Apple hopes to save Siri from laughingstock status with infusion of Google Gemini
Published: 2026-01-12T19:53:41+00:00
Summary
Apple and Google have announced a multi-year partnership that will see Apple Foundation Models built on Google’s Gemini family. Terms were not disclosed; Bloomberg previously reported Apple might pay around US$1bn per year for access, and the deal will shift a small portion of the roughly US$20bn Google pays Apple as the default search provider.
Apple says Apple Intelligence will continue to run on devices and via Private Cloud Compute while maintaining its privacy claims. The move follows criticism of Apple’s in-house ML efforts, staff departures and missed feature promises. A Gemini-flavoured Apple Intelligence is expected to appear later in 2026, and the partnership raises fresh questions about OpenAI’s prior involvement with Siri.
Key Points
- Apple and Google struck a multi-year tie-up to base Apple Foundation Models on Google Gemini.
- Financial terms are undisclosed; Bloomberg reported Apple may pay about US$1bn a year for Gemini access.
- Apple insists Apple Intelligence will still run on-device and via Private Cloud Compute, keeping privacy safeguards.
- The deal undercuts OpenAI’s earlier role in supporting Siri and consolidates reliance on major model providers.
- Consumer appetite for on-device AI is mixed; on-device inference trade-offs mean cloud services remain important for many use cases.
Context and Relevance
This partnership is a significant industry signal: two dominant platform owners collaborating on foundational AI tech. It could accelerate more capable conversational AI across Apple’s devices, reshape the competitive landscape (notably for OpenAI) and test how Apple’s privacy claims square with reliance on a third-party model provider. For product teams, security leads and platform strategists, it highlights where platform-level AI investment and integrations are heading.
Why should I read this?
Look, Siri’s been a bit of a joke for a while. This story tells you who’s actually being brought in to fix it, what that might cost, and why OpenAI might be getting elbowed out of the iPhone. If you care about where AI on phones is going (or if you’re tracking platform power plays), it’s worth your five minutes.