Apple Delays Key iOS 19 Features, Including AI-Powered Siri Upgrade, to Spring 2026

Apple Needs To Ramp Up Development Of Apple Intelligence Features, As A 'Larger-Than-Usual' Number Of iOS 19 Features Will Be Postponed Until 2026

Apple will release iOS 18.2 next month, which will house major AI features announced at its WWDC 2024 event in June. However, Apple Intelligence is an ongoing endeavor, as the company will update the list of features in the future. In contrast, the company's rollout of front-facing features is slow, as it has been a while since the debut of Apple Intelligence, and we are not even halfway through the promised features. It is now being reported that a 'larger-than-usual' AI feature will be postponed in iOS 19, which means that it potentially faces the same fate as iOS 18. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple will postpone many iOS 19 features, which will be stretched beyond iOS 19.4. This means that users will be unable to use the new AI features in iOS 19 until Spring 2026. As mentioned, Siri has not yet received its major update, and the company will potentially enhance the entire Siri experience next year with the release of iOS 18.4. We have previously reported that Apple is working on an entirely new LLM Siri, which will replace the current version of the digital assistant to beat ChatGPT. This means that the company does not plan to stick with OpenAI for long, as its ChatGPT integration will be suspended after the rollout of a starter and more capable Siri. I'm told that a larger-than-usual number of features scheduled for iOS 19 (beyond the new Siri) are already postponed until spring 2026 (when iOS 19.4 debuts). While Gurman did not highlight the features that will be missing from the iOS 19's initial updates, we can presume that the new LLM Siri will be part of the company's plans. While the company is fully invested in Apple Intelligence and the features it will bring to the table, it is also lagging behind the competition when it comes to releasing them on time. OpenAI has been very proactive in this regard, as it has been consistently releasing new features and AI models. However, a new report suggested that OpenAI and other major contenders have reached an impasse, lagging innovation and solid breakthroughs in AI, while Apple is gradually catching up to the competition. It remains to be seen how Apple's future prospects will offer a wider variety and if the competition will continue to bolster Apple Intelligence. iOS 19 will be announced in June of 2025 at Apple's WWDC event, and it will be released to the general public with some Apple Intelligence features in the fall. You can expect LLM Siri to arrive in the Spring of 2026, potentially in the March to April time frame. Do you think Apple will be able to ramp up development of AI features?

iOS 19 bad news -- Apple reportedly postponing a high number of features

A recent report indicated that Apple plans to postpone many iOS 19 features until a later release. Lately, Apple has had a strange software release schedule. While there was a lot of hype surrounding Apple Intelligence, many fans were left upset that they'd have to wait for many features, which has impacted the AI experience on Apple phones. It seems Apple is planning to do the same with iOS 19. In his most recent Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman stated, "I'm told that a larger-than-usual number of features scheduled for iOS 19 (beyond the new Siri) are already postponed until spring 2026 (when iOS 19.4 debuts)." This would match Apple's current release schedule with Apple Intelligence, with many features being held until iOS 18.4, despite being announced during WWDC 2024. Unfortunately, Gurman doesn't have many details about what features could be postponed. However, he was confident that the recently mentioned LLM Siri reported last week would be delayed. For reference, it was recently reported that Apple was working to make it so that Siri could hold a conversation, much like Google Gemini Voice, Meta AI Voice or ChatGPT Advanced Voice. As stated, we are still waiting for many of the Apple Intelligence features. However, the most recent beta for iOS 18.2 includes several of the promised features. One of the most impressive is the Visual Intelligence feature for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. I have also found the new upgraded Siri to be great, and it made shuffling music much simpler on a recent long drive I took. There's still a lot that we don't know about iOS 19, especially about what features it could bring. Apple will likely announce the iOS version at the June 2025 WWDC, but if Gurman is correct, it is worth taking all the announcements with a grain of salt.

