iOS 26.4 Beta Ships Without Gemini-Powered Siri Upgrade, Delay Pushes to iOS 26.5 or iOS 27
Overview
Apple released the first iOS 26.4 developer beta on February 17, 2026, but none of the anticipated Gemini-powered Siri enhancements were included. Apple had announced its Google Gemini partnership in January, with iOS 26.4 widely expected to be the vehicle for a revamped Siri.
Why the Delay
According to MacRumors, internal testing surfaced quality and reliability problems in the new Siri architecture:
- Some queries not processed correctly
- Response latency exceeding acceptable thresholds
- Inconsistent performance in Personal Context and on-screen awareness features
New Timeline
Engineers are currently using iOS 26.5 for ongoing Siri testing, making it a possible landing zone for some features. If that update is not ready in time, the full upgrade will wait for iOS 27, which is previewed at WWDC in June and ships publicly in fall 2026.
Apple confirmed to media that the new Siri is still on track for a 2026 release, preserving the formal commitment even if the exact timing slips.
Source: MacRumors
Related Articles
Apple is planning an "Extensions" feature for iOS 27 that lets users choose a preferred third-party AI — including Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude — to power Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground, marking the company's most open AI ecosystem move yet.
Google is pushing Gemini Spark toward desktop automation. The update adds Mac support, custom MCP connections, and integrations with Canva, Dropbox, Instacart, OpenTable, and Zillow Rentals.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26 series on February 25, featuring Google Gemini's agentic AI that can autonomously operate third-party apps like Uber on a user's behalf — the first smartphone to offer true multi-step AI task execution.