Siri, the virtual assistant that's been stuck in neutral for years. Apple's been promising a revamp, and according to Tim Cook, it's finally coming next year. I'll believe it when I see it, but hey, a guy can dream, right?
So, what's the holdup? Apple first announced these new features back in 2024, and now we're looking at a March 2026 launch. That's a pretty big delay, especially when you consider that the competition - I'm looking at you, Google Assistant - has already been doing some of this stuff for years. I mean, remember when Samsung's Bixby came out and we all laughed at how bad it was? Yeah, those were the days. Now, Samsung's improved its game, and Apple's still playing catch-up.
Cook told CNBC that Apple is "making good progress," which is CEO speak for "we're not giving up yet." I'm not sure what's more impressive, the fact that they're still working on this or that they're still trying to make Siri sound like a real innovation. Newsflash: having an assistant that can understand the context of your conversations isn't exactly revolutionary. It's just something that's become the bare minimum for any competent virtual assistant. And don't even get me started on the whole "on-screen awareness" thing. You mean Siri will finally be able to see what's on my screen? Wow, that's like, so 2016.
Apparently, this new Siri will be able to do things like answer more complex questions, like what time your mom's flight is or what you've got planned for lunch. Yeah, because that's exactly what I've been missing in my life - the ability to ask Siri about my lunch plans. Can't I just, I don't know, check my calendar like a normal person? I mean, I know some people rely on Siri to manage their lives, but come on, it's not like it's going to suddenly become indispensable just because it can understand a few more context clues.
What's really going on here is that Apple's trying to play catch-up with the likes of Google and Amazon. Those companies have been way ahead of the game in terms of virtual assistants, and Apple's finally waking up to the fact that Siri's not exactly the best-in-class product it thought it was. So, they're trying to revamp it, make it more competitive, and - more importantly - make it more useful. And hey, I'm all for that. But let's not pretend like this is some kind of groundbreaking innovation. It's just Apple trying to keep up.
Now, I know some Apple fans are going to say, "But Alex, this is all part of the bigger picture! Apple's just laying the groundwork for something way bigger and better!" And to that, I say... maybe. Maybe this is just the beginning of something awesome. But until I see it, I'm not holding my breath. After all, Apple's been promising a Siri revamp for years now, and we're still waiting.
So, will this new Siri be the game-changer Apple's promising? I doubt it. But hey, I'm always up for a pleasant surprise. Here's hoping that in March 2026, Apple will finally give us the Siri we deserve - one that's actually capable of understanding us, rather than just pretending to.