Apple delays key iOS 19 features to Spring 2026: Report

Apple is said to be delaying a significant number of features initially planned for iOS 19, with the release now expected to be moved to iOS 19.4, which is anticipated to launch in spring 2026, as reported by Mark Gurman from Bloomberg. While details remain scarce, Gurman noted that the delay affects more than just the much-anticipated upgrade to Siri. Gurman stated, A larger-than-usual number of features scheduled for iOS 19 (beyond the new Siri) are already postponed until spring 2026. One key feature expected in iOS 19 is a major upgrade to Siri, referred to internally as "LLM Siri." This revamped assistant will integrate advanced large language models (LLMs) to handle tasks more intuitively, akin to platforms like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. While announced alongside iOS 19 at WWDC 2025, this upgraded Siri will not debut until iOS 19.4. The updated Siri is expected to perform complex tasks, summarize text, and interact with third-party apps through improved App Intents. Gurman added that Apple aims to incorporate features prioritizing user privacy, setting its AI capabilities apart from competitors. iOS 19 is set to be unveiled at Apple's annual WWDC event in June 2025, with its first public release slated for September 2025, coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup. The new devices are rumored to introduce a completely new form factor, tentatively called the "iPhone 17 Air." Siri's transformation is part of Apple's gradual AI strategy, starting with minor improvements in iOS 18. Recent updates introduced features like a redesigned interface, better handling of commands, and the ability to type requests. December's iOS 18.2 update will further integrate ChatGPT, while iOS 18.3 will enable Siri to understand personal contexts and perform app actions. However, Gurman emphasized that the current updates are only incremental, stating, Siri is still based on outdated infrastructure -- AI models that lag behind the technology used by ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. Apple appears to be adopting a staggered approach to releasing features. While iOS 18.4, arriving this spring, will include significant updates, many capabilities originally planned for iOS 19 are now postponed. This method allows Apple to refine its technology before release but also highlights the challenges of building in-house AI solutions. Gurman concluded that despite delays, Apple is working actively on in-house solutions to enhance Siri's conversational capabilities and eliminate reliance on third-party AI providers in the long run.

Apple's streak of delays might continue with iOS 19 next year

Apple stamped its entry into the AI era this year with the release of Apple Intelligence. But 2024 also marked the year when Apple's staggered release plan for feature updates was also slower than usual. 2025 might not be much different. According to Bloomberg, Apple has pushed an unspecified number of features that were otherwise supposed to arrive with the iOS 19 update next year. Earlier this week, the outlet also reported that a planned Siri upgrade that would give it more conversational chops has been delayed until Spring 2026. Recommended Videos "I'm told that a larger-than-usual number of features scheduled for iOS 19 (beyond the new Siri) are already postponed until spring 2026 (when iOS 19.4 debuts)," says the Bloomberg report. The theme isn't too different from what Apple has followed so far with iOS 18. Merely weeks after the WWDC 2024 conference in June, it was reported that the company had delayed some of the most promising Siri and Apple Intelligence features. Some of those features, including the promised integration with third-party apps, are yet to arrive and are expected to roll out publicly next year. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, a senior Apple executive hinted that the company is taking a cautiously slow approach to releasing new features in the Apple Intelligence stack. "You could put something out there and have it be sort of a mess. Apple's point of view is more like, 'Let's try to get each piece right and release it when it's ready,'" SVP of Software Engineering at Apple, Craig Federighi, told the outlet. Now, Apple Intelligence hasn't quite run into the same kind of problems as rival products like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, or Microsoft's Copilot. Generative tools like those mentioned above already have their own set of inherent problems, such as hallucinations, blatantly making up inaccurate facts, and going haywire. In his experiment with Google's Pixel Studio app, Digital Trends' Joe Maring witnessed the app generating deeply problematic images, such as a Nazi-influenced SpongeBob. My own experience with products like Gemini and ChatGPT has mostly varied between "meh" and "laughably bad." This well-documented error-prone nature of Generative AI products might also explain why Apple has been on the fence about going all-in with AI stuffing into its software. Unsurprisingly, Apple Intelligence has mostly stuck with low-stakes scenarios, instead of chasing ambitious goalposts with a high-risk, high-rewards caveat. At the same time, Apple also risks lagging behind the competition. The likes of Google and Microsoft have already integrated their respective AI tools at the heart of popular products like Workspace and Office 365, alongside OS-level integrations here and there. We are still over half a year away from getting a taste of what Apple has planned for iOS 19. Moreover, multiple iOS 18 features that were showcased months ago at Apple's annual developers conference are still in line for a public release. Looking over at the competition, Google is now planning to showcase its own big innovations in roughly the same time frame as Apple. The company has already released the first Developer Preview of Android 16, and aims to reach platform stability in the first half of the year. That doesn't necessarily mean Google aims to spoil Apple's glitzy June event covering yearly software updates, or so assures the search giant. However, with Apple's feature cadence reportedly running into delays, Google has a chance to wow smartphone enthusiasts with new software tricks ahead of Apple.

