For years, I've been frustrated with Siri. Apple's voice assistant has so often failed to respond correctly, especially when I'm driving and need directions or other help. And for years, I've been waiting for Apple to fix Siri's flaws, only to be let down by empty promises. But now I'm finally getting my wish.

On Monday, Apple rolled out the first public beta of iOS 27 (alongside iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 11, and tvOS 27). That means the upcoming operating system is now available for anyone to install and use. And with it comes the new Siri AI, which finally earns its place not just as a true assistant but one with the right level of AI smarts.

I've been using the new Siri AI with the iOS 27 developer beta for almost a month, both at home and in the car. I've also been turning to Siri in macOS 27. And though there are rough edges, I've been impressed. The new Siri is certainly a dramatic improvement over the current version, not just with its skillset but with its greater accuracy and reliability.

Now that the public beta is available, anyone with a supported iPhone can take the new Siri for a spin. Since this is only the first public beta, it may still be buggy. That means you might not want to install it on your primary phone. In my case, I'm running it on a test iPhone 15 Pro. But I'll be using that phone more frequently as my main device, especially in the car.

To install the public beta, head to Settings, select General, and tap Software Update. Select the Beta Updates option, then choose iOS 27 Public Beta. Allow the beta to download and install, and restart your phone. With the developer beta, you had to sign up for a waitlist to enjoy the new Siri. But with the public beta, you can dive right into Siri without waiting.

Keep in mind that you need the right iPhone model to support Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. That means an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, any iPhone 16 model, or any iPhone 17 model. The new Siri will also let you customize its voice and take advantage of more accurate dictation. But for those features, you'll need an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max or an iPhone Air. Come September, I plan to upgrade to an iPhone 18 Pro, so I'll be able to use all the new Siri features.

7 reasons I'm celebrating Siri AI

With those requirements out of the way, here are some of the reasons I like the new Siri.

1. Better visuals

Instead of the glowing border that wraps around your iPhone screen, the new Siri displays a bubble at the top, which looks cooler and more clearly indicates that you're in Siri mode.

2. Greater reliability

I've been using the new Siri with CarPlay in the car, and so far, it's more reliable than the old Siri. Though it's not quite there yet, it has managed to deliver the right results when I ask for directions while I'm driving. For example, I often tell Siri to take me to the address of someone in my contact list by specifying the person's name. Often, the old Siri doesn't even review my contacts and instead gives me a list of web results. But the new Siri automatically chooses the correct person and location.

3. Less chatty

Some AIs tend to be chatty, trying to engage you in a long conversation. In contrast, Siri AI responds to your question or request without any chit-chat. That's a refreshing change from what I get with ChatGPT, Copilot, and even Alexa+.

4. Dedicated app

iOS 27 includes a dedicated Siri AI app. With the app, you can submit requests by voice or by typing. The app also keeps track of your conversations, so you can easily view and return to any past chat. Plus, your conversations and other activity sync across all your Apple devices that have Siri AI.

5. Siri in the Camera app

With iOS 27, the Camera app adds a new Siri mode. Here, you can ask Siri to describe or answer questions about whatever you see through the camera. This taps into the Visual Intelligence feature introduced in iOS 18.2. But now you can more conveniently use it directly through the Camera app.

6. Get help with the current screen

Since Siri AI has on-screen awareness, it can help you with your current screen. For example, I opened a web page for Faneuil Hall in Boston and asked Siri to provide driving directions, to which it did via Apple Maps.

7. Find files

Siri AI can find specific files on your iPhone, including documents, photos, videos, and music. I asked Siri to show me photos of the film 'A Trip to the Moon' from my photos library, and it found all the correct ones.

The improvements in Siri AI are part of Apple's broader push into artificial intelligence, a strategy that began with the introduction of Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.2. The company has been developing large language models and on-device machine learning to enhance Siri's capabilities without compromising user privacy. Unlike cloud-based assistants that send queries to remote servers, Apple processes many Siri requests directly on the device, using the Neural Engine in newer A-series and M-series chips.

