Google and Apple announced a multi-year collaboration. A significant update for Siri and other Apple Intelligence capabilities will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI models. With the assistance of Google’s AI in an attempt to fuel improvements to several Apple services, such as a more customised Siri virtual assistant.
Google’s Gemini AI models will serve as the foundation for several of the iPhone manufacturer’s core technologies as part of a “multi-year collaboration” unveiled by the tech giants.
The two companies stated in a joint statement that the collaboration will enable “innovative new experiences” for Apple customers.
More details on the partnerships show that the future iterations of Apple Foundation Models and Siri will take advantage of cloud infrastructure and Google’s Gemini technologies. This comprises a 1.2 trillion-parameter model that is more potent than Apple’s present internal systems and is referred to internally as “Linwood”.
It is anticipated that the revised, more customised Siri would debut in the spring of 2026, most likely as a component of the iOS 26.4 upgrade.
For the usage of its AI technology, Apple will pay Google about $1 billion annually.
Apple stressed that in order to uphold its privacy standards, Apple Intelligence will continue to operate on its own hardware and Private Cloud Compute.
But experts say it shows how Apple has become dependent on other businesses due to its conservative approach to developing and implementing its own AI tools.
Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at IDC, had said that, by outsourcing the foundational layer of its AI to Google, Apple is effectively admitting that its internal efforts couldn’t compete with Google’s Gemini in terms of capability and scale in the short term.
He told the BBC that although the action was “a significant and pragmatic strategy” for Apple, it also represented a change from the company’s traditional development methodology. He stated that Apple “always preferred to own every layer of its technology” and that this “gave them an edge against their competitors.”
However, he and other experts predict that consumers would embrace the arrangement, pointing out that many iPhone owners want AI features, as Google, Samsung, and other smartphone manufacturers keep adding them to their devices.
According to tech researcher Paolo Pescatore, Apple’s most recent financial results indicated that AI was not the most desirable feature for consumers choosing whether to purchase an iPhone.
However, he stated to the BBC that “this will gradually change as AI-powered services gain adoption” to the BBC.
It is not Apple’s first agreement with an AI company. Back in June 2024, it announced a similar collaboration with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, which made the well-known chatbot accessible as part of Apple Intelligence, a suite of generative AI tools.
Apple Intelligence will continue to use Apple’s Private Cloud Compute technology, according to a joint announcement from Google and Apple on Monday.
They further stated that after careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google’s Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users.”
Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards will be upheld while Apple Intelligence continues to operate on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute.
With the “red flag” for authorities and looking beyond the joint statement released on Monday, not much is known about Google and Apple’s agreement, including its value.
However, prior agreements to integrate Google software into Apple products have been worth billions of dollars.
Jeronimo stated that although users of iPhones who are already acquainted with Google’s products and methods might not be too alarmed by its AI driving certain Apple features, it was “likely to be a red flag” for authorities.
Before a US judge ruled in August 2024 that Google had engaged in an unlawful online search monopoly, it was discovered that the company had paid companies like Apple over $26 billion in 2021 alone to have its search engine set as the default on iPhones.
Regulators from the EU and the UK have already voiced concerns about huge tech transactions and looked into them because they were worried that companies may use their size, wealth, and market dominance to keep control of particular industries.
In October, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a UK regulator, declared that Apple and Google had “an effective duopoly” in the country.
It declared Apple and Google to have “strategic market status”, which gives it the authority to demand adjustments from companies it deems to have excessive market dominance.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been contacted by the BBC for comment.
While Apple develops its own AI server processors, which are scheduled for commercial production in late 2026, analysts see this as a move to relieve short-term strain.
Before selecting Google, Apple apparently considered OpenAI and Anthropic, among other AI suppliers.
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