Featured Image Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty
With WWDC 2026 just weeks away on June 8 and millions of iPhone users potentially in line for a payout from Apple's $250 million lawsuit settlement, there is no shortage of Apple news to keep up with.
Not to mention the iPhone Ultra was recently rumoured to drop three huge features despite being priced just under $2,000.
iOS 27 is shaping up to be Apple's most ambitious software update in years, introducing upgraded satellite connectivity for several apps, a smarter camera and Visual Intelligence.
The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, the rumoured foldable iPhone, and a sweeping AI push are all part of the picture, with Apple expected to use its June 8 WWDC keynote to finally show the world what its long-delayed Siri overhaul looks like.
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The plan includes a standalone Siri app with text and voice interaction, a record of past conversations, and an Extensions feature, bringing it closer in functionality to ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude than Siri has ever been before.
When triggered, the Dynamic Island will reportedly display a 'Search or Ask' prompt alongside a glowing cursor which seems to have already been teased in Apple's WWDC 2026 promotion.
But according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the internal iOS 27 builds are quietly tagging the new Siri 'beta.' There's even a toggle that allows users to opt out of the Siri beta entirely.
The tech giant first launched the original Sri as a beta back in 2011, before dropping the label two years later. It hasn't returned to the iPhone until now.
While labelling something as 'beta' is standard practice in software development, it's a bit different for 15-year-old Siri.
The revamped Siri was originally supposed to arrive in 2024, but it slipped to iOS 26.4, then iOS 26.5, then disappeared from the spring beta cycle altogether.
After years of delays and underwhelming incremental updates, Apple is finally being forced to show its hand at WWDC.
If the new Siri falls short of expectations, Apple can point to the beta label and say it never claimed otherwise. The opt-out toggle is essentially a customer service disclaimer written into the software before anyone has even used it.
Meanwhile, Google just unveiled Gemini Intelligence with Android 17, with agentic features that book your rides, build your shopping carts and handle multi-step automations on your behalf.
