Apple unveils beta of revamped Siri as iPhone 18 rollout nears

Apple has begun a limited rollout of a redesigned Siri artificial‑intelligence assistant, inviting users to join a waitlist for the beta version ahead of the iPhone 18 launch, CNBC reported. The move follows the company's high‑profile iPhone event last week and is positioned as a preview of the Siri experience that will ship with iOS 27.

According to CNBC, the beta will let participants interact with a more conversational Siri that can handle multi‑turn requests, offer richer contextual answers, and integrate more tightly with third‑party apps. Apple says the updated assistant leverages on‑device processing to preserve privacy while still delivering the kind of generative‑AI responses that have become standard in competing services.

Access to the test is not automatic; users must sign up for a waitlist and will be invited in stages as Apple gathers performance data. The company has not disclosed how many users will be admitted or the exact timeline for broader availability, but the beta is slated to run through the week that the iPhone 18 becomes commercially available in stores.

Siri first appeared on the iPhone 4S in 2011 as a voice‑activated helper that could set reminders, send texts, and answer simple questions. Over the past decade the assistant has lagged behind rivals such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa in natural‑language fluency. The latest redesign reflects Apple’s broader push into generative AI, a field that has been reshaped by tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot. By keeping the core processing on the device, Apple hopes to differentiate its offering on privacy grounds while still delivering the sophisticated dialogue capabilities users now expect.

Industry analysts see the beta as a litmus test for how quickly Apple can close the gap with its competitors. If the redesigned Siri proves reliable and engaging, it could boost the appeal of the upcoming iPhone 18 and encourage developers to build deeper integrations. Conversely, a rocky rollout might reinforce perceptions that Apple is playing catch‑up in the fast‑moving AI assistant market.

The test phase also gives Apple a chance to fine‑tune the assistant before the full iOS 27 release later this year, ensuring that any bugs or privacy concerns are addressed before the software reaches the broader user base.