On the heels of Apple Inc.’s long-awaited upgrade to its voice assistant, Siri, another delay has set back the expected rollout. The new Siri voice was supposed to be part of the iOS 26.4 update, due out sometime in March. Except, it’s set to take much longer to get there now, with several touted features delayed to subsequent iOS releases.
The company’s goal even seems to have been to launch a new and improved version of Siri along with its March update. Product managers are running into some big barriers throughout the product development process. These challenges have led Apple to return to the drawing board, resulting in a longer-than-anticipated timeline for the introduction of the new features.
Those recent advancements to Siri will, of course, take place over the next few months rather than overnight. Learn more about these improvements below, and get ready for some big improvements to be released with the May iOS update. A handful of highlights won’t be ready until the September launch of iOS 27. This staggered rollout is designed to give stakeholders the chance to test drive and refine each feature before it lands in the hands of end users.
To be clear, Apple hasn’t disclosed much about the nature of the challenges plaguing its Siri product management team. In response, the company is making further changes to the development schedule. This demonstrates that they’re committed to quality and experience over getting something out the door quickly.
Artificial intelligence and voice recognition technology are evolving rapidly. In reaction, Apple’s competitors are racing to enhance the power of their voice assistants. The reported delay in Siri’s improvements could prove devastating, especially as users expect ever smarter and more responsive digital assistants.