Apple is saving the best iOS 19 features for 2026

iOS 19 is set to introduce a more conversational Siri powered by advanced large language models, as confirmed by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Expected to be unveiled at WWDC 2025 in June, iOS 19 will not fully launch until September 2025 with the iPhone 17 series. Reports indicate that a higher-than-usual number of features originally slated for iOS 19 have been postponed for later release, specifically in the iOS 19.4 update anticipated in spring 2026. Gurman highlighted that the delays affect several features beyond the revamped Siri. He noted that this pattern is consistent with Apple's recent practices, where significant updates have been introduced gradually after their initial announcement. The new Siri, which is expected to resemble OpenAI's ChatGPT, will allow users to handle more sophisticated requests. Users will see improvements in Siri's capabilities with this upgrade, potentially reducing reliance on third-party AI services. As iOS 19.2 will be released in December 2024, initial enhancements like ChatGPT integration are directly tied to upcoming updates. Siri's integration with Google's Gemini is anticipated to follow this December update, providing iPhone users an array of improved features. While the enhancements in iOS 18.4 aim at boosting Siri's on-screen awareness and per-app controls, the comprehensive conversational abilities that many users anticipate from Siri will not be realized until the iOS 19.4 rollout. Apple's strategy of staggering updates suggests users might wait until early 2026 to access the full capabilities promised with Siri's architecture. The revamped assistant's capabilities would likely change the way users interact with their devices, allowing for more nuanced and human-like conversations. Gurman's latest reports state, "a larger-than-usual number of features scheduled for iOS 19 (beyond the new Siri) are already postponed until spring 2026 (when iOS 19.4 debuts)." While the specifics of these features remain unclear, it is evident that Apple's development roadmap is subject to change. It is also worth noting that the releases around this timeline typically coincide with new hardware announcements, including the iPhone 17 series. Salesforce CEO's big praise for Google Gemini Live In addition to delays in feature rollout, widespread speculation surrounds the hardware expected with the iPhone 17, which may introduce significant design changes. As developers work through challenges with the new Siri, Apple's timeline for iOS updates remains substantial. Investigations into the ongoing development of these features continue as users anticipate further details during the next annual developers' conference. The technology community is left questioning which specific features might be delayed and how this will affect overall user experience with iOS 19 and subsequent updates. Details will likely emerge as the June 2025 announcement approaches.

Apple Postpones a Smarter Siri and Other iOS 19 Features to 2026

The update is initially reported to only carry a handful of new features iOS 19 is expected to be in development as the next operating system (OS) update for iPhone. The successor to iOS 18 is expected to be previewed next year in the summer and debut in September, alongside the purported iPhone 17 series. However, a new report suggests iOS 19 will initially carry only some of the new features that are said to be in development and some of them may be postponed for release at a later date. In the latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman highlighted that Apple is said to have postponed a "larger-than-usual" number of iOS 19 features till Spring 2026. The update is expected to be previewed at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in the summer of 2025, with a release slated alongside the new iPhone models in the Fall, However, a lot of the rumoured features will reportedly not arrive until the iOS 19.4 update. This timeline of Apple's next big update is similar to iOS 18. Although it was rolled out in September, the update did not initially feature Apple Intelligence -- the company's suite of artificial intelligence (AI) features that it previewed at WWDC 2024. Apple released the first batch of AI features with the iOS 18.1 update in October and not all of them have made it to the release stage yet. Image Playground, Genmoji, and ChatGPT integration in Siri are some of the features that are still only accessible via the iOS 18.2 beta updates. Another key feature of iOS 18 is a smarter Siri powered by Apple Intelligence. It is reportedly expected to arrive next year with the iOS 18.3 update. However, iOS 19 could take it a step further by introducing a major overhaul for its voice assistant, making it more conversational. Apple is reportedly planning to leverage more advanced proprietary large language models (LLMs), giving it abilities such as generating text, holding back and forth conversations, "more sophisticated requests in a quicker fashion". This capability is rumoured to be just one of the many that may arrive with the iOS 19.4 update in 2026.

