Siri AI’s early appeal fades for WIRED tester despite beta improvements

Apple’s revamped Siri has made noticeable gains in answers, phone search, personal context and dictation, but a WIRED writer found those improvements were not enough to make the assistant a lasting part of daily iPhone use.

Testing the assistant through Apple’s iOS 27 developer beta, the writer initially saw Siri AI as a potential “everything tool”. Its ability to index content on the phone made it easier to find old messages and photos, while the new chatbot-style interface and improved answers made the service more capable than earlier versions.

After about a month, however, usage began to taper off. The writer returned to manual searches and swiping, while continuing to use Anthropic’s Claude. The experience was described as a shift towards neutrality rather than outright dissatisfaction with Siri’s performance.

The account is anecdotal and does not establish how broadly the pattern applies to iPhone users. Forrester vice-president and principal analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee said criticism of Siri’s performance was unlikely to push the company’s large installed base towards another platform.

Apple’s reputation for protecting user data could help the assistant attract people who are wary of other AI tools, according to analysts cited by WIRED. Ramon Llamas of International Data Corporation said users already invested in Apple’s ecosystem may be more willing to try Siri AI.

Other users may avoid the service because of broader distrust or opposition to generative AI. Techsponential founder and lead analyst Avi Greengart, meanwhile, reported using the latest beta more often and for a wider range of tasks, suggesting early experiences with the assistant remain uneven.