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5+ Things to Know About the Siri Chatbot Coming in iOS 27

2026-03-28 06:13:51

We're less than three months away from our first look at Apple's smarter, redesigned version of Siri. iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will focus on ‌Siri‌ updates, and rumors about what we can expect are picking up.


There's a full chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ in the works, which will change the way that we use Apple's personal assistant. ‌Siri‌ will be more like Claude or ChatGPT, marking a major improvement in how ‌Siri‌ works and what it can do.

SiriBot


With ‌iOS 27‌, Apple will change the way that ‌Siri‌ works. Right now, ‌Siri‌ can answer common questions and complete simple tasks, but you can't engage it in a back and forth conversation, get help with multi-step tasks, or ask complicated questions.

Based on the current ‌Siri‌ chatbot rumors, ‌Siri‌ will be able to do all of that and more with the upcoming upgrade, and it will work like competing chatbots.

Apple wasn't initially planning to introduce a full chatbot like ChatGPT, but chatbots have become too popular for Apple to ignore. Simply adding AI capabilities to apps and features isn't enough for Apple to stay competitive with the way people have embraced chatbots for everything from web searches to coding help.

Google has already integrated Gemini into its Android device lineup, and chatbots like ChatGPT have hundreds of millions of weekly active users.

Standalone Siri App


When ‌Siri‌ evolves into a dedicated Apple-designed chatbot, it will launch alongside a standalone ‌Siri‌ app. The ‌Siri‌ app will look similar to apps from other companies like OpenAI, displaying a grid or list of past conversations.

‌Siri‌ will support text and voice-based conversations, and there will be options to favorite chats, search for content within chats, initiate new chats, and save chats. Conversations with ‌Siri‌ will apparently resemble iMessage conversations, with Apple adopting chat bubbles.

New conversations will start with suggested prompts on what users can ask ‌Siri‌.

Deep Integration


While there will be a standalone ‌Siri‌ app for back-and-forth conversations, ‌Siri‌ will be deeply integrated into Apple devices at the system level. ‌Siri‌ will be activated the same way as today, by speaking the ‌Siri‌ wake word or pressing on the side button of a Siri-enabled device. ‌Siri‌ will be able to respond to both voice and text-based requests.

Siri Capabilities


‌Siri‌ will be able to do much of what current chatbots can do, such as searching the web with visually rich results, providing summaries, and evaluating uploaded documents. The personal assistant will still be integrated into Apple devices. ‌Siri‌ integration will replace the current Spotlight search functionality, but Apple plans to keep and expand on ‌Siri‌ Suggestions. ‌Siri‌ Suggestions will have more access to user data to provide more relevant prompts.

  • Search the web for information

  • Generate images

  • Generate content

  • Summarize information

  • Analyze uploaded files

  • Use personal data to complete tasks

  • Ingest information from emails, messages, files and more

  • Analyze open windows and on-screen content to take action

  • Control device features and settings

  • Search for on-device content, replacing Spotlight


‌Siri‌ will also be integrated into Apple's core apps, including Mail, Messages, Apple TV, Xcode, and Photos. ‌Siri‌ will be able to search for specific images, edit photos, help with coding, make suggestions for TV shows and movies, and send emails.

New Look


Chatbot ‌Siri‌ will have an updated look to go along with the dedicated app. Activating ‌Siri‌ will have a new animation that prompts the user to search or ask a question, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is testing a version of ‌Siri‌ integrated into the Dynamic Island. Apple's test interface includes a glowing ‌Siri‌ icon and a "searching" label in the ‌Dynamic Island‌ while ‌Siri‌ is processing a request, and once done, ‌Siri‌ expands into a larger translucent panel with the results. Pulling down on the menu initiates an interface for a conversation.

Apple may also integrate an "Ask ‌Siri‌" button into the menus of other apps, giving users a way to send content directly to ‌Siri‌ alongside a request. The iOS keyboard could get a Write with ‌Siri‌ option that surfaces Writing Tools.

Memory


Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini can remember past conversations and interactions, retaining a memory of the user. Apple is said to be discussing how much the ‌Siri‌ chatbot will be able to remember.

Apple may limit conversational memory to protect user privacy.

Third-Party Chatbot Integrations


Apple will allow third-party AI chatbots to integrate with Siri in ‌iOS 27‌. Apple already has a partnership with OpenAI that lets ‌Siri‌ hand questions off to ChatGPT, but that integration will expand to chatbots from other companies like Google and Anthropic.

An iPhone user with the Claude or Gemini app installed will be able to send questions from ‌Siri‌ to those chatbots, similar to how the OpenAI integration works today.

iPhone users will be able to choose which services they want to use inside ‌Siri‌ through a new "Extensions" option coming to the ‌Siri‌ and Apple Intelligence section in the Settings app.

Promised iOS 18 Features


‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ features that were originally planned for iOS 18 will be introduced in ‌iOS 27‌, with ‌Siri‌ able to use personal data and context to answer queries. ‌Siri‌ will also be able to do more in and between apps, and will be able to see what's on the user's screen. Apple promised that those features would appear before the end of 2026.

