My Brief Summer Fling With Siri AI
A Wired columnist recounts a month spent testing Apple's new Siri AI in the iOS 27 beta, describing an initially strong impression that faded into indifference rather than dislike. The piece matters because it captures how Apple's long-delayed AI overhaul may land with everyday users: not as a revolutionary leap, but as a quietly improved utility that many will simply take for granted, while analysts suggest this lukewarm reception won't dent Apple's dominant user base.
The writer found the new Siri genuinely more capable, particularly at searching personal content like old texts and photos, effectively becoming a smarter search bar for the phone. Yet old habits returned, with the author drifting back to manual scrolling and favouring Anthropic's Claude chatbot instead. Analysts including Forrester's Dipanjan Chatterjee and IDC's Ramon Llamas argue most iPhone users will stick with Apple's default regardless of critique, partly due to trust in its privacy record, while other testers, such as Techsponential's Avi Greengart, report genuinely increased use thanks to better world knowledge and dictation. The article notes a segment of users may reject the AI-branded Siri outright on principle, regardless of quality improvements.
- Writer tested improved Siri AI in iOS 27 beta, then lost interest
- Analysts say most iPhone users will stick with Siri regardless
- Some testers report genuinely increased use; others resist AI on principle