Apple and Google Partner to Integrate Gemini AI into Siri and Apple Intelligence

Apple has announced a multi-year partnership with Google to integrate Google's Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) models into its Siri virtual assistant and broader Apple Intelligence features. This collaboration aims to deliver advanced AI capabilities to Apple users, with a significant rollout anticipated in 2026. The agreement positions Google's Gemini as a foundational layer for Apple's AI development, while Apple maintains its privacy standards through the use of its Private Cloud Compute system.

The partnership is set to deliver advanced AI capabilities to Apple users, with Google's Gemini serving as a foundational layer for Apple's AI development.

Partnership Details and Implementation

The partnership involves Google's Gemini AI models powering a more personalized version of Siri and various Apple Intelligence functionalities. Apple will utilize both Gemini AI and Google's cloud technology for future frontier models and AI features. A key aspect of the agreement is that Gemini instances will operate on Apple's servers via its Private Cloud Compute offering, designed to uphold Apple's privacy standards. Users are expected to have the option to share prompts directly with Gemini.

The deal is characterized as a multi-year contract, with financial reports suggesting an annual payment of approximately $1 billion from Apple to Google, potentially amounting to a multi-billion dollar agreement over its duration, structured as a cloud computing contract. This collaboration extends a long-standing relationship between the two companies, which notably includes Google serving as the default search engine on Apple devices.

Apple's Evolving AI Strategy

This partnership follows a period where Apple faced challenges and delays in its internal AI development and the rollout of Apple Intelligence features. Initial difficulties were noted with the Apple Intelligence rollout in 2024, including the iPhone 16 launching without anticipated AI features. While some functionalities were introduced later, a more advanced Siri did not materialize as expected. This led to Apple executives acknowledging a need to re-evaluate their strategy and subsequent internal personnel adjustments.

In response to these challenges, Apple sought external partnerships for AI model development in the second half of 2025, moving away from sole reliance on in-house creation. Previously, Apple had integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT into its generative AI suite, Apple Intelligence, in June 2024, utilizing it as an interim solution. Reports indicate that Google's Gemini has surpassed ChatGPT in various benchmarks and rankings.

The decision to integrate external models represents a shift from Apple's historical philosophy, articulated by Tim Cook in 2009, which emphasized owning and controlling the primary technologies behind its products.

This current AI strategy suggests that Apple either views AI models as an underlying service rather than a primary technology or reflects a different assessment of AI's role in future platform shifts. Apple plans to continue developing its own on-device AI models and intends to adapt external partner models for efficiency on its hardware, with potential considerations for acquiring smaller AI firms specializing in model compression and optimization.

Leadership and Direction within Apple's AI Division

Apple's artificial intelligence organization is now overseen by software chief Craig Federighi. This restructuring aims to accelerate the overhaul of Siri and AI development. Federighi reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of Apple's AI progress in the fall, leading to the consolidation of AI leadership under him by December.

Reports indicated Federighi was previously characterized as an "AI skeptic" until his experience with OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022. Following this, he reportedly developed an appreciation for AI technology and directed his teams to explore its integration. Federighi, known for being meticulous about expenses, initially favored software with fixed behaviors over dynamic algorithms, expressing concerns about user disorientation, such as with a pitched AI feature for dynamic iPhone home screens. Mike Rockwell, who leads Siri development, now reports to Federighi.

Rollout Timeline and Device Compatibility

The integration of Gemini-powered Siri is expected to be demonstrated in the second half of February, with beta testing for iOS 26.4 scheduled for the same month, leading to a public release in March or early April. A more comprehensive reveal of the new Siri, internally codenamed Campos, is anticipated at Apple's annual developer conference in the summer. The latest Siri and associated Gemini-powered Apple Intelligence features are projected to arrive with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, with beta releases expected in the summer.

Initial plans for Apple Intelligence required an A17 Pro chip or later, limiting availability to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models at launch. However, due to the delay in the rollout, Apple Intelligence will now support a broader range of devices, including all iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 models, in addition to the iPhone 15 Pro series. This expansion increases the number of Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone models to 11, making it accessible as a free software update for a significant portion of the iPhone customer base.

Strategic and Financial Implications for Companies

For Apple, the partnership provides a solution to previous challenges in its AI strategy, allowing it to focus on user experience by leveraging Google's AI foundation. This could enable Apple to become a key participant in the AI agent market. For Google, the partnership is expected to expand its user base through iPhone integration and strengthen its brand image as a leading AI model provider.

During Alphabet's fourth-quarter earnings call, the company did not directly address an investor's question regarding its strategy for AI partnerships, specifically mentioning the Google-Apple AI deal. CEO Sundar Pichai and Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler both stated that Google is Apple's 'preferred cloud provider' and is assisting in developing 'the next generation of Apple foundation models based on Gemini technology.'

Antitrust Concerns

Experts have indicated that this agreement could attract antitrust scrutiny similar to issues Google recently addressed regarding its search engine dominance. While a preemptive block on such deals was not adopted in previous trials, this new agreement might lead to future antitrust investigations. The specific details of data exchange are considered crucial from an antitrust perspective; if Google primarily receives payment without extensive data flow, the antitrust concerns might be less pronounced than with the search engine deal, which involved a significant volume of queries.

OpenAI's Position

A report indicated that OpenAI made a deliberate choice not to partner with Apple for Siri's AI in the autumn of the previous year. A person close to OpenAI mentioned that the company intends to prioritize the development of its own AI device, which is reportedly hardware designed by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. Discussions between Apple and OpenAI likely occurred, but it is not confirmed whether Apple formally offered a contract or if OpenAI explicitly declined a potential offer.