Apple's ability to pull off its long-promised overhaul of Siri is being questioned, with a report claiming the digital assistant isn't working as well as it should for a future iOS 26 update.

The iOS 18 introduction of Apple Intelligence was supposed to also bring in some much-needed upgrades to Siri. However, it seems that Apple's Siri problems may still persist long into the lifecycle of iOS 26.

According to sources of Mark Gurman in Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, testers of iOS 26.4 are already feeling uneasy about Siri. There are apparently "concerns" from the testers over the digital assistant's performance.

The iOS 26.4 update is thought to be the one where Siri finally gets its overhaul. That updated is anticipated to arrive in the spring of 2026, according to the report.

The spring 2026 timeframe is a little early, but mostly tallies up with macOS Tahoe leaks provided to AppleInsider. Mac hardware scheduling and macOS 26 updates in the leak puts a 26.4 release in the summer, though this could be early in the season enough to border with late spring.

Gurman doesn't go into details about the concerns, other than it being about performance and for the iOS 26.4 update.

Continued Siri strain

The Siri saga has seen Apple undergo considerable restructuring of teams working on AI, due to the continued fumbling. This has led to Apple seeking a replacement of John Giannandrea to lead AI within the company, which it is still searching for.

Robby Walker, a senior AI executive, was also linked to the delays in Siri. In September, it was reported he would be departing Apple sometime in October.

Apple has also had to deal with a drain in talent. AI engineers have been tempted away to competitors such as Meta by the promise of massive levels of compensation.

The affair has also exposed Apple to legal fallout, with lawsuits claiming Apple was misleading shareholders before confirming Siri was delayed.

Despite this, Apple is still working to make AI a much better prospect for iPhone users. There have been references to Model Context Protocol in iOS 26.1, indicating that Apple is considering a system to simplify AI data access.

It has also been working on its own ChatGPT-like iPhone app, which could eventually become the key to creating the new Siri.

However, aside from some reported "concerns" by testers, no-one truly knows how far along Apple truly is, and how long we have to wait for Siri to finally get that upward bump.