Following the long-awaited overhaul, the company says the system will bring deeper intelligence across its devices, but it will not launch everywhere at the same time.

The update focuses on a more conversational assistant that can understand context across apps and screens. It also allows users to interact with Siri in a more continuous way, including through a dedicated interface that stores recent interactions privately.

Apple says Siri AI can now search across Messages, Mail, Photos and Calendar to surface personal information when needed. It also reads what is on a device screen and responds based on that content. The assistant is also designed to work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods and Vision Pro.

A camera-linked feature adds another layer, where users can point their device at objects and ask Siri to interpret them. Apple says this can include tasks such as analysing food items or helping split shared bills.

At the core of the system is what Apple calls “Apple Intelligence”, built on its own Foundation Models. The company says some tasks will run on-device, while more complex requests will use Private Cloud Compute.

Apple stated that “Privacy at Every Step,” is still very much central to the design, explaining that external support from Google’s Gemini model helps with some cloud-based functions. However, the company maintains that user data is not stored in a way that links back to individuals.

Despite the rollout, access will be restricted in key markets at launch. Users in the European Union will not receive Siri AI on iPhone or iPad when iOS 27 and related updates arrive later this year. China will also miss the initial rollout.

Apple links the European restriction to regulatory demands under the Digital Markets Act. The company argues that it cannot safely integrate the system under current conditions.

In its statement, it said regulators require “direct access to users’ private data – and the ability to directly control other installed applications – as soon as Siri AI is made available in the EU without the necessary safeguards to ensure user and data safety”.

The company also referenced its earlier proposal to regulators, describing a “Trusted System Agent” approach, which it says was not accepted. Apple maintains that the rejected model would have allowed safer integration with competing assistants.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said EU users will not get Siri AI on iPhone or iPad with the new operating system releases this year. He confirmed the restriction during the announcement window.

The company also stated that “extreme interpretation of the DMA” influenced its decision to hold back the feature. It added that it sees “clear dangers to EU users” under the current framework.

Even so, Apple confirmed that EU users will still access Siri AI on Mac computers and Vision Pro headsets. Those platforms will run macOS 27 and visionOS 27 with the feature included.

In China, Apple says approvals are still in progress, and no timeline has been confirmed for a full rollout. The company has not announced Siri AI availability for mainland China at launch.

It added that Hong Kong may receive earlier access, depending on language support and regulatory clearance. English-language beta testing is expected to begin in select regions later.

Apple’s strategy places Siri AI at the centre of its software ecosystem. The assistant will be integrated across iOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27 and tvOS 27. The company is positioning this as a shift towards a more AI-led operating system design.

Developer access is already open through beta releases, with public testing expected around July 2026. A full release is expected later in the year, likely alongside the next iPhone cycle.

Pang led Apple’s Foundation Models team, responsible for training the AI systems powering recent on-device tools like Genmoji and smart notifications.

His departure, confirmed by insiders, follows growing internal challenges at Apple over its reliance on external models from OpenAI and Anthropic to deliver critical Siri upgrades. 

For a company that prides itself on tight vertical control, outsourcing key AI infrastructure to rivals has raised eyebrows internally and beyond.

Meta, meanwhile, is making no secret of its aggressive expansion plans. Pang now joins its elite AI division, Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), which has become a magnet for top talent. 

It’s headed by Alexandr Wang, the former CEO of Scale AI, a company Meta recently invested in at a $29 billion valuation. Bloomberg reports that Pang’s compensation at Meta runs into the millions annually.

Pang’s exit comes weeks after his deputy, Tom Gunter, also left Apple, and is part of a pattern of senior AI defections. Mark Zuckerberg has been personally overseeing this high-stakes recruitment wave, pulling in names like Daniel Gross of Safe Superintelligence and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman. Researchers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepMind have also reportedly crossed over to Meta.

“Apple’s recent AI enhancements have been minimal, and the more sought-after features, like the Siri revamp, are being pushed out to 2026,” said Dipanjan Chatterjee, Forrester VP and principal analyst. “Apple’s strong brand equity has absorbed much of this damage without customer defection, but this equity is being steadily eroded as Apple fails to make good on its AI promises.”

While Apple made a strong hardware showing at WWDC 2025, its AI reveal leaned heavily on partnerships, rather than showcasing any breakthrough from its internal teams. That silence from within is now being read as a red flag.

Zhifeng Chen has now taken over Pang’s team, but oversight is fragmented across software boss Craig Federighi, Siri and Vision Pro head Mike Rockwell, and a diminished role for John Giannandrea. 

Analysts say this reshuffling is unlikely to change Apple’s pace, particularly in a market where rivals are throwing around $10 million to $100 million offers just to attract top talent.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, in a recent podcast interview with his brother, said, “Meta had been targeting his employees with signing bonuses that went as high as $100 million.”