Underlying Architecture and Servers


Apple has inked a deal with Google that will see Gemini powering upcoming versions of ‌Siri‌. Apple plans to use Gemini for the ‌Siri‌ chatbot and the other ‌Siri‌ features coming in ‌iOS 27‌.

"Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," the two companies said in a statement in January.

The ‌Siri‌ chatbot specifically will rely on a custom AI model developed by the Google Gemini team. Gurman claims that the custom model is comparable to Gemini 3, and that it is more powerful than models Apple has developed in-house.

Apple and Google are also discussing running the ‌Siri‌ chatbot on Google's servers powered by Tensor Processing Units, probably because Apple doesn't yet have the infrastructure to handle chatbot queries from billions of active devices per day.

Launch Date


Apple is planning to introduce ‌Siri‌'s chatbot capabilities when it announces ‌iOS 27‌, iPadOS 27, and ‌macOS 27‌ at the June Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts on Monday, June 8. It is still unclear which ‌Siri‌ features Apple will be ready to unveil, and some could be held for future updates.
Related Roundup: iOS 27

This article, "5+ Things to Know About the Siri Chatbot Coming in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year

2026-03-28 04:53:21

March has been an incredibly busy month for Apple, with the company unveiling more than 10 new products and accessories. We said hello to the MacBook Neo at the start of the month, and we bid farewell to the Mac Pro at the end of it.


Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to come this year.

Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple's all-new smart home hub is finally expected to launch later this year, once the more personalized version of Siri arrives. We are also expecting a foldable iPhone, a MacBook Pro with an OLED display, and long-awaited updates to the Apple TV and HomePods this year.

Here is what to expect from Apple later this year, according to rumors. Where there are arrows shown, it refers to a device's current chip → next chip.

iPhones




Apple Watches



iPads

Macs




Home




For more details, read our Upcoming Apple Products Guide: What's Coming in 2026.
This article, "Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple TV Channels Gains Crunchyroll Anime Streaming Service

2026-03-28 03:09:22

Anime streaming service Crunchyroll is now available as an Apple TV app channel, making it easier for prospective customers to subscribe without having to open up another app.


‌Apple TV‌ users in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia are now able to subscribe to Crunchyroll through the ‌Apple TV‌. There's a 7-day free trial available, after which the service is priced at $9.99 per month. The Crunchyroll ‌Apple TV‌ Channel is separate from existing Crunchyroll subscriptions, and an existing account can't be linked to the ‌Apple TV‌ app.

As with all ‌Apple TV‌ Channels content, if you sign up for Crunchyroll with the ‌Apple TV‌ app, you'll be billed through Apple. Crunchyroll says its full catalog of over 50,000 episodes is available through the Crunchyroll ‌Apple TV‌ Channel.

Apple TV Channels have long been an ‌Apple TV‌ app feature that makes subscribing to multiple services more convenient. Channels content can be watched in the ‌Apple TV‌ app without having to open up another app, and access can be shared with up to six members of a Family Sharing group. Channels also offer watch on-demand content and offline downloads.

Some of the available ‌Apple TV‌ Channels include Starz, Paramount+, AMC+, Mubi, Shudder, MGM+, and IFC Films.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

This article, "Apple TV Channels Gains Crunchyroll Anime Streaming Service" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MacBook Neo Review: Can Apple's Cheapest Laptop Handle Real Work?

2026-03-28 03:03:40

It's been a little over two weeks since the MacBook Neo launched on March 11, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using it daily to do a more thorough review.


At $599 (or $499 for students), the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is the cheapest laptop that Apple has come out with, and given the quality of the product, it's an impressive price. The A18 Pro chip isn't underpowered for a notebook machine, and the Neo is going to handle every day-to-day task that you might throw at it.

8GB RAM might sound like not enough because all of Apple's other Macs have 16GB or more, but Macs use RAM so efficiently that most people aren't going to miss having more RAM. If you're browsing the web, watching videos, managing documents, writing, scrolling through social media apps, sending emails, completing homework, and doing other light work, the ‌MacBook Neo‌ isn't going to struggle. 8GB RAM is also sufficient for all of the Apple Intelligence features that Apple has come out with so far.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ works totally fine for editing photos and videos, but it's of course not as quick as Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with M-series chips. You're going to see slower export times, but the actual process of editing video on the ‌MacBook Neo‌ doesn't feel overly sluggish.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ had no problems with 30 Chrome tabs open with YouTube, Google Docs, news sites, spreadsheets, Twitter, and more, even when other apps like Mail, Messages, and Spotify were running. Bumping up to 60 tabs used all of the available RAM, but everything running was usable with no freezing or beach balls. A Windows laptop probably wouldn't be able to operate like the Neo does on just 8GB RAM, but with Apple's SoC, it works.

