all. Other iOS 27 enhancements are expected to include 5G satellite connectivity for iPhone 18 Pro models, Apple Maps via satellite, and the ability to send photos in Messages over satellite. Apple is also said to be focusing on bug fixes, stability, and a new "Liquid Glass" design for iOS 27—a nod to the company’s need to polish its core software after years of ambitious but delayed feature rollouts.
Despite the delays, Apple remains adamant that the new Siri and Apple Intelligence upgrades are "on track to launch in 2026." The iOS 26.4 beta is imminent, and WWDC 2026 is rumored to focus heavily on even more powerful Apple Foundation Models running Siri. Yet, as the wait drags on, customers and analysts alike are left wondering: will Siri finally deliver on its AI promises, or will Apple’s assistant remain a step behind the competition?
The coming months will be crucial for Apple as it seeks to regain the trust of its users and reassert its place at the forefront of consumer technology. For now, the world watches—and waits—for Siri’s long-delayed transformation to finally arrive.