Will Siri Finally Become Truly Useful?
That’s the promise Apple unveiled at its recent “Glowtime” event, where the tech giant showcased its iPhone 16 lineup—the first to feature groundbreaking AI capabilities via Apple Intelligence, along with a collaboration with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT.
While the full benefits of Siri's upgrade will take time to realize with the rollout of Apple Intelligence, Apple assures users that their iPhones will evolve into not just portable computers but also personal AI-powered assistants.
In the short term, Siri will experience notable enhancements, such as the ability to type queries instead of speaking them and engage in more conversational interactions—complete with occasional natural hesitations—thanks to its improved language comprehension. Additionally, users will now be able to customize the wake word for Siri through a new accessibility option.
Developers will gain access to SiriKit, allowing for the integration of Apple Intelligence-enhanced features into various applications, similar to how Apple has previously merged Siri with its built-in apps, including Calendar, Mail, Notes, Safari, and more.
Apple’s AirPods will also elevate the Siri experience, allowing users to nod or shake their heads in response to Siri's announcements.
To highlight these advancements, Siri will undergo a visual revamp in iOS 18. Instead of the traditional glowing orb at the bottom of the screen, Siri will illuminate the edges of the iPhone, creating a vibrant display when activated across devices like iPhones, iPads, and CarPlay.
Unlike the rapid launch of new iPhone models, the rollout of Apple Intelligence—marking Siri's major upgrade—will unfold gradually. Apple indicates that the first features will enter beta testing next month, initially supporting U.S. English, with plans to expand to localized English dialects for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. Next year, support will extend to users speaking Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
Additional Apple Intelligence features like Writing Tools and Summaries for Mail and Notifications will also enter beta next month across iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.
The Power of Apple Intelligence
Once Apple Intelligence is fully integrated, Siri will be capable of handling complex questions and commands that take your personal context into account. For example, you'll be able to reference a song you streamed, an unread email, or a scheduled calendar event. This means you could ask Siri about a meeting's details or request it to send a drafted email—moving beyond simple tasks like "call Mom."
According to Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, “With Siri’s enhanced understanding of your preferences, you can simply say, ‘Send Erica the photos from Saturday’s barbecue,’ and Siri will quickly retrieve those images to share, along with offering new ways to express and reflect on your memories.” He added that "Apple Intelligence will revolutionize how you interact with your iPhone," and it will be delivered as a free software update.
Siri will also provide improved technical support, featuring enhanced knowledge of Apple products and their functionalities.
Moreover, Siri’s contextual awareness will allow it to assist with tasks that typical assistants handle. For instance, you could instruct Siri to add a friend's address to their contact by responding to a text, or you might ask it to apply a filter to a photo and share it in another app. If a friend mentions a new album, you could tell Siri to "play that," or easily add photos to an album or send them to someone else. You can even ask Siri to summarize a recording’s transcript.
For photographers using the iPhone 16 Pro models, Siri's new capabilities will prove particularly beneficial. Users can request specific shots from their photo library and apply edits in apps like Darkroom, or seek suggestions on how to enhance their photographs.
Despite these advancements, the most significant improvements for Siri may stem from its collaboration with OpenAI, announced earlier this year during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. With Apple Intelligence, Siri will allow users to ask broader questions about “world knowledge” and directly connect to ChatGPT, thereby sidestepping instances where it redirects users to web searches for answers it can't provide.
This partnership positions Apple competitively in the AI landscape, where it is often perceived as lagging, all while mitigating the risks associated with flawed AI responses.
Looking ahead, Apple is expected to announce additional AI collaborations, continuing its push into the AI realm.
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