Apple recently unveiled the iOS 26 update, introducing the new Liquid Glass design language. This innovative style, featuring layers of digital glass that refract light at various angles, has elicited a range of reactions within the tech community. In a bid to highlight these updates, Apple’s software engineering guru Craig Federighi and marketing leader Greg Joswiak are currently on a media blitz, revealing more about the delayed launch of Personalized Siri features.
In a candid discussion with The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, Apple addressed whether the Personalized Siri displayed at last year’s WWDC was operational. Federighi confirmed that what was presented was indeed functional software. “We were filming real working software, with a real large language model, with real semantic search, that’s what you saw,” he explained. Joswiak supported this, dispelling rumors of it being merely “demoware.”
Initially showcased as a key feature at WWDC, Personalized Siri was expected to revolutionize Apple Intelligence. However, after careful deliberation, Apple decided to postpone it until the following year. Executives pinpointed quality issues as the reason for the delay, asserting that while not yet public, the feature is real and not just a demo. Expectations are high for its announcement in early 2025, possibly within the iOS 26.4 update.
For those unfamiliar, Personalized Siri is designed to understand user context more deeply, featuring on-screen awareness and robust in-app integration. This enhancement aims to make Siri significantly smarter, addressing some of its long-standing limitations. In their interview, Federighi and Joswiak also touched on broader Apple Intelligence initiatives, emphasizing that Apple’s commitment to advancing on-device AI remains strong, despite the current setbacks.
The excitement surrounding these developments is palpable, and Apple fans are eagerly awaiting further announcements as the launch date approaches.
