Siri’s Gemini upgrade makes me even more excited for the next Apple TV

• What this could mean for the future of Apple TV
• The time for Apple to act is now

All the way back at WWDC 2024, Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence and rolled it out later that fall with iOS 18.1. But one major feature was notably missing at launch: the upgraded Siri powered by Apple Intelligence — the same Siri Apple had spent so much time showing off during the event.

This new Siri is designed to understand your personal context and take actions on your phone for you, like pulling up a specific photo you asked for. In short, it was pitched as a far more conversational and useful version of Siri. In early 2025, Apple announced it was delaying the upgrade, and at WWDC 2025, it confirmed the new Siri would arrive in 2026.

Fast-forward to now, and Apple has finally shared exciting details about its new Siri and what’s in store for the future. In a statement to CNBC, Apple confirmed that its upgraded, personalized Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini models and will launch later this year.

“Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology.” Apple and Google said in a joint statement. “These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.”

What this could mean for the future of Apple TV

The next Apple TV is rumored to support Apple Intelligence, alongside the new Siri

Personally, I’m really glad to finally hear something official about Apple’s upgraded Siri. And while I’m excited about what this means for Siri on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, one of the first things that crossed my mind when I read the news was what it could mean for Apple TV’s future.

Google rolled out Gemini for Google TV last year, with smart TVs running Google TV — along with the Google TV Streamer — receiving an update that replaced the old Google Assistant with Gemini. That Gemini upgrade unlocked new features, like asking your TV for personalized movie and TV show recommendations, getting a summary of the last season of a show you watched, or even asking about current trends, such as, “What’s the new hospital drama everyone’s talking about?”

With Siri now confirmed to be powered by Google’s Gemini models — which have already proven themselves capable on Google TV — I can’t help but wonder whether Siri/Apple Intelligence on a new Apple TV could deliver a similar level of assistance.

Notably, Apple hasn’t released a new Apple TV since 2022. And while a new model was heavily rumored for last year, it never materialized. In November, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the next Apple TV “shouldn’t be far off,” adding that it’s expected to help showcase the new Siri and Apple Intelligence features planned for 2026.

With Siri now confirmed to be powered by Google’s Gemini models — which have already proven themselves capable on Google TV — I can’t help but wonder whether Siri/Apple Intelligence on a new Apple TV could deliver a similar level of assistance. The current-generation Apple TV doesn’t support Apple Intelligence at all, but the next model is rumored to be powered by Apple’s A17 Bionic chip, which would finally enable support for it.

The time for Apple to act is now

Its competitors in the TV space are already ahead

At this point, all of Apple’s major competitors in the TV space have already stepped up their AI efforts. Amazon has Alexa+ on Fire TV, Roku has been adding more AI-driven features, and Google has Gemini on Google TV, as I mentioned. Given that, it would make sense to me that Apple should now use the tools it has to do the same, especially since its Apple Foundation Models are now building on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology.

The upgraded version of Siri is rumored to launch with iOS 26.4 this spring, so hopefully the wait to learn more won’t be too much longer.

Apple and Google’s joint statement says Gemini “will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri,” so it’s entirely possible that the next Apple TV could launch with the upgraded Siri right out of the gate. And further down the road, Apple could roll out additional features similar to what Gemini already offers on Google TV — like using Siri to change TV settings — something Google just announced for Google TV with Gemini at CES 2026. Of course, all this is purely speculation on my part, but it’s hard not to wonder what Apple Intelligence powered by Google Gemini models could mean for Apple TV, and with the next-generation Apple TV reportedly around the corner, it’s an exciting time to be an Apple TV fan.

Overall, I think Apple’s AI efforts will be stronger thanks to its deal with Google to use Gemini models, and hopefully this will lead to many exciting enhancements not only for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac but also for the new Apple TV that is inevitably coming. The upgraded version of Siri is rumored to launch with iOS 26.4 this spring, so hopefully the wait to learn more won’t be too much longer.