Report: Apple considers waiting list for new Siri beta

Contents

When renewing its voice assistant Siri, Apple is apparently considering the use of a waiting list during the beta testing phase. This could mean that not everyone who has installed the beta will immediately get to enjoy the new Siri. The iPhone manufacturer already practiced something similar two years ago with Apple Intelligence. The list, where interested parties can digitally register, is apparently intended to prevent server overload due to high demand. In general, Apple appears to be proceeding cautiously here, reminiscent of the initial introduction of Apple AI. Internally, Siri is still referred to as “Beta” and “Preview”.

A few days before the start of Apple's developer conference WWDC, the picture of what users of Apple's operating systems can expect from autumn is becoming clearer. The newly introduced versions will go into beta testing starting next week. Experience has shown that a release can be expected in September. The daring can gain access to developer beta versions with a paid developer account or wait for the freely available public betas, which usually follow in July.

Siri gets a complete overhaul

Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman expects a completely overhauled Siri, which is said to be based on Google's Gemini model as its core technology. Apple also wants to give the assistant a new look: in the future, it should be located near the display cutout in the Dynamic Island and flexibly expand depending on the application, up to its own full-screen Siri app. It remains unclear how the planned hosting on Google servers fits with Apple's hitherto rigid data protection approach. Two years ago, Private Cloud Compute was introduced as a data-saving procedure to process cloud requests from AI as anonymously as possible.

In general, however, after two years of waiting in vain for the AI Siri announced at the time, Apple seems to be switching to a concept that relies on partnerships with well-known AI providers. According to Gurman, Siri should also allow switching to different chatbots in a “Search or Ask” interface – leaks and renderings have already shown the new interface. Possible chatbots being discussed are OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's Gemini. The new Siri app is said to be reminiscent of the ChatGPT interface, synchronize with other devices via iCloud, and maintain a conversation history.

Apple's own web search?

As Apple's own offering, it is expected that a new web search will be offered via Siri. The US company wants to launch this as a competitor to Perplexity, Google, and ChatGPT. The new Siri should also be able to accept multiple tasks in one prompt.

AI will likely be the dominant theme of the video keynote, which begins on Monday, June 8, at 7 p.m. Central European Summer Time. New AI image editing functions in the Photos app, automatic tab grouping via AI in the Safari browser, and changes to Visual Intelligence, Apple's AI function for image input, are also expected. Previously, three more new AI features for iOS 27 had already leaked, including AI-generated wallpapers and an improved writing assistant.

Focus on stability and performance

In iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, and the other operating systems of the new 27 generation, there will otherwise be a focus on stability, performance, and battery life. Apple is also laying the groundwork for the introduction of a foldable iPhone in the autumn, it is said.

Mac & i and heise online will report on Monday evening with, among other things, a live ticker and news about the innovations. Analyses, videos, and podcasts will round off the news offering for WWDC 2026.

(mki)