Apple Partners with Google Gemini AI to Reinvent Siri and Apple Intelligence

In yet another major change in its AI plans, Apple has now partnered with Google for utilizing its Gemini AI models for its personalized Siri experience and certain Apple Intelligence features. This collaboration is indicative of the fact that Apple is now looking to speed up its AI plans in the wake of increasing rivalry in the smartphone, operating system, and AI space.

For several years, Apple has maintained an AI model that was reliant on local computation and controlled cloud infrastructure with little emphasis on third-party models. However, this new deal signifies an important shift since it indicates that Apple aims to erase the widening gap with their rivals who have been quick to integrate generative and conversational AI experiences into their offerings.

Apple Google Gemini AI deal

The new deal will see Gemini fuel the revamped Siri that was first introduced at WWDC 2024. During this launch, Siri was shown to be far more intelligent when it came to understanding the context of conversations being carried out, able to have more human-like conversations, and perform tasks on multiple applications without having to be told multiple times. This new Siri is still yet to be introduced despite being over a year ago.

With the integration of Google’s Gemini models, what Apple is trying to accomplish is, at last, make good on that promise. Cupertino-based tech firm Apple plans to revolutionize consumer interaction with iPhones, iPad, and any other device they own. This is because “Gemini is aimed to perform tasks that involve complex reasoning, contextual knowledge, and multi-step tasks a area of expertise that Siri lacks.”

Apple Emphasises Privacy and On-Device AI

Apple has been quick to assure users that the company’s existing privacy values are still set to remain in place. “We were impressed by Google’s AI tech after careful evaluation, and we believe that Gemini offers the most capable foundation for our future ambitions,” the company explained. This, however, did not mean that the Apple Intelligence would cease to operate on the Apple device itself or on the company’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure.

Crucially, Apple has neither denied nor confirmed the extent of Google’s possible access to the data of Apple users. However, the company has made it clear that the Gemini models will run inside the Apple-controlled systems and not on Google servers. This enables Apple to leverage Google’s superior AI research without losing control of data processing, which has remained one of the defining characteristics of the Apple brand.

Cost, Competition, and Why Apple Needs Gemini

As per the earlier report by Bloomberg, Apple would end up paying about USD 1 billion annually to Google to license the foundational AI models. Although this would be quite an outlay, this has been attributed to the need to catch up. Although the iPhones are some of the most premium offerings in the market, they are lagging behind the Android offerings in terms of the AI offered.

Also launched with much hype, Apple Intelligence has received criticism from analysts as well as consumers who have felt it has been somewhat disappointing compared to offerings from Android platforms. Siri has been criticized for not understanding much, making little progress, and falling behind Google's assistant as well as newer generative intelligence models.

Impact on Android and iOS Differentiation

The Apple Google Gemini agreement has redefined how Android, iPhone, or other devices will be able to distinguish themselves in the new age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Google’s Gemini service has been seen as central to the Android strategy, especially when it comes to Pixel phones, where AI functionality is one of its biggest offerings.

With the integration of Gemini with Siri, Apple has managed to bridge the intelligence difference between the two platforms. However, this move has also made the boundaries between platforms irrelevant, as Android as well as iPhone will be dependent on the same AI models. Moving forward, the difference will be based on how this intelligence will be utilized on both platforms by Google and Apple, and not on the model per se.

Apple’s Ongoing Relationship with OpenAI

It is worth pointing out that this new collaboration is in addition to the relationship Apple has with OpenAI, and this is because, in late 2024, Apple integrated ChatGPT into the functionality of Siri so that it can respond to more complex questions that need knowledge of the whole world. This has been seen as an interim measure while Apple finds the right approach for the future of AI.

Apple has since confirmed with CNBC that, as of now, it has not altered its agreement with OpenAI. It appears that it will still utilize its current strategy of implementing multiple models based on the task requirements.

Google Pushes Ahead with Gemini Advancements

From the perspective of Google, the collaboration makes Gemini even more dominant in the industry as one of the leading AI platforms. This year, Google has managed to unveil its latest Gemini 3 version towards the end of last year. In addition, the company has received enormous interest from users in its creative offerings, such as the Nano Banana image creation model, which has received popularity for its rapidness and excellence.

Furthermore, Google’s move to extend Gemini’s influence within the Apple ecosystem helps it carve its AI models as the backbone technology within all other platforms, including their competitors, Android.

For consumers, this has increased hopes about Siri's future quite dramatically. Such an assistant that could function with a better understanding of the context could at last make Siri competitive with other smart assistants powered by AI technology and offer useful functionality even in complex tasks. But it's been made clear by Apple that consumers will have to wait even longer, as Siri with enhanced functionality using Gemini technology will only be available by 2026.

Until now, this agreement is a turning point in the strategy. This reveals that Apple has recognized the fact that competing in AI needs cooperation, even with old adversaries, but that they also aim to maintain their original values regarding privacy and user control. For the smartphone market in general, the new Apple-Google Gemini alliance may be the start of a new paradigm in which the competence in AI is less in the way the model is developed and more in the way the experience is provided.