History shows that Siri has had a rocky road since its debut in 2011 as a built-in feature of the iPhone 4S. Initially hailed as a breakthrough, Siri quickly fell behind competitors like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa in accuracy and functionality. Over the years, Apple added capabilities such as third-party app integration, proactive suggestions, and shortcut automation, but Siri still struggled with understanding complex requests and maintaining context. The iOS 27 update represents the most significant overhaul of Siri's underlying architecture to date.

Apple's decision to release a public beta early allows developers and enthusiasts to test the new Siri before the fall release. The company typically seeds betas to gather feedback and identify bugs. Historically, major iOS releases arrive in September alongside new iPhone models. Given that the iPhone 18 lineup is expected in September 2026, iOS 27 will likely see its final version around that time.

It's important to note that while the public beta is free to anyone with a compatible device, users should back up their iPhones before installing beta software. Beta versions can introduce instability, reduced battery life, and app incompatibilities. Apple warns that betas are intended for testing and may contain errors that could affect daily use. For those who rely on their iPhone for work or critical tasks, it's advisable to wait for the final release.

In addition to the seven improvements detailed above, the new Siri brings enhanced dictation accuracy, with support for more languages and regional accents. The voice assistant can now handle follow-up questions without requiring the wake phrase each time, thanks to improved contextual understanding. For example, you can ask 'What's the weather like today?' and then immediately ask 'What about tomorrow?' without saying 'Hey Siri' again.

Another subtle but welcome change is the ability to type requests to Siri on devices without a keyboard, such as the iPad with a keyboard attached. The dedicated Siri AI app includes a text input field for those moments when speaking isn't appropriate. Conversations are saved locally and synced via iCloud, allowing users to revisit previous interactions across devices.

In the Camera app, Siri AI's visual intelligence can identify landmarks, plants, animals, and text, and provide relevant information. This feature builds on the Live Text capability introduced in iOS 15 and the Visual Look Up tool. By integrating Siri directly into the Camera interface, Apple hopes to reduce friction when users want quick information about their surroundings.

File-finding capabilities are powered by on-device indexing and natural language processing. Instead of relying on file names, Siri can understand descriptions like 'show me photos of my dog at the beach' or 'find the document I edited last week about budget planning.' This level of semantic search was previously only available on macOS through Spotlight, but now it comes to iPhone with Siri as the front end.

The on-screen awareness feature is particularly useful for multitasking. If you're reading an article about a restaurant, you can ask Siri to 'make a reservation there' and it will open the appropriate app or website. This requires tight integration with iOS's deep linking and app intents, which Apple has been improving over the past few updates.

It's worth noting that not all Siri AI features will be available at launch. Apple has indicated that some capabilities, such as advanced third-party app integration and expanded language support, will roll out with later updates to iOS 27. The company is taking a phased approach to ensure reliability and performance.

For users coming from Android, Siri AI now competes more favorably with Google Assistant, which has long been considered the gold standard. Google's assistant excels at understanding natural language and performing complex tasks across Google services. However, Apple's emphasis on privacy – processing most requests on-device and not storing conversational data – may sway privacy-conscious users.

Overall, the new Siri in iOS 27 represents a long-awaited leap forward. After a month of use, I can confidently say that it's the voice assistant I've been waiting for. It's more reliable, less intrusive, and genuinely helpful for everyday tasks like navigation, file retrieval, and quick questions. While there's still room for improvement – particularly in handling ambiguous queries and integrating with non-Apple services – the foundation is solid.

If you have a supported iPhone and are willing to accept the risks of beta software, I recommend trying the iOS 27 public beta to experience the new Siri firsthand. The installation process is straightforward, and you can always revert to the stable version if needed. Just be sure to back up your device before proceeding. With the final release expected in September, now is the perfect time to see what Apple has been working on behind the scenes.

Source:ZDNET News