WWDC 2026: Apple bets on Google's Gemini to revamp Siri, but excludes the EU

This overhaul represents a pivotal moment for Apple, which had announced back in 2024 an ambitious Siri revamp integrating generative AI, before admitting in late 2025 that the launch would take longer than expected. The promised features had not been delivered, fueling doubts about Apple's ability to compete with chatbots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude. Federighi promised that more languages would follow "quickly."

Gemini integration at the heart of the strategy

On the technical side, Apple plans to deeply integrate Gemini models into iOS and to also use Google's cloud services in order to make Siri and Apple Intelligence "smarter and more contextually aware." The new Siri is expected to be able to access the internet and cloud computing networks, while drawing on personal information stored on the user's device, such as emails and message history. For computations requiring more power, Apple will rely on its "Private Cloud Compute" technology, which is designed to guarantee high standards of privacy.

For smartphone users, the demonstrations showed that the new Siri could search for information online, offer recommendations, extract addresses contained in messages, or automatically sort photos into albums. Ben Bajarin, chief executive of research firm Creative Strategies, said the bar to clear was low given Siri's current "limited capabilities," while calling the update "a pretty big upgrade" ("It's a pretty big upgrade").

A final keynote for Tim Cook

The event also had a symbolic dimension: it was the last WWDC for Tim Cook, who will step down as CEO in the fall after fifteen years at the helm of the group, during which Apple's share price rose approximately 2,000% in split-adjusted terms. In April, the executive announced he would hand over the reins in September to John Ternus, a trained engineer currently overseeing Apple's hardware development. Cook, visibly moved during his closing remarks, said "the best is still ahead" for Apple, calling it "the honor of a lifetime" to have hosted these keynotes over all those years.

The 75-minute conference, significantly shorter than previous editions, focused on the fundamentals — performance, stability, and bug fixes — following the criticism Apple's "Liquid Glass" design received last year. Apple announced iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27, available this fall on the iPhone 15 Pro and later models, which are equipped with Apple's in-house AI chips. The system is set to be faster, with for instance a claimed 30% gain in app launches, and a Finder five times faster on iPad. The new features will also be rolled out to iPhone 11 and newer models, Apple said.

Beyond Siri: parental controls and design

Beyond Siri, the company unveiled new parental controls, including the ability to limit web browsing, app downloads, approved contacts, and screen time. Apple also detailed a feature called "Communication Safety" designed to block the sending of inappropriate content to children. The "Visual Intelligence" feature, which can identify objects through the camera, will now be available on Mac, and photo-editing features including "Spatial Reframing" — modifying the perspective of an image — were unveiled.

In the European Union, however, the new AI features will not be available at launch. Apple said European regulators had accepted none of its proposals aimed at offering Siri AI in the EU while supporting other voice assistants. Federighi expressed "deep disappointment" and placed the responsibility on European institutions, citing their "refusal to work constructively toward solutions that protect privacy and security." iOS and iPadOS have been classified by the European Commission as "gatekeeper" services, and are therefore subject to stricter competition rules than macOS.

The European block and its reasons

For analyst Ben Bajarin, investors might also welcome the fact that Apple is "just paying rent to Google" for Gemini, rather than investing heavily in developing an in-house AI, unlike many tech competitors. Apple's executives defended this approach, emphasizing user utility and privacy protection. Cook said the group's priority remained to "build the best products" in order to deliver enriching experiences.

On the stock market side, Apple's share price nevertheless fell by about 2% after the announcement. Several observers, including Ben Bajarin, called for caution. "The proof will have to come in delivery, in execution," he said, arguing that Apple's past AI missteps did not yet justify blind confidence. It remains to be seen whether Google's Gemini integration will allow Siri to catch up with assistants such as ChatGPT or Claude.

Analyst reactions and market reaction

The announcement also reignited the debate over Apple's growing dependence on Google. Apple is estimated to receive more than $20 billion a year for the default search engine position on iPhone, an amount that could grow with the integration of Gemini. For Apple, the stakes are high: more than 1.5 billion iPhones are in use worldwide, and the iPhone remains for millions of users the centerpiece of their private lives — a key asset for developing truly personalized AI.

Other WWDC announcements included the introduction of voice commands to create automations in the "Shortcuts" app, the ability to create appointments in natural language — for example "Tuesday at 4 p.m., coffee with Elena at Café Magic" — as well as a revamp of the 3D "Flyover" display in Maps. In Safari, extensions can now be AI-generated ("vibe coding"). The group also announced an update to "Live Translation" and the arrival of AI in more system apps.

The other WWDC announcements

Apple also recently concluded a $250 million settlement in a lawsuit — one of the largest in the group's history, according to sources — though the details of the case were not disclosed during the keynote. Cook, for his part, did not escape criticism about the group's strategic direction: some observers believe he lacks the spectacular innovation capacity of his predecessor Steve Jobs, delivering a long string of incremental updates over the years. He has also been criticized for tying Apple's fate to China as a manufacturing hub.

Going forward, WWDC 2026 takes place in a particular context: Tim Cook's announced departure, which adds to the need for Apple to prove it can rank among the major AI players, after the 2024 "Siri-blaming." The keynote was deliberately understated, refocused on performance and reliability, far from the headline-grabbing announcements of previous editions. The future of Apple's AI strategy will depend largely on executing the roadmap presented Monday, as well as on the group's ability to reach an agreement with European regulators to make these features available in the EU.