Apple preps Gemini-backed Siri overhaul in iOS 27 ahead of WWDC

Apple is set to unveil a major Siri and iOS 27 overhaul at WWDC, which opens June 8, with the revamped assistant (codename Campos) reportedly rebuilt into a full AI chatbot capable of web search, image generation and file analysis. Multiple reports — and Apple's registration of the genai.apple.com subdomain — point to a significant generative-AI push, with the new Siri reportedly running on a custom model built with Google's Gemini team on Google servers.

The most consequential leak for the ecosystem is that iOS 27 may include a drop-down letting users select third-party agents — Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude — for handling queries. That would turn the iPhone into a neutral distribution platform for rival AI labs, a potentially enormous channel given Apple's installed base, while letting Apple avoid betting the assistant on a single model.

Mechanically, the reported reliance on Google's Gemini and Google compute cuts against Apple's longstanding on-device, privacy-first AI messaging — a tension the developer community immediately flagged. Reports describe a Siri that surfaces formatted results for launching apps, composing messages and system actions, with new activation mechanics.

Competitively, a Gemini-Siri deal would be a coup for Google's distribution and a hedge for Apple, which has lagged on foundation models. Skeptics, including CNET commentators asking whether this is 'the Siri we need,' question whether a redesign delivers real utility. Watch the WWDC keynote for confirmation of the Gemini partnership, how Apple frames the privacy trade-offs of cloud-based processing, and whether the third-party agent picker actually ships or remains a rumor.