There was a hint of Apple at Google’s annual Cloud Next ’26 conference during the opening keynote. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian highlighted a list of partner companies, including Apple, as part of his speech.
“Earlier this year, we announced a monumental partnership with one of the world’s most iconic brands that will bring the power of our technology to users around the world,” he said.
In January, Apple issued a note stating it had entered into a multi-year deal with Google to use the Gemini model to create Apple’s Foundation Models.
He added: “We’re collaborating with Apple as their preferred cloud provider to develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology.”
Although his remarks focus more on how Google Cloud is working with Apple rather than offering new information, they do suggest that Apple’s new Siri could arrive sometime this year.
The most likely venue for this launch would be WWDC in June. As the developer conference typically focuses on Apple’s future operating system updates, it is a natural platform for unveiling a new version.
Siri was introduced in its updated form in 2024 during the WWDC keynote. Although Apple Intelligence rolled out soon after, the revamped Siri did not. In March last year, Apple said its vision for Siri was taking longer than expected.
It will be interesting to see how Apple uses the Google Gemini model. According to Apple Insider, in March Apple was reportedly able to distil knowledge and capabilities from the larger Gemini model into a smaller, Apple-controlled version that could potentially run on a device such as an iPhone.