Siri development challenges persist: iOS 26.4 performance concerns

The challenges of developing Siri are a major focus of interest in the tech world, with Apple continuing to delay the release of the iOS 26.4 update, expected in spring 2026. This update is expected to introduce an improved version of its voice assistant based on modern artificial intelligence technologies.

According to a recent Bloomberg report on October 19, 2025, Apple engineers testing the beta version of the update expressed concerns about the performance of the redesigned version, which reflects Apple's technical challenges and its ability to retain talent amid fierce competition.

In this article, we explore these challenges, their causes, and consequences, and how competition is putting significant pressure on Apple in the race to develop a smart voice assistant.

iOS 26.4 update and the most prominent challenges of Siri development Apple is aiming to introduce advanced smart features to Siri in iOS 26.4, including the ability to understand the user's personal context and control apps directly through App Intents, such as editing photos or adding items to shopping apps.

These features represent a qualitative shift, as they go beyond superficial additions. Rather, they aim to make the voice assistant more intelligent and interactive, enabling it to understand complex queries based on data from various applications.

However, the iOS 26.4 update suffers from performance and stability issues. Apple engineers revealed complex technical issues that prevented the final release of the version on schedule, prompting Apple to delay its release to 2026.

These issues are partly due to the radical change in Siri's infrastructure, as the company moved from V1 to the more modern and flexible V2 architecture, which requires more time to develop the system and ensure its quality.

Rebuilding Siri on this new architecture means emphasizing privacy and better performance while reducing errors, which were around 33% in early prototypes.

Ensuring AI interaction without compromising user privacy is one of the biggest technical challenges facing Apple, especially given Apple's strong data privacy policy, which relies on processing data locally on the device only, unlike companies that rely on the cloud, such as Google.

The resignation crisis and its impact on the Siri update The challenges of developing Siri go beyond the technical aspect to include the loss of several prominent AI engineers at Apple, most notably Qiyi Yang, who led the "Answers, Knowledge, and Information" team and left for Meta .

The talent drain has negatively impacted the speed and quality of Siri development and undermined Apple's ability to achieve its ambitious vision for generative AI.

The large financial offers made by rival companies to attract top engineers exacerbated the talent retention crisis, which also affected investor confidence and the stability of the development process, revealing strategic challenges for Apple's management.

Rising competition and its impact on Siri development Competition in the voice assistant market poses a significant challenge to Siri's development. Google has focused its efforts on integrating Gemini as a smart voice assistant into Android devices, focusing on generative AI and app interaction. This has led to advanced developments that have been widely welcomed and praised.

For its part, Samsung has developed premium features such as instant translation and smart photography assistants, which have strengthened its position in the competitive market.

Amazon is preparing to launch an enhanced version of Alexa and has strong plans to support generative AI as well.

In light of this intense competition, it is difficult for Apple to be complacent or delay the release of new Siri updates, especially given the huge market expectations for AI capabilities that will completely transform the user experience. At the same time, Apple remains committed to cautious standards that focus on quality and privacy rather than speed alone.

Apple's Strategies to Address Siri Development Challenges To address the challenges of Siri development, Apple is developing the "Apple Intelligence" system, which relies on integrating artificial intelligence models into its devices to gradually and progressively enhance Siri's capabilities.

Apple has also expanded its collaboration with developers of popular apps such as Instagram, Uber, and YouTube to provide a broad environment that allows Siri to interact with complex commands within these apps and deliver a more integrated user experience.

It seeks to overcome technical privacy restrictions through new tools that allow secure access to data contexts within apps, enhancing Siri's ability to perform intelligently without compromising users' privacy.

Completely abandoning the cloud in favor of strictly local processing requires advanced developments in data and memory management on mobile devices.

The Future Horizon for Siri Development Challenges Apple's biggest challenge remains balancing the delivery of advanced AI features and its strict adherence to privacy policies while ensuring a stable and attractive development environment for talent.

Despite the delays, expectations indicate that 2026 may see the launch of a more advanced version of Siri that combines intelligence and personal interaction with users. However, this does not prevent the development cycle from extending until 2027, especially given the ongoing competition and massive investments from competitors.

The launch of the improved Siri is a key milestone in Apple's long-term strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into its devices, enhancing the user experience and opening up new horizons in voice and technology interaction. This is essential to revitalizing Apple's position in a rapidly evolving market that requires continuous innovation to maintain leadership.