Siri on Steroids from Google: Beta Test of "Hybrid" Assistant Kicks Off in Late February

According to Bloomberg, Apple may release the first beta version of the iOS 26.4 update as early as next week, featuring a major Siri overhaul powered by Google Gemini.

The new Siri will gain three fundamentally important capabilities:

Importantly, these features will be rolled out gradually. The first beta will likely provide access to only a subset of the functions, with their full implementation and stable performance expected by the final release, which is currently slated for the end of March.

Amid the news about iOS 26.4, details have also emerged about other anticipated Apple products. Specifically, the budget iPhone 17e, expected later, will gain MagSafe support and a new Apple A19 chip while maintaining its starting price of $599 (~46,000 rubles). The company is also preparing new iPads and MacBooks based on M4 and M5 chips, though their announcement will likely happen separately.

The partnership between Apple and Google to use Gemini for Siri is one of the industry's most unexpected recent turns. Apple's integration of a third-party AI model into its own ecosystem signals the company's drive to catch up in the "assistant race" as quickly as possible.

Will you be updating to iOS 26.4 primarily for the new Siri, or are you more excited about other system changes? Share your thoughts in the comments.