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New Siri: Apple Almost Chose a Different Partner Before Google Gemini

New Siri: Apple Almost Chose a Different Partner Before Google Gemini

In a recent interview with the tech podcast TBPN , Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman revealed that Apple was initially "going to rebuild Siri around Claude ," the large language model and chatbot developed by the company Anthropic . In the end, though, Apple announced that it had decided to use Google's Gemini platform instead. According to Gurman, Apple went with Google due at least in part to money. "Anthropic was holding them over a barrel," said Gurman, in a podcast clip shared by TBPN . "They wanted a ton of money from them, several billion dollars a year, and at a price that doubled on an annual basis for the next three years." Nevertheless, Gurman said Apple currently "runs on Anthropic" internally. "Anthropic is powering a lot of the stuff Apple's doing internally in terms of product development and a lot of their internal tools," he explained. "They have custom versions of Claude running on their own servers internally, too." Apple was "not going to use Google" for the revamped Siri until "a few months ago," he said. Apple announced that it plans to release a more personalized version of Siri powered by Google Gemini this year. It is expected to be part of iOS 26.4 , which should enter beta testing in February and be released to the general public in March or April. The new-and-improved Siri likely requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer. Back in June 2024, Apple said the revamped Siri will have awareness of personal context, on-screen awareness, deeper in-app controls, and more. At the time, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info retrieved from the Mail and Messages apps. Bloomberg's @markgurman says that even though Apple partnered with Google Gemini for Siri, they actually run their business on Anthropic. "Apple runs on Anthropic at this point. Anthropic is powering a lot of the stuff Apple's doing internally in terms of product development and… pic.twitter.com/NpW0Pyj03J — TBPN (@tbpn) January 29, 2026 Tags: Anthropic , Mark Gurman , Siri This article, " New Siri: Apple Almost Chose a Different Partner Before Google Gemini " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

The Netherlands' consumer protection regulator launches an investigation into Roblox under the DSA over potential risks to underage users in the EU (Charlotte Van Campenhout/Reuters)

The Netherlands' consumer protection regulator launches an investigation into Roblox under the DSA over potential risks to underage users in the EU (Charlotte Van Campenhout/Reuters)

Charlotte Van Campenhout / Reuters : The Netherlands' consumer protection regulator launches an investigation into Roblox under the DSA over potential risks to underage users in the EU —  The Netherlands' consumer protection regulator ACM has launched an investigation into U.S. gaming platform Roblox (RBLX.N) …

What to Expect From Apple in February, Including Revamped Siri in Beta

What to Expect From Apple in February, Including Revamped Siri in Beta

Following a January that saw Apple release a new AirTag and the Creator Studio bundle of creative apps, it is now time to shift our attention to February. Below, we have outlined some key items to expect from Apple in February. Of course, these are only the things that are known, so stay tuned for even more. iOS 26.3 iOS 26.3 remains in beta testing, but the update should be released soon. We expect the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to be seeded as early as next week, and the update should be released to the general public in the first half of February . iOS 26.3 is a relatively minor update, with only a handful of notable new features, including a new iOS-to-Android transfer tool , notification forwarding and AirPods-like proximity pairing for third-party accessories like smartwatches, and a carrier-related limit precise location setting . Apple also appears to be laying the groundwork for carriers to begin supporting end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging, which it has promised to implement . Personalized Siri (Beta) Apple plans to announce a more personalized version of Siri powered by Google Gemini in the second half of February , according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . The more personalized Siri will be part of iOS 26.4, which will be available in beta in February and released to the general public in March or early April, according to Gurman. Based on that timeframe, the new-and-improved Siri should be available to all customers with an iPhone 15 Pro or newer in just a few more months. As previewed by Apple, the assistant "should be able to tap into personal data and on-screen content to fulfill tasks," according to Gurman. Apple first announced the more personalized version of Siri all the way back at WWDC 2024, but it was eventually delayed . At the time, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservation plans based on info retrieved from the Mail and Messages apps, as one example of a new capability. The revamped Siri reportedly experienced issues inside Apple, leading the company to turn to Google Gemini . As part of the partnership, the revamped Siri will still run on a new Apple Intelligence model that has Gemini's technology baked in. Other Known Dates Thursday, February 5: Another four games are coming to Apple Arcade , including Retrocade, an app that lets you play classic arcade games like Asteroids, PAC-MAN, Breakout, Galaga, and Space Invaders. One of the other additions will be an arcade version of the popular PC game Sid Meier's Civilization VII. Friday, February 6: Apple will accept submissions for the 2026 Swift Student Challenge from Friday, February 6 through Saturday, February 28. Some of the winners will be invited to spend three days at Apple Park during WWDC 2026 in June. Sunday, February 8: Apple Music is the official sponsor of the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show , set to be held on Sunday, February 8. This year's performer is Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny. Tuesday, February 10: A few years ago, Apple's Home app was rearchitected, and the company will be ending support for the original architecture on this day. If you do not update, Apple warns you might experience issues. Tuesday, February 24: Apple will be holding its annual shareholders meeting at 8 a.m. Pacific Time, and it will once again be held virtually. Apple shareholders of record as of January 2, 2026 can vote to re-elect the company's board of directors, ask questions, and more. Apple rarely answers any questions about future plans, so the meetings are often unremarkable from a news perspective. Related Roundups: iOS 26 , iPadOS 26 Tag: Siri Related Forum: iOS 26 This article, " What to Expect From Apple in February, Including Revamped Siri in Beta " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums