TL;DR
Apple announced a new AI-powered Siri in its WWDC 2026 keynote, but only supported devices—iPhone 15 Pro and newer, certain iPads, and Macs—will receive the update. The upgrade will initially be available as a beta, with full support coming this fall.
Apple has confirmed that its new, AI-enhanced Siri will be available only on specific iPhone, iPad, and Mac models this fall. The upgrade, announced at WWDC 2026, will initially be released as a beta, requiring users to opt in. This marks a significant step in Apple’s effort to improve its virtual assistant with more advanced capabilities.
According to Apple, the new Siri AI will be supported on all devices compatible with the upcoming iOS 27, including every iPhone since the iPhone 15 Pro, the 2024 iPad mini, and Macs powered by Apple silicon. Devices like the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and the iPhone Air will leverage more powerful on-device AI models, enabling features such as expressive voices, better speech recognition, and more accurate dictation. However, it remains unclear whether the upcoming iPhone 18 base model or the rumored iPhone Fold will also support these enhancements.
Apple says the new Siri will handle complex, context-aware queries by referencing information from notes, messages, emails, and photos. The AI is built on newer Apple Foundation Models stored on-device, which aims to improve response speed and privacy. More advanced models for Pro devices will utilize Private Cloud Compute, ensuring user data remains inaccessible to outside parties. The rollout will begin with a beta version, likely requiring users to manually opt in, similar to previous developer beta programs.
Implications for iPhone and Apple Ecosystem Users
This development signals Apple’s focus on enhancing Siri’s capabilities specifically on newer, higher-end devices, potentially creating a performance gap with older models. The upgrade aims to make Siri more useful for complex tasks, improving user experience and privacy. For users with supported devices, this could mean more natural interactions and faster responses, reinforcing Apple’s push towards AI-driven features in its ecosystem. However, the limited device support raises questions about the future of AI features on older iPhones and other Apple products.
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Background on Siri’s Evolution and Apple’s AI Push
Siri, introduced in 2011, has historically been a basic virtual assistant with limited capabilities. Despite Apple’s investments in AI, recent updates have been incremental. The announcement at WWDC 2026 marks a notable shift, with Apple emphasizing a new AI architecture that promises more advanced, on-device processing. Prior to this, Apple had been slow to incorporate AI features compared to competitors. The new Siri AI is built on Apple Foundation Models, aiming to balance performance with privacy by processing data locally on supported devices, with more complex tasks offloaded to cloud-based models.
“The new Siri AI represents a significant upgrade, especially on Pro devices, with more natural speech and better understanding of complex queries.”
— an anonymous researcher
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Support for Future iPhone Models Unclear
It is not yet confirmed whether the upcoming iPhone 18 base model or the rumored iPhone Fold will support the new Siri AI. Apple has indicated that the most powerful AI models require at least 12GB of RAM, and speculation suggests the non-Pro iPhone 18 may not meet this requirement. Details about support for these future devices are still emerging.
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Upcoming Beta Release and Full Deployment Timeline
Apple is expected to begin rolling out the beta version of Siri AI to supported devices later this summer, with a wider public release scheduled for this fall alongside iOS 27. Users with compatible devices will likely need to opt in manually. Further details on device support for the iPhone 18 and iPhone Fold will become clearer as Apple finalizes its hardware and software plans.
Siri AI compatible devices
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Key Questions
Which iPhone models will get the new Siri AI?
The new Siri AI will be available on all iPhones supporting iOS 27, specifically starting with the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, including the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air.
Will older iPhones receive the Siri AI update?
No, support is limited to devices compatible with iOS 27, which excludes iPhones earlier than the iPhone 15 Pro. Older models will not receive the upgrade.
When will the Siri AI be available to users?
Apple plans to release the beta version later this summer, with the full, stable release expected this fall, coinciding with iOS 27’s launch.
What new features will Siri AI include?
Siri AI will handle more complex, context-aware queries, reference information from notes and messages, support expressive voices, and offer improved speech recognition and dictation, especially on Pro models.
Will the iPhone 18 support the new Siri AI?
It remains uncertain. Apple has indicated high RAM requirements for the most advanced AI models, and support for the base iPhone 18 has not yet been confirmed.
Source: Engadget