Apple May Delay Key iOS 19 Features As It Reportedly Adopts Staggered Rollouts Amid AI Investment Push - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Apple Inc. AAPL is reportedly changing its approach to software updates. The tech giant appears to be opting for staggered rollouts of new features instead of bundling everything into annual iOS releases. What Happened: In his latest weekly "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman said that Cupertino plans a significant update with iOS 18.4 this spring. However, several features that were initially set for the latter half of 2025 are now delayed. Previously, the analyst reported that the much-anticipated Siri overhaul, which aims to incorporate in-house LLMs for a more conversational assistant, was also pushed back. Beyond LLMS, a larger-than-usual number of features for iOS 19 are also postponed till spring 2026. That's around when iOS 19.4 will be released, said Gurman in the newsletter. See Also: Apple Could Keep AirPods Max Headphones Around Without 'Meaningfully' Updating Them, Says Analyst: Here's Why Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It Matters: Earlier this month, Cupertino alerted investors about the potential uncertainty in the profitability of its future products, including AI and virtual reality. In its updated annual report, Apple included a new "risk factors" section, highlighting that some of its upcoming products may not achieve the same revenue and profit margins as its flagship product, the iPhone. Apple reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $94.9 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $94.56 billion. The company also posted adjusted earnings of $1.64 per share, beating the anticipated $1.60 per share. This marked the seventh straight quarter that Apple has outperformed analyst forecasts for both revenue and earnings, according to Benzinga Pro. During the earnings call at the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared that the adoption rate of iOS 18.1 is double that of iOS 17.1. During the same call, Apple CFO Luca Maestri was asked about the company's capital expenditure outlook, particularly concerning investments in private cloud computing and AI. What Analysts Are Saying: Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Ng inquired whether these investments could affect Apple's typical annual capex range of around $10 billion. In response, Maestri explained that Apple uses a hybrid model for its data centers, combining both proprietary and third-party resources. This makes its capex numbers distinct from other companies. He confirmed that Apple is already investing in infrastructure to support its AI-related features, with additional spending planned for fiscal year 2025. In its 10-K filing filed in November, Apple reported research and development expenses of $31.37 billion, rising 5% over 2023. Price Action: Apple's stock rose 1.31% on Monday, closing at $232.87, but dipped 0.18% in after-hours trading. Year-to-date, the company's shares have increased by 25.44%, slightly trailing the Nasdaq 100 index, which has gained 25.8%, according to Benzinga Pro data. Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. Read Next: Apple Faces New Challenge As Huawei Advances Domestic Chip Tech In Mate 70 Series Amid US Sanctions: Report Photo courtesy: Apple Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Bloomberg: Apple developing new 'LLM Siri' for iOS 19 and macOS 16 - 9to5Mac

While Apple is in the midst of rolling out new Apple Intelligence features as part of iOS 18, it's also working on yet-to-be-announced features for iOS 19. One of those features is an upgraded version of Siri powered by more advanced large language models, or LLMs. The news was detailed in a new report today from Bloomberg. Mark Gurman reports that this is being referred to as "LLM Siri" inside Apple. The upgraded assistant is currently being tested as part of a separate app but will be replace the current Siri interface when it launches. The report details that while Apple plans to unveil LLM Siri as part of iOS 19 and macOS 16 next year, the new platform won't actually launch until spring 2026. The revamped Siri will rely on new Apple AI models to interact more like a human and handle tasks in a way that's closer to ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. It also will make expanded use of App Intents, which allow for more precise control of third-party apps. And the software will be able to tap into features from Apple Intelligence, such as the ability to write and summarize text. iOS 19 and macOS 16 are expected to be announced at WWDC in June 2025.

