During his last earnings call as the head of Apple, Tim Cook discussed the impending upgrades to Siri AI, mentioning that certain features may come with additional costs. While not final, Cook hinted at a future where users could enhance their Siri experience through the iCloud+ subscriptions, which already include increased cloud storage options.
“We anticipate that some users will want to engage with [Siri AI] extensively, which is why we will explore upgrade options for iCloud+, allowing for enhanced access,” Cook noted on Thursday. “We are thrilled about the advancements we are making with [Siri AI].”
Other AI companies, such as Anthropic and OpenAI, adopt a similar strategy, providing a basic free version while offering paid upgrades for increased usage.
The upgraded Siri AI is currently included in the iOS 27 beta version and is scheduled for a more widespread release this fall.
With Tim Cook’s departure, longtime Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus will take the reins during a pivotal moment for the company. Apple has lagged in its race to develop a next-generation AI assistant, even resorting to licensing a custom Gemini model from rival Google to bolster Siri’s capabilities. The overhaul of Siri AI was delayed enough that Apple had to pay $250 million to resolve a class action lawsuit regarding its marketing of the iPhone 16’s AI functionalities.
Like many hardware companies, Apple faces challenges in securing the necessary supplies to satisfy customer demand. An industry-wide shortage of AI-driven RAM has increased production costs, prompting firms such as Meta, Samsung, Microsoft, and Sony to hike prices for various devices. While Apple raised the prices of Macs and iPads last month, it has not yet changed the pricing for its current iPhone lineup.
