Apple staff testing early builds of iOS 26.4 have reportedly raised concerns about the performance and reliability of the company’s long-promised, AI-infused Siri, according to multiple reports summarizing internal feedback and Bloomberg’s coverage. The revamped assistant is now targeted for a public debut in spring 2026 after earlier delays.
What testers are seeing
Early builds show inconsistent behavior
Engineers and internal testers working with pre-release iOS 26.4 reportedly find Siri’s responses and actions inconsistent, prompting internal skepticism about readiness. The reports do not list exhaustive technical failures but emphasize that the experience — as experienced today by some testers — falls short of Apple’s quality expectations.
Talent and morale concerns
Insiders quoted in coverage suggest that continued setbacks could increase turnover among senior AI staff if the spring release underperforms. Observers say Apple’s cautious approach so far may reflect broader hiring and retention challenges in assembling high-end AI teams.
Why the upgrade was delayed
Quality over speed: a public pivot to 2026
Apple initially previewed major Siri upgrades during WWDC24 but announced a postponement after the company concluded the system did not meet internal reliability thresholds. Executives have said the assistant needed architectural rework rather than incremental fixes, pushing the expected launch into spring 2026.
Two technical paths under test
On-device models versus Google Gemini-backed cloud compute
Reports indicate Apple has been running a “bake-off” between two engineering approaches: one using Apple’s on-device models and another that would leverage Google’s Gemini model via Private Cloud Compute. The company’s final choice may hinge on tradeoffs between latency, privacy, and the quality of AI reasoning.
Tradeoffs: privacy, latency and capability
On-device models advance Apple’s privacy narrative and reduce network dependence but can be limited by local compute. Using a cloud model such as Gemini could raise performance and reasoning capabilities quickly but would require careful handling of privacy and infrastructure. Early internal reports suggest both approaches still face important implementation hurdles.
Broader context and risks
Apple’s cautious AI timeline vs. industry momentum
Apple launched Apple Intelligence and several related features but has been more conservative than some rivals in shipping agentic assistant capabilities. The company’s decision to delay and rearchitect reflects a focus on reliability and user trust, but it also creates a window for competitors to define user expectations for AI assistants.
What to watch next
Key indicators to monitor before the public release include test build notes on accuracy and action reliability, executive statements about whether an on-device or cloud approach was chosen, and any partner announcements concerning model licensing or infrastructure. Early fixes in these areas would reduce the likelihood of a rocky public debut.
Editor’s Comments
Apple’s careful posture toward a major Siri upgrade is understandable: conversational agents that can act on user behalf require both high accuracy and robust safety guardrails. The mixed reports from internal testing highlight the practical difficulty of delivering consistent, context-aware assistance at scale — a problem facing every major platform.
If Apple selects an on-device-first strategy, expect a slower initial feature set but stronger privacy positioning. If it leans on a cloud model like Gemini, watch for rapid functional gains paired with steeper engineering work on privacy and latency.
Either path will demand more polish; the next six months should reveal whether Apple can convert its conservative engineering culture into a competitive advantage or whether delays will hand momentum to rivals with earlier, if riskier, deployments.
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