Apple’s Siri AI beta impresses some testers, but habits are hard to change

In short: Apple’s new Siri AI in the iOS 27 beta feels much improved, but some testers say they still do not end up using it often.

What's going on

A Wired writer who tested Apple’s Siri AI in the iOS 27 developer beta said the experience started strong, then faded. At first, Siri AI worked well as a tour guide and felt more reliable than older Siri versions. The new chat-style interface also made it easier to talk back and forth.

Over the next month, the writer found Siri AI especially helpful for “personal context.” That means the assistant can look through what is already on your phone, like messages and photos, to answer questions. You can think of it like a better search box that can understand normal sentences, not just keywords.

Even with these improvements, the writer said they gradually stopped using it and went back to familiar routines, like scrolling Instagram or searching Yelp the usual way. They also already used another chatbot app, Anthropic’s Claude, which reduced the need to rely on Siri.

Analysts told Wired this may not hurt Apple much. Many iPhone owners use the default apps that come with the phone, and some trust Apple with personal data more than other companies. Another analyst said the new Siri beta finally feels useful, especially for finding information buried on the phone, plus dictation has improved.

What to watch

Two groups may shape what happens next. One is iPhone owners who avoided other AI tools due to privacy worries and may now try Siri. The other is people who want to avoid anything labeled “AI” at all, even if the features are better.

Source: Wired