What to know

  • Apple plans to pay Google about $1 billion yearly for access to Google’s 1.2 trillion-parameter Gemini AI model.
  • The new AI-powered Siri overhaul is expected to launch in spring 2026.
  • Google’s model will power key Siri functions including summarization and planning.
  • Some Siri features will continue to use Apple’s own AI models.

Apple is reportedly close to finalizing a deal to pay Google approximately $1 billion annually for access to Google's advanced Gemini AI model, which has 1.2 trillion parameters. This will power a major overhaul of Apple's Siri voice assistant, set to launch in 2026.

The deal marks a significant partnership where Google’s AI handles key Siri functions like summarization and planning, while some features will still use Apple’s in-house models. The move aims to substantially improve Siri's capabilities, leveraging Google's superior AI technology compared to Apple's current system.

Apple's current AI models for Siri have significantly fewer parameters (around 150 billion for cloud-based AI, 3 billion for local AI) compared to Google's Gemini model, which boasts 1.2 trillion parameters. This scale difference suggests much higher complexity and processing power in Google's AI. 

The partnership, internally dubbed "Project Glenwood" or Siri's "Linwood" upgrade, enables Apple to rapidly enhance Siri’s ability to handle complex queries and tasks, which have lagged behind competitors like Google Assistant and Alexa. 

The revamp of Siri powered by Google’s Gemini AI is expected to provide a smarter, more capable voice assistant. While the size and power of the AI model suggest major improvements in understanding and responding to users, the user experience improvements might be incremental rather than revolutionary at first. The rollout is planned for iOS 26.4 in spring 2026, potentially coinciding with new features across Apple's device ecosystem, including enhanced voice assistance and smart home integration.