Some Apple Employees Have 'Concerns' About iOS 26.4's Revamped Siri
A Smarter Siri is Coming with iOS 26.4, But Insiders Worry It's Not Ready
Apple is on the verge of one of its most significant software updates in years. The upcoming iOS 26.4 update, expected to be released in the spring, is set to unleash a completely redesigned Siri, supercharged by the much-hyped "Apple Intelligence." This isn't just a minor tweak; it's a fundamental reimagining of the voice assistant that has been a staple of iPhones for over a decade. The goal is to transform Siri from a simple command-taker into a truly proactive, context-aware digital assistant. However, even as excitement builds, whispers from within Apple's own walls suggest the path to a smarter Siri is proving to be a bumpy one. Not everyone is satisfied with its current performance, raising questions about whether it will be ready for its public debut.
The Report: Concerns Emerge from Within Apple
The source of this latest insight is Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, a journalist with a long and trusted track record of reporting on Apple's internal workings. In his recent Power On newsletter, Gurman revealed that some of Apple's own software engineers have expressed "concerns" about the performance of the overhauled Siri. This is a significant piece of information, as it suggests that the development process is facing challenges just months before its anticipated launch.
Unfortunately, Gurman did not provide specific details about what these shortcomings are. The term "performance" can cover a wide range of issues. Are engineers worried about the speed and responsiveness of the assistant? Is it struggling with accuracy and misinterpreting commands? Or are there deeper problems with how it integrates with different apps and understands personal context? Without more information, we can only speculate. However, the mere existence of internal concern is noteworthy. Apple is known for its high standards and culture of perfectionism, so for these worries to surface publicly suggests they are more than just minor development hiccups.
The clock is ticking. iOS 26.4 is projected to be released to the public in March or April. This gives Apple's engineering teams a window of roughly five to six months to address these lingering issues, refine the software, and polish the user experience. It's a race against time to ensure that the new Siri not only meets the high expectations set by Apple but also competes effectively in an increasingly crowded AI landscape.
The Promise of Apple Intelligence: What's New with Siri?
To understand why these performance concerns are so critical, it's important to revisit what Apple promised when it first previewed the new Siri at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in 2024. The presentation showcased a vision for an assistant that is more powerful, more personal, and deeply integrated into the operating system. Apple outlined three core pillars for this new experience:
1. On-Screen Awareness
This is a game-changing capability that allows Siri to understand and act upon what is currently displayed on your screen. In the past, Siri was largely blind to your on-screen activity. Soon, you'll be able to make requests in context. For example, if a friend messages you a new address, you can simply say, "Add this address to their contact card," and Siri will know exactly which address and which contact you're referring to. If you're looking at a photo, you could say, "Enhance this photo," or "Send this to Mom." This feature aims to make interactions more natural and seamless, eliminating the need to manually copy and paste information between apps.
2. Personal Context
This is perhaps the most ambitious part of the upgrade. The new Siri is designed to have a deep understanding of your personal information stored across your device. It will be able to connect the dots between your emails, messages, calendar events, photos, and more to provide truly helpful and personalized answers. The example Apple demonstrated at WWDC was a user asking Siri, "When is my mom's flight landing?" and following up with, "What time is our lunch reservation?" Siri was able to pull the flight information from an email and the reservation details from a text message, understanding the context without the user needing to specify where to look. This level of intelligence relies heavily on Apple's on-device processing to ensure that your personal data remains private and secure—a key differentiator from cloud-based AI assistants.
3. In-App Controls
The revamped Siri will also gain the ability to perform complex, multi-step actions within and across apps. This goes far beyond the current capability of simply launching an app or performing a basic task like setting a timer. You could ask Siri to "Show me all the photos of Sarah and me from our trip to Hawaii last year and create a collage," and it would be able to find the photos, select them, and use an app to arrange them. Another example could be, "Find the PDF I downloaded yesterday about the project proposal and move it to my 'Work' folder." This feature, known as "App Intents," will allow developers to integrate their apps more deeply with Siri, opening up a world of possibilities for hands-free control of your device.
A History of Delays and High Stakes
This journey to a smarter Siri has not been a straight line. The features powered by Apple Intelligence were initially expected to debut with iOS 18.4 in late 2024. However, Apple chose to delay the launch, pushing it to the iOS 26.4 update in 2025. This decision underscores the immense complexity of what Apple is trying to achieve. Building a personal AI that is both powerful and private is an enormous technical challenge. The delay suggests that Apple would rather take its time and get it right than release a product that is unreliable or doesn't live up to the hype.
In a July update, Apple CEO Tim Cook commented on the progress, stating that the company was making "good progress" on the more personalized Siri features. He affirmed that they were on track to launch the following year. While this was reassuring at the time, Gurman's latest report indicates that there are still significant hurdles to overcome. The pressure on Apple is immense. Competitors like Google with its Gemini assistant and Microsoft with Copilot have been aggressively pushing their AI capabilities. Apple is seen by some as playing catch-up, and a flawed or underwhelming Siri launch would be a major public relations setback.
If these performance issues persist and cannot be resolved in the next few months, it's possible that the launch could be delayed again. Apple might also choose a phased rollout, releasing some of the more stable features first while continuing to work on the more complex ones in the background. Whatever the outcome, the stakes are incredibly high. A successful launch could redefine how we interact with our devices, while a failure could tarnish the reputation of both Siri and the broader Apple Intelligence initiative.
What This Means for You
For the average iPhone, iPad, or Mac user, this news is a reminder to temper expectations. The vision for a super-intelligent Siri is exciting, but the reality of software development is that big leaps forward often come with growing pains. When the new Siri does arrive, it may not be perfect from day one. There might be bugs, moments of confusion, or features that don't work as smoothly as they did in the polished WWDC demos.
However, the potential is undeniable. If Apple's engineers can overcome these challenges, the new Siri could fundamentally change our relationship with technology. It could make our devices feel less like tools and more like genuine assistants that understand our needs and help us manage our digital lives more efficiently. For now, all we can do is wait and watch. The coming months will be crucial for Apple's AI team as they work to squash bugs and optimize performance. The future of Apple's AI ambitions may very well rest on their success.
This article, "Some Apple Employees Have 'Concerns' About iOS 26.4's Revamped Siri" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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