Apple's next major software update won't revolve around a visual redesign of the iPhone, but rather a profound change in how we talk to and interact with Siri . The voice assistant will cease to be a static layer that responds with predefined phrases and will instead become a conversational chatbot in the style of the most popular generative AI services.
This shift will materialize with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 , when the company integrates a new Siri into its systems based on advanced AI models. According to multiple leaks from sources close to Apple and reported by journalists like Mark Gurman, the project is known internally as "Campos" and represents one of the biggest overhauls of the assistant since its original launch.
From classic Siri to improved Siri: the iOS 26.4 phase
Before the big leap to chatbots arrives, Apple will roll out a first wave of changes in iOS 26.4 . This version, expected in the spring, will incorporate many of the Apple Intelligence features that the company presented at WWDC 2024 but which had been delayed due to quality and performance issues.
In this first phase, Siri will gain more context, better language understanding, and deeper integration with system apps and certain third-party applications. The assistant will be able, for example, to better understand what's on the screen, cross-reference data from Calendar, Maps, Photos, and Messages, and perform more specific tasks within each app , such as locating a particular photo from a description and applying simple edits.
The iOS 26.4 update will also bring Siri closer to what other generative AI assistants already offer: it will be able to answer more complex questions, summarize content, help with typing , and understand commands related to the context of the conversation and the device. All of this will be done while maintaining the familiar activation method, whether by saying “Siri” or pressing and holding the side button on the iPhone.
In parallel, Apple is refining a new AI-powered search system, known internally as "Answers ," which would allow the model to be used to search for information online more accurately. This component would complement Siri's enhanced capabilities and serve as the foundation for the subsequent transition to a chatbot format in iOS 27.
Siri will be a chatbot in iOS 27: Project "Campos"
The real transformation will arrive with iOS 27. Apple plans to abandon the classic assistant interface and replace it with a system-integrated chat environment , very similar to what ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude offer today. It will no longer be just about asking a quick question and receiving a brief answer: the goal is to be able to have fluid and continuous conversations , both by voice and text.
Codenamed "Campos ," this new Siri will become Apple's first AI chatbot fully embedded in the company's software. It won't be a separate app or a side experiment: leaks point to deep integration into iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 , replacing the current assistant experience on all compatible devices.
The user will continue to invoke Siri as before, either through voice commands or the physical button . The difference is that, once activated, a chat-like interface will appear where users can type or speak naturally, chaining requests, asking for clarification, polishing text, or requesting the continuation of a previous task without having to start from scratch each time.
This change isn't limited to the iPhone: Apple plans to make the same chatbot available on iPad and Mac , providing a consistent experience across the entire product line. They're even considering its arrival on new smart home devices, such as a hypothetical smart speaker with a screen—informally dubbed "HomePad" in some reports—so that Siri becomes a ubiquitous conversational assistant within the ecosystem.
Interface, practical uses, and conversation memory
Although Apple hasn't yet revealed the final design, leaks suggest an interface inspired by classic chat apps , closer to the current "Type to Siri" feature than the wave animation at the bottom of the screen. It's expected to include chat bubbles, action suggestions, and quick access to frequently used functions to make the experience more user-friendly.
The new Siri will be able to do much more than the usual commands like “open this app” or “send a message.” The chatbot will be able to search the internet, generate images, draft or edit text, write and analyze code , and work with long documents. It will also be able to directly interact with the system: change device settings, schedule events, manage notifications, and interact with files and photos.
One of the cornerstones of the redesign is contextual memory . Like other advanced chatbots, Siri will be able to remember certain user preferences or conversation details for a period of time to provide more relevant responses. However, Apple plans to explicitly limit the duration and scope of this memory to minimize privacy risks and prevent data from being stored longer than necessary.
In the multimedia realm, the assistant will be able to find and edit photos with voice commands , discover music on Apple Music based on user input, and suggest content on Apple TV. Furthermore, the company wants the chatbot to play a significant role in software development: they are working on an integration with Xcode to help programmers generate code, check for errors, and create small code snippets with assistance.
Although Apple has been internally testing a version of Campos as a standalone application , the intention is that the product that reaches the public will be embedded in the operating system, without forcing the user to open a separate app every time they want to use the assistant.
The role of Google Gemini and the strategic agreement
Siri's leap into a chatbot doesn't rely solely on Apple's own technology. After several setbacks and delays in the development of its AI models, the company has signed a multi-year agreement with Google to use Gemini's models and cloud infrastructure as the foundation for the assistant's next generation.
