Apple's Revamped Siri Still Lags Behind — And the Window of Excitement Has Closed

Apple's newly positioned Siri — rebranded around the company's 'Apple Intelligence' push — is arriving too late and offering too little, according to a pointed critique by Analytics India Magazine. The features Apple is showcasing now were genuinely novel roughly two years ago, but the broader AI landscape has moved on decisively, leaving Siri looking like a catch-up act rather than a leap forward.

The criticism is not merely about timing. Competitors including Google, with its Gemini-powered Assistant, and OpenAI's ChatGPT have set a dramatically higher bar for conversational AI, contextual understanding, and on-device intelligence. Apple, which built its reputation on setting trends rather than following them, finds itself in the unfamiliar position of trailing the field in one of the decade's most consequential technology races.

For Apple, the stakes are significant. The company has used Siri as a key differentiator for its iPhone ecosystem, and a credible AI assistant is now considered table stakes for flagship smartphone sales. Delays in rolling out full Apple Intelligence features — some of which remain unavailable in India — have compounded the perception that the company is behind schedule.

In the Indian market, where Apple has been aggressively expanding its retail presence and manufacturing footprint, the Siri shortfall is a real concern. Indian consumers who pay a premium for iPhones expect best-in-class features, and an underwhelming AI assistant risks becoming a talking point for rival Android makers. Apple's next few software updates will be closely watched to see if it can close the gap.