Apple’s Most Hyped AI Feature Faces Another Major Delay: Report

Apple has delayed several high-profile AI features that were expected to arrive with iOS 26.4 next month, after internal testing revealed that the revamped Siri is still far from ready. According to Bloomberg, engineers have now shifted testing to iOS 26.5, a release not expected before May, with some capabilities possibly slipping all the way to iOS 27 later this year.

The new Siri is built on a completely reworked architecture internally codenamed Linwood and is powered by Google’s Gemini models. Apple first previewed this smarter, more capable assistant back in June 2024, positioning it as a major leap forward. That promise, once again, remains unfulfilled.

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Why Siri Is Still Struggling

People familiar with Apple’s internal testing say the problems are fundamental. Siri often misinterprets user queries, takes too long to respond, and delivers inconsistent results. One bug reportedly cuts users off mid-sentence if they speak too quickly. In another particularly telling issue, the upgraded Siri sometimes defaults to its ChatGPT integration even when Apple’s own system should be handling the request.

These issues have raised concerns internally about whether the assistant can meet Apple’s quality standards without further delays.

The Most Hyped Feature Is Now At Risk

The feature facing the biggest setback is the one Apple has promoted most heavily since 2024: Siri’s ability to access and understand personal data across apps. This would allow users to ask Siri to retrieve specific information buried in messages, emails, or other apps and receive accurate, contextual answers.

Internal versions of iOS 26.5 now include a “preview” toggle for this feature, suggesting Apple may introduce it cautiously, with clear limitations or beta-style warnings.

App Intents Are Falling Behind

Another delayed component is App Intents, the system designed to let Siri perform multi-step actions across apps. Commands like “find that sunset photo, crop it, and send it to Mom” reportedly exist in early form but fail to work reliably in real-world testing.

A Pattern Of Delays

This marks the third major delay for features announced alongside the iPhone 16. Apple even pulled a Bella Ramsey ad in late 2024 that showcased a smarter, context-aware Siri when it became clear the software could not deliver what was advertised.

What Might Still Arrive

Bloomberg notes that some unannounced additions, including web search and image generation tools, are still being tested and could make it into iOS 26.4. However, the headline Siri upgrades will not.

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Apple has only publicly committed to releasing these features sometime in 2026. Given the repeated delays, even that timeline is beginning to look uncertain.