Apple Announces Siri AI Alongside New Watch Models and iOS 27 Release Date

Engadget’s early testing found Siri AI capable of answering complex questions and carrying out multi-step prompts, indicating capabilities beyond simple voice commands.
Siri AI can draw on information across a user’s phone—including email, calendar and notes—while responding through natural-language processing and understanding what is displayed on screen.
Apple’s hardware requirements are particularly restrictive for iPads: Siri AI supports only the latest iPad mini and iPad Air and iPad Pro models equipped with an M1 chip or newer.
More recent iPhones, including the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air, use a more powerful on-device model that enables more accurate speech recognition and dictation than supported older devices.
Mashable notes that Apple has been promising the Siri overhaul since 2024; users first saw the redesigned assistant in a June preview, followed by access through the iOS 27 beta.
Apple unveiled a smarter Siri and new Apple Watch models built to work together seamlessly. The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 feature faster chips and deeper health tracking, measuring heart rate every five seconds. Wired reports that watchOS 27 brings a redesigned app grid, one-handed gestures, and a Siri AI that can perform actions across apps and tap into personal context—your email, calendar, and notes.
Siri AI launches September 14 with iOS 27, powered by Apple Intelligence and Google's Gemini models. The assistant can answer complex questions, understand what's on your screen, and control supported apps. Engadget found in early testing that Siri AI handles multi-step prompts far beyond simple voice commands. But Apple is limiting Siri AI to recent devices: iPhone 15 Pro and newer, select iPads with M1 chips or better, and the latest watch models. The EU will be excluded from launch.
Siri AI's power comes from new chips that run complex on-device models for speech recognition. That's why Apple requires iPhone 15 Pro or newer—older phones lack the processing power. The Independent notes the new watches are "focused on health and intelligence features" working hand-in-hand. For iPads, the requirements are even stricter: only the latest iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models with M1 chips qualify. Newer iPhones, including the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max, get the best experience with more accurate speech recognition.
The new Siri can search across your entire phone—emails, notes, calendar entries, photos—to answer questions and complete tasks. It understands what appears on your screen right now, letting you ask "What time does this meeting start?" while viewing an event. Most of this processing happens on your device. Apple says data sent to servers won't be stored, addressing privacy concerns. Mashable points out Apple promised this Siri overhaul back in 2024; users saw a preview in June before beta access launched.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 elevate the watch beyond notifications and fitness. With Siri AI, the watch can retrieve online information, take actions in apps, and understand personal context—all without opening an app or typing. 9to5Mac reports the new watchOS 27 adds a Siri Modular watch face that surfaces relevant information based on time of day. Combined with continuous five-second heart rate monitoring and suggested apps, the watch shifts toward being an "ambient assistant" for quick, hands-free tasks throughout your day.
Apple is blending its own technology with Google's foundation models. Google Gemini helps train Siri AI's algorithms, but Apple controls how the assistant accesses your personal information—email, calendar, notes, on-screen content. This hybrid approach accelerates capability but makes Apple's AI progress partly dependent on an outside model provider. The Verge highlights that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Series 12 are "ready for the new Siri," suggesting watchOS 27 is the software engine driving these capabilities forward.
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