There are some compromises with the ‌MacBook Neo‌ in addition to the RAM. You're not going to get Apple's best display, but it's not too far off the ‌MacBook Air‌ display. There's just no True Tone for adjusting the display white balance to the lighting in the room. You're limited to two USB-C ports (one limited to USB 2 speeds at 480Mb/s, which does impact how fast files transfer), and another that's USB 3 at 10Gb/s. There's no Thunderbolt, no MagSafe charger, no SD card slot, no HDMI port, and no backlighting for the keyboard. The trackpad is mechanical instead of Force Touch, but it works largely the same, and there's a 1080p camera.

Battery life is solid at up to 16 hours on a full charge, and the power draw is low enough that you can get some extra juice with a small power bank. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ only comes in 256GB and 512GB configurations, so storage is a bit limited, and we do recommend that 512GB upgrade for an extra $100 if you can swing it because it adds Touch ID to the keyboard. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is slim and lightweight at 2.7 pounds, plus it comes in fun colors like blush, citrus, silver, and indigo.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is designed for students on a budget, parents buying a first laptop for a child, and people who just need a basic machine for everyday online tasks. It may be Apple's lowest tier Mac, but it is one of the best computers you can get in its price range.

Many competing Windows PCs and Chromebooks around the $600 mark are bulkier and uglier, with dimmer displays and less powerful chips. PC makers haven't had to try in the low-end market because Apple didn't compete there, but now that's changed.

There's a reason why ASUS CFO Nick Wu said that the ‌MacBook Neo‌ was a "shock" to the entire PC industry that's being taken "very seriously." PC makers are going to need to innovate to keep Apple from dominating the affordable and education market.
Related Roundup: MacBook Neo
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)
Related Forum: MacBook Neo

This article, "MacBook Neo Review: Can Apple's Cheapest Laptop Handle Real Work?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Brings On Google Shopping VP to Lead AI Marketing Push

2026-03-28 02:01:53

Apple has hired former Google VP Lilian Rincon as its vice president of product marketing for artificial intelligence, reports Axios. Before joining Apple, Rincon was vice president of product for Google Shopping.


At Apple, Rincon will be in charge of product marketing and product management for all of Apple's AI platforms, reporting to Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak.

Rincon led the global product organization that handled Google's consumer-facing shopping experiences, and before that, she was a director of product management in the Google Shopping division, and she worked on Google Assistant. Rincon first joined Google in 2017, and she also previously worked at Microsoft and Skype.

Apple's AI marketing efforts come at a critical time as it prepares to roll out the updated chatbot version of Siri in iOS 27, and Rincon has a lot of work ahead. Apple is seen as being far behind competitors when it comes to AI development, both because of its failure to deploy Apple Intelligence Siri features on time and because iOS, macOS, and iPadOS offer far fewer AI features compared to Android and Windows.

With ‌iOS 27‌, Apple is overhauling ‌Siri‌. We'll get the smarter ‌Siri‌ Apple first introduced at the June 2024 WWDC keynote, plus Apple is planning for a full chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ that will compete with chatbots like Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT.

We'll see our first glimpse of the new AI features Apple has planned at the 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins on Monday, June 8.


This article, "Apple Brings On Google Shopping VP to Lead AI Marketing Push" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's 50th Anniversary Events Continue in Washington D.C., Shanghai, Tokyo, and Beyond

2026-03-28 01:01:41

Apple is into its final days of hosting 50th-anniversary celebrations around the world, making stops in Washington D.C., Mexico City, Shanghai, Tokyo, and beyond.


On Tuesday, March 24, actor Troy Kotsur and Gallaudet University president Roberta Cordano sat down for a discussion with Apple's accessibility chief Sarah Herrlinger about how accessible technology helps to foster creativity.

In 2022, Kotsur became the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award for his performance in the Apple TV film CODA, while Cordano is the first deaf woman to be president of the Gallaudet University for the deaf and hard of hearing.


The discussion was part of a special Today at Apple session held at Apple's Carnegie Library store in Washington, D.C., and hundreds of other accessibility advocates also attended the event to reflect on what it means to have Apple products and technologies that work for everyone, including people with disabilities.

On Wednesday, March 25, Apple brought together "some of Mexico's most celebrated filmmakers, actors, and creators" for a conversation about creativity and storytelling at its Apple Antara store in Mexico City. This included some of the people behind the hit Apple TV productions Las Azules, Acapulco, and Midnight Family.

In front of its Jing'an store in Shanghai today, Apple set up a circular catwalk that models walked around as part of Shanghai Fashion Week.


And over in Tokyo today, a virtual YouTuber and singer known as Mori Calliope appeared live on a screen at Apple's Omotesando store.

Image Credit: @hamu_3nd

Today at Apple sessions were also held at Apple Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Canada and at Apple Champs-Élysées in Paris, France this week, and there will be another session at Apple BKC in Mumbai, India on Sunday, March 29.

Apple kicked off its 50th anniversary celebrations with a surprise Alicia Keys performance at its store inside New York's iconic Grand Central Terminal earlier this month, while Mumford & Sons performed in London earlier this week. Apple has also held events in Australia, South Korea, Thailand, and elsewhere over the past few weeks.

Apple turns 50 on April 1.
This article, "Apple's 50th Anniversary Events Continue in Washington D.C., Shanghai, Tokyo, and Beyond" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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