Apple is reportedly closing in on a major deal with Google to license the Gemini artificial intelligence model.
The deal, which could cost Apple around $1 billion annually, would allow it to use Google’s most powerful AI system to power a revamped version of Siri, according to Bloomberg.
While Apple has always pushed to rely on its own technology for core software capabilities — and has been heavily promoting Apple Intelligence while developing in-house AI models — the iPhone maker appears to be lagging slightly in the AI race.
Now, according to Bloomberg’s report, Apple views Google’s Gemini as a temporary solution until its own systems are robust enough. If the deal is finalised, the centrepiece of this partnership would be Google’s “Gemini” model, which reportedly includes approximately 1.2 trillion parameters, far surpassing Apple’s current cloud-based AI models (around 150 billion parameters).
In simple terms, more parameters generally translate to greater reasoning ability, improved real-time understanding, and more complex task handling — all essential for Apple to make Siri a smarter, more capable voice assistant.
Apple has spent years positioning Siri as a privacy-first, device-based assistant while trying to differentiate itself from data-heavy AI competitors. However, with this collaboration, Apple is now expected to host Gemini through its own infrastructure, while ensuring data is processed within Apple’s privacy-controlled systems.
This setup would help the company maintain its long-standing stance on user privacy, even as it leans on external AI horsepower.
Reportedly, before turning to Google, Apple evaluated AI models from other major players including OpenAI and Anthropic, and is said to have run multiple internal tests comparing model accuracy, reliability, and scalability.
Ultimately, Gemini was chosen because it performed best across Apple’s benchmarks while aligning with the company’s integration plans.
New Siri powered by Gemini
The new, more advanced Siri is now expected to deliver more natural conversation, improved task automation, and deeper contextual understanding across apps.
Reportedly, the revamped Siri is currently planned to launch in spring 2026, though timelines may change as development continues. Apple had initially aimed for a more aggressive rollout, but internal restructuring and technical hurdles reportedly pushed the schedule back.
Meanwhile, this partnership also raises several strategic questions, like if Apple will be able to retain its brand identity and differentiation while relying on another company’s core AI model.
Will the user-data privacy story remain intact if a third-party model is involved, even if deployed on Apple’s infrastructure?
And, importantly, how quickly can Apple transition from this licenced model back to its own internal solution?
According to reports, Apple is already working on an in-house model with over a trillion parameters that could be ready in 2026.
Given the launch is still months away, the plans and partnership could still evolve. Apple and Google spokespeople declined to comment.
