Apple unveiled the new Siri AI at its "Surprise and Shine" event on September 9, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series and the next-generation A20 Pro chip. The updated voice assistant will launch in beta this month, but will not be available on iPhones and iPads in the EU during the initial release phase.
Siri AI begins testing this month.
This is the most significant update to Siri since its launch in 2011. The new Siri can engage in more natural, continuous conversations, recognize content on the screen, and invoke third-party apps to perform actions without requiring users to repeat context.
Apple says the system will run across more than 300,000 third-party apps. Its underlying architecture combines on-device models with private cloud computing to handle more complex requests. According to the disclosure, Siri AI will begin testing on devices in supported regions this month.
A20 Pro shifts to edge AI performance
The A20 Pro is Apple's first smartphone chip built on TSMC's 2-nanometer process. Apple also states that it is the first 2-nanometer chip to be mass-produced for use in a smartphone. Smaller transistors enable higher computing power without significantly increasing heat generation or power consumption.
According to Apple's specifications, the A20 Pro features a 6-core CPU with two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, offering up to a 20% speed increase over the A19 Pro; a 7-core GPU with up to a 40% improvement over the previous generation; and a 50% increase in memory bandwidth.
More directly related to AI tasks is the neural network engine. Apple has upgraded it from a 16-core design maintained over three consecutive generations to a dual-engine 32-core architecture, paired with a new vapor chamber cooling system that triples the cooling surface area of the previous generation to support longer-running on-device AI tasks.
Foldable devices to be released in October
On the hardware side, the iPhone 18 Pro retains a 6.3-inch display, while the Pro Max features a 6.9-inch screen, with minimal changes to the overall design; however, the Dynamic Island has been reduced in size, and new color options—including black, silver, glacial, and burgundy—have been added.
Apple also released its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. The device features a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner display, with a starting price of $1,999 for the 256GB model and close to $3,000 for the 2TB version. It supports Apple Pencil, uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, and will be available later than other new models, with an expected release in October.
Additionally, iOS 17, featuring the new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, will be released on September 14. The system is compatible with iPhone 11 and later models, as well as the second-generation iPhone SE, but the Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features are only available on iPhone 15 Pro and newer models.