The exact figures of the agreement have not been made public, but various estimates suggest that Apple could pay around one billion dollars a year to use advanced versions of Gemini in Siri and Apple Intelligence. This is a significant amount, although far less than the sums Google pays Apple to remain the default search engine in Safari, which are said to be several times higher.
The idea is to use lighter versions of Gemini in the initial phase of iOS 26.4 and reserve more powerful variants for the iOS 27 chatbot. This combination would allow for a balance of performance, cost, and privacy : some tasks would be processed directly on Apple devices, while others would be sent to the Google cloud or to dedicated servers managed by Apple itself.
One of the points still under debate is exactly where the new Siri will be hosted . The possibility of running some of the chatbot's processing on Google servers with TPU chips , especially the most demanding functions, is being considered. Apple, for its part, insists on also using its private cloud infrastructure and maintaining strict control over the handling of personal data.
For European and Spanish users, all of this raises a key question: to what extent can collaboration with Google coexist with the EU's stringent privacy regulations ? Apple has insisted that it will limit the amount of information sent outside the device and that it will apply anonymization and data separation techniques to comply with the European regulatory framework.
Advanced features, full integration, and a possible payment model
The new Siri not only aims to rival ChatGPT or Gemini, but also to offer enhanced integration with the Apple ecosystem . Unlike other chatbots that reside on a website or in a separate app, Campos will be embedded within the operating system and will be able to directly access the user's local settings and data.
Among the expected capabilities are integrated image generation , email and document writing, summarizing long texts, and file analysis , from PDFs to presentations. There is also talk that the assistant will be able to automate complex tasks that currently require manual shortcuts, combining several steps into a single, natural instruction.
All of this comes at a cost. In addition to paying Google for the use of Gemini, Apple must bear significant infrastructure expenses associated with processing requests from millions of users. Given this situation, the company is reportedly considering various ways to make the service sustainable in the medium term.
The market offers clear clues: most competitors— ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Perplexity —have a free version and a paid version with more advanced models, more memory, and extra features. In Gemini's case, the basic version is free, while Gemini Advanced requires a monthly subscription that unlocks superior capabilities and expanded context for working with large volumes of data.
Given this precedent, it's almost a given in the industry that Apple might opt for a hybrid model : an improved and integrated Siri, included at no extra cost in iOS 26.4 and iOS 27, and a higher-level chatbot with more powerful models and premium features associated with some kind of subscription. The recent unveiling of Apple Creative Studio , a suite of professional apps with AI features reserved for paying users, points in that direction.
WWDC 2026: The big showcase for the new Siri
The roadmap used by analysts places the official unveiling of the Siri chatbot at the 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) . Following the usual pattern, the event would be held in early June, with Monday the 8th as the likely date for the opening keynote, where iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 would be shown for the first time.
At this event, Apple plans to focus on its artificial intelligence strategy , explaining how Apple Intelligence, its own models, and the agreement with Google Gemini fit together on a single platform. The new Siri chatbot will be the star of the presentation , relegating other, more traditional system changes to a secondary role.
Following the keynote, developers and specialized press will be able to delve deeper into Siri and the new AI framework over several days through technical sessions, labs, and demos . Apple is expected to detail how integration with third-party apps will work, which APIs will be enabled for the chatbot to interact with external services, and how access permissions to sensitive data will be managed.
Barring any surprises, the final version of iOS 27 with the new Siri is expected to launch in September , coinciding with the arrival of the next generation of iPhones in the European and Spanish markets. During the summer months, public betas will allow many users to get a head start and try out the chatbot experience on their devices.
For Apple, this WWDC could become the true unveiling of its commitment to AI , after a WWDC 2024 that left a bittersweet taste by not yet including the major Siri overhaul that many were expecting.
The combination of a smarter Siri in iOS 26.4, the leap to chatbot format with Campos in iOS 27 , and the support of Gemini models finally puts Apple in the same league as the major players in artificial intelligence. Even so, important questions remain regarding price, privacy, and the actual scope of the features in Europe and in markets like Spain, where regulation is particularly stringent. What does seem clear is that, for better or for worse, our relationship with our iPhones, iPads, and Macs will change significantly when Siri ceases to be just a voice assistant and begins to behave as a true conversational partner.