Apple is working on a huge Siri upgrade for iOS 19 and macOS 16

'LLM Siri', as employees call it, will be far more conversational, but it may not be released until 2026. Apple is really driving hard in its race to be a top player in AI. The Apple Intelligence features are coming in so hot that they're being released in stages, taking months after the release of iOS 18. And now a new report says the company is full steam ahead on a new version of Siri that goes well beyond the enhanced, more personal Siri coming this spring. According to a report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple is building a new version of Siri that makes use of more advanced large language models (LLMs), and employees on the project are calling it "LLM Siri." The new Siri will be able to hold natural back-and-forth conversations, not unlike the new Advanced Voice Mode of OpenAI's ChatGPT. It will also handle more sophisticated requests more quickly. According to the report, Apple is already testing the new Siri as a separate app on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but it will be released as a replacement for the built-in OS feature we know today. The new Siri is expected to be unveiled in 2025 as part of iOS 19 and macOS 16, but won't be available at launch -- instead, they'll come in an update early in 2026 (i.e. iOS 19.3 or the like). Siri is expected to get a big upgrade early in 2025 as part of iOS 18.3 or 18.4. Though the fundamental AI model isn't changing, that version of Siri will be able to build a personal profile of you based on your on-device data (contacts, Messages, location history, and so on) in order to "know" you better. It will also be able to make use of hundreds of new App Intents, which are hooks that third-party app developers can use to allow Siri to perform functions or access data from within apps on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Next month, Siri will get ChatGPT integration and some new visual intelligence features, but still remains largely the Siri we've known for years. The report doesn't clarify exactly how the new Siri will work; Apple emphasizes on-device processing for better privacy, speed, and reliability. But advanced LLM models are huge, requiring large amounts of processing and significant RAM. The AI models of Apple Intelligence in iOS 18 already require around 2GB of RAM, which is why they need an iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 to run (those are Apple's only phones with 8GB of total RAM). If Apple is already testing the system on current devices, there's a good chance your current phone will run it, but it may need a live internet connection to do so.

Siri chatbot may be coming in 2026 as part of iOS 19

A new rumor suggests Apple wants to make Siri more conversational by making it use a large language model backend similar to ChatGPT and AI rivals, but it won't be ready until 2026. When Apple was first rumored to be tackling artificial intelligence, one thing that was repeated often -- Apple would not release a chatbot. The idea that users would converse with Siri in the same way they did with ChatGPT was seemingly off the table for the launch. Since then, a lot has changed, and according to a report from Bloomberg, Apple has begun work on an LLM-based Siri that might debut in iOS 19 in early 2026. This report lines up with AppleInsider's earlier exclusive on Apple AI testing tools that point to Siri becoming more tied to Apple's AI features. The new Siri would handle back-and-forth conversations. So, tie that to the upgraded type-to-Siri experience, and it is easy to see the Siri chatbot taking shape. Apple has yet to tie any real Apple Intelligence features to Siri since Apple's AI debuted in iOS 18.1. There's a new animation and fewer errors in interpretation, but knowledge about the user and installed apps is still limited. For the user, Siri hasn't changed much at all and continues to act as a conduit to other tools like Google search or ChatGPT rather than being of much use on its own. The same structures for controlling the home, setting timers, or making calls still stand. Moving to an LLM approach from machine learning will introduce a lot of opportunity and complexity to Siri, but also increase the likelihood of hallucinations. Apple's approach to AI does help reduce hallucinations, but they aren't eliminated. The groundwork has already been laid for a more interactive and proactive Siri with iOS 18. A new app intent system will expose portions of app features and on-device user data to Siri to provide incredible contextual awareness -- think Apple's example of picking up your mom from the airport. Apple Intelligence is a model Apple has broken up across the operating systems to provide useful tools, but it lacks a central unifying interface. The so-called "Siri LLM" could be that unifier as the face of Apple Intelligence. The iOS 19 update is expected to be revealed during WWDC 2025 in June. However, the Siri LLM won't actually be ready for launch until early 2026, if the rumor is accurate.