According to MacRumors, Apple is planning to use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence model to power a smarter version of Siri launching in 2026. The deal involves a 1.2 trillion parameter Google Gemini model and will cost Apple approximately $1 billion per year. This payment is just a fraction of the $20 billion Google paid Apple in 2022 for default search engine placement on Apple devices. Apple plans to use Gemini specifically for Siri’s summarizer and planner functions while running the model on its own Private Cloud Compute servers. The company is already expanding its server infrastructure in anticipation of the new Siri launch expected around March or April 2026.
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Siri Gets Serious
This is huge. Apple basically admitting they can’t compete with Google on the AI front right now. Think about it – Apple has always been about controlling the entire stack, from hardware to software. Now they’re outsourcing what might become the most important part of their digital assistant’s brain.
Here’s the thing though – it’s actually smart. They’re not buying the whole AI experience from Google. They’re picking specific functions where Gemini excels and keeping other Siri capabilities in-house. So a simple “read this PDF and summarize it” goes to Gemini, but your basic “set a timer” probably stays with Apple’s own models.
The Money Game
That $1 billion number sounds massive until you realize it’s pocket change in this relationship. Google paid Apple $20 billion just for search placement in 2022. Basically, Apple is getting cutting-edge AI capabilities for 5% of what Google pays them for search. Not a bad deal when you think about it.
And Apple’s running it on their own servers? That’s the real power move. They’re not just renting AI as a service – they’re buying the model but keeping the infrastructure. This gives them more control over privacy and performance, which has always been Apple’s thing.
What This Means For You
So when 2026 rolls around, your Siri should actually become useful for complex tasks. Asking it to “schedule a lunch meeting with Bob” will actually work instead of getting that frustrating “I can’t help with that” response. The planner function will handle the whole workflow – checking calendars, finding times, sending invites.
But here’s my question: Will this make Siri feel less… Apple? There’s something about outsourcing core intelligence that feels like a departure from their usual “it just works” philosophy. Then again, when you’re playing catch-up in AI, maybe pragmatism beats purity.
The timing is interesting too – 2026 feels like forever in AI years. By then, who knows what the landscape will look like? Apple’s betting that Google’s tech will still be competitive two years from now. That’s either brilliant foresight or a massive gamble.
