Apple has once again delayed the much-anticipated overhaul of Siri, now promising its smarter AI assistant will arrive with iOS 26.4 next year. 
Sound familiar? That’s because this same promise was originally tied to iOS 18.4 – a version that’s come and gone without the smarter Siri in sight.
With Apple’s latest OS versioning now bumped to iOS 26 (following a rebranding across all its platforms), the tech giant appears more confident than ever. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS 26.4 is the target, and it’s slated for release in March or April of 2026. Apple fans may recall Gurman previously citing iOS 18.4 as the Siri update’s delivery vehicle – a milestone that ultimately slipped past without fulfillment.
Currently in beta, iOS 26 includes a bold visual redesign called “Liquid Glass,” which Apple has been using to keep users engaged while it catches up in the AI race. While flashy UI changes draw attention, it’s the upgraded Siri that could make or break Apple’s place in the next tech wave.
At WWDC last year, Apple introduced its “Apple Intelligence” suite for the upcoming iPhone 16, with the next-gen Siri positioned as a centerpiece. This iteration is expected to finally leverage powerful Large Language Models (LLMs), bringing real improvements to basic voice tasks that Siri still struggles with today – like setting timers or toggling settings reliably.
Meanwhile, competitors like Samsung and Google are surging ahead. Their devices – the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 – already run Google’s Gemini AI, delivering faster, smarter, and more contextual assistant experiences. To keep pace, Apple has partnered with OpenAI and is also exploring integration with Gemini on iOS.
If Apple misses this window again, it risks falling even further behind in key areas like AR wearables and smart home systems – areas that will depend heavily on competent, intuitive AI. All eyes are now on iOS 26.4. Will Siri finally evolve, or will it be another broken promise?