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Apple currently allows iPhone and iPad users to change Siri's voice and accent through Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > Voice, with new options downloading over WiFi or cellular. Users can also adjust how Siri communicates—aloud, quietly, or via on-screen text—through separate settings menus, ahead of a more comprehensive Siri redesign expected with iOS 27 in September.
A tech writer tested the redesigned Siri AI in the iOS 27 developer beta for a month, initially impressed by its polished interface and ability to search personal data like old texts and photos. Despite genuine improvements over previous Siri versions, daily usage tapered off as the writer reverted to manual browsing and continued relying on Anthropic's Claude chatbot instead.
A federal court has accelerated the timeline for finalizing Apple's $250 million settlement over false-advertising claims tied to delayed Apple Intelligence and Siri features. Apple had agreed in May to pay eligible buyers of iPhone 15 and 16 models between $25 and $95 per device after customers alleged the company advertised AI capabilities that weren't actually available at launch. The court's latest order, issued August 13, pushes forward the final approval hearing originally scheduled months later.
Apple's watchOS 27 beta eliminates the long-standing feature where double-clicking the Digital Crown quickly toggled between two recently used apps or the last app and the watch face. Instead, a single or double click now brings up the same new 'dynamic app grid' showing Siri plus five suggested apps, meaning the quick-switch shortcut has no direct replacement. The writer flagged this to Apple as early as June and again during the July public beta, but the behavior persists as of the current beta.
Throughout the summer, testers found Siri's new AI features on Apple Watch to be sluggish and unreliable in watchOS 27 betas, struggling with basic tasks like setting timers, alarms, and controlling HomeKit devices. With watchOS 27 beta 8, those responsiveness problems appear to have been resolved, marking a notable turnaround just before the software's public release.
Apple's iOS 27 update includes three specific fixes for the Mail app: more accurate unread message badges, faster loading of messages, and improved search indexing reliability. These changes were included alongside a long list of quality-of-life improvements Apple presented during the iOS 27 announcement.
A Washington Post-Elon University poll found that more than a quarter of Americans use AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini for emotional or personal support, with many saying they consider these tools friends or a way to feel less alone. Apple executives Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak previously said Siri AI is deliberately built to avoid this kind of engagement-driven, sycophantic behavior seen in rival chatbots.
Greenpeace says the rollout of Apple's AI features, including the upcoming Siri overhaul, will strain the company's renewable energy commitments due to the heavy electricity and water demands of large-scale data centers. The environmental group, which has praised Apple's clean energy record for over a decade, says Apple must now prove it can scale AI without abandoning those climate goals.
John Ternus, formerly Apple's senior VP of Hardware Engineering, has officially become Apple's new CEO after Tim Cook's fifteen-year tenure ended. In his first staff memo, Ternus previewed a major product event on September 9, widely expected to unveil Apple's first foldable iPhone and a broader rollout of an upgraded Siri.
Tim Cook has stepped down as Apple's CEO after 15 years, handing the role to John Ternus, previously the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering. Ternus, 51, joined Apple in 2001 and rose through the ranks to lead hardware engineering, a role he held while reporting directly to Cook. Cook will stay on as executive chairman.
Apple unveiled iOS 27 at WWDC in June and has since pushed several beta versions containing Siri AI upgrades and other features to developers. The company has only confirmed a general fall release, but based on its consistent pattern of shipping new iOS versions within about a week of its September hardware event—set for Sept. 9 this year—analysts predict a public rollout on Monday, Sept. 14.
John Ternus took over as Apple's chief executive on September 1, inheriting a fall lineup that includes a foldable iPhone, a new AI-enabled smart display, and an updated Siri platform. He steps into the role while Tim Cook stays on as executive chairman, and while Apple grapples with a memory chip shortage, App Store revenue pressure, staff departures, and an AI program still trailing competitors.