Much against expectations that the more powerful Siri would be part of the iPhone 16 lineup, the company delayed the launch indefinitely.

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) much-awaited artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Siri could launch in Spring 2026, potentially reinvigorating sagging iPhone sales.

A Bloomberg report late Thursday said that Apple's Siri team is working on bringing the upgraded version as part of the iOS 26.4 software update.

Bloomberg’s prominent Apple watcher Mark Gurman said that the “.4” software updates, internally called “E,” typically launch in March. 

The columnist said the exact date for the software update hasn’t been set internally. 

The launch, however, could shift depending on whether new snags emerge. Apple previewed the upgraded Siri at its 2024 annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), highlighting features like a more conversational Siri and ChatGPT integration. 

Much against expectations that the more powerful Siri would be part of the iPhone 16 lineup, the company delayed the launch indefinitely. Reports said the delay was due to technical issues. 

However, a recent Information report blamed Apple’s user-privacy commitment, which slowed progress in developing cutting-edge AI features, and ineffective leadership.

Bloomberg said if the development work over the next few weeks proves promising, Apple could give a preview of the features along with the launch of the next iPhone iteration in the fall.

At this year’s WWDC, Apple announced a “sweeping” platform overhaul but didn’t announce any major in-house AI features. The company did not introduce or demonstrate Siri features.

During the keynote presentation, software engineering chief Craig Federighi said, “This work needed more time to reach our high-quality bar, and we look forward to sharing more about it in the coming year.”

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward Apple stock was ‘neutral’ (54/100) by late Thursday, while the message volume was ‘high.’ 

AAPL sentiment and message volume as of 3:28 a.m. ET, June 13 | source: Stocktwits

The rumored Siri launch timeline did not go down well with retail traders on the platform. “Omg it’s already junked!!! Short that Company but hold and buy dips in indices,” a user said.

Most users are also worried about the impact of geopolitical tensions on the stock.

Apple ended Thursday’s session up 0.21% at $199.20, while it is down over 20% for the year.

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