Apple’s new Siri AI is arriving later this year, but only on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices compatible with Apple Intelligence. The upgrade is set to roll out with iOS 27 this fall as a beta, with on-device Foundation Models for speed and privacy—while certain
The wait for a smarter Siri has dragged on for years. and Apple has finally moved from promises to something closer to proof. At its WWDC 2026 keynote. Apple announced an improved version of Siri—now labeled Siri AI—and it’s the kind of upgrade that matters because it aims to do more than respond. It’s built to answer complex queries and carry out chained commands.
But the most important part isn’t how Siri sounds or what it can do. It’s who gets it.
Only devices compatible with Apple Intelligence will receive Siri AI later this year. That includes every iPhone released since the iPhone 15 Pro, along with iPad and Mac models powered by Apple silicon. Apple is also supporting the 2024 iPad mini because it uses the same SoC as the iPhone 15 Pro.
You’ll be able to tell whether you’re in the group once the feature lands by checking the Settings app. Scroll down and look for the “Apple Intelligence & Siri” section—if it appears. your iPhone is on track to receive the AI-powered Siri upgrade when the stable release of iOS 27 comes out this fall.
Apple is starting conservatively. It says the new assistant will initially be released as a beta, and users will likely need to manually opt in to access Siri AI—similar to how people testing the iOS 27 developer beta had to join a waitlist.
Compatibility with iOS 27 may not be a deal-breaker for many users, either. Apple is extending support back as far as the iPhone 11.
For what Siri AI can actually do, Apple’s framing is clear: it’s designed for personal requests that feel more aware of your life and context. Siri can understand context and reference information from your notes, messages, emails, and photos.
That capability is powered by newer Apple Foundation Models stored on-device. a choice Apple positions as a way to improve response times while protecting privacy. When prompts become more complex. Apple says those requests are offloaded to bigger models stored in the cloud via Private Cloud Compute—while still aiming to keep your data inaccessible to anyone else besides you.
There’s also a hardware distinction baked into the upgrade. If you own an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or the iPhone Air, Siri AI can use an even more powerful on-device model. Apple says this will enable expressive voices for Siri, improved speech recognition, and more accurate dictation.
The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro will also get those more powerful on-device AI models. and the rumored iPhone Fold is expected to as well. What happens with the base model iPhone 18 is less certain. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is looking to bump up memory in non-Pro iPhones to 9GB. but Apple says its most powerful on-device AI models require at least 12GB of RAM.
None of this comes without skepticism. Much of the Apple Intelligence suite so far has been criticized for features that don’t meaningfully improve the day-to-day iPhone experience. Still, Siri AI appears to be different—at least based on hands-on testing. Even on beta builds. the assistant was described as fast and accurate. and for complex queries and chained tasks. it reportedly feels genuinely useful.
In the end, Siri AI’s promise is straightforward: a Siri that can do more than respond. The catch is equally clear—your phone’s compatibility determines whether you get the upgrade at all.
Siri AI Apple Intelligence iOS 27 WWDC 2026 iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 17 Pro iPhone Air iPhone 18 Pro Private Cloud Compute on-device models Apple Foundation Models dictation speech recognition