Key Takeaways
- Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion annually for AI technology access
- Siri’s major overhaul will use Google’s 1.2 trillion parameter AI model
- Revamped Siri expected to launch with iOS 26.4 next year
- Project led by Apple’s Mike Rockwell and Craig Federighi
Apple and Google are finalizing a landmark $1 billion annual deal to completely transform Siri using Google’s advanced artificial intelligence technology. The partnership marks one of the most significant collaborations between the tech giants in recent years.
The Groundbreaking AI Partnership
After extensive evaluation, Apple selected Google’s AI technology over competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. The iPhone maker will utilize Google’s massive 1.2 trillion parameter model, which dramatically surpasses Apple’s current AI capabilities.
According to Bloomberg, the companies are nearing final agreement on the arrangement where Apple would pay approximately $1 billion per year for access to Google’s Gemini technology.
Siri’s Major Transformation
Apple plans to launch the completely redesigned Siri by next year, banking heavily on Google’s AI infrastructure. The custom version of Google’s Gemini system represents a massive leap from the 150-billion-parameter model currently powering Apple Intelligence.
This upgrade will significantly enhance computational strength, enabling Siri to interpret complex data and context with far greater precision and capability.
Project Leadership and Timeline
Internally codenamed Glenwood, the Siri revamp initiative is being led by Mike Rockwell, creator of the Vision Pro headset, alongside Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering. The redesigned voice assistant, scheduled for release with iOS 26.4, carries the code name Linwood.
Functional Division Between AI Systems
Under the collaboration, Google’s Gemini model will handle Siri’s summarization and task-planning functions, allowing the assistant to analyze information and coordinate complex commands. Meanwhile, select Siri capabilities will continue to rely on Apple’s proprietary AI systems.
The arrangement serves as an interim solution while Apple develops its own powerful AI models capable of handling these advanced tasks independently.
