Apple Has More 2026 Products in Store — But Siri is Still Too ‘Stupid’ to Launch
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We’re only a little over three months into 2026 and Apple has already had a busy year, launching the iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, two new Studio Displays, and an entire set of new MacBooks, including the groundbreaking MacBook Neo. Guess what? Apple could have launched even more new objects of desire; it reportedly has several products that are actually ready to go, but for one missing piece — the new Siri.
Apple owns a unique position in the world of electronic devices, as it internally develops its own chips, other hardware, software, and services. This gives the company greater control of launch timing. After all, not only are Apple’s new silicon chips faster, cooler, and more efficient, but Apple probably learned its lesson in the days of Intel processors, when new Mac models were often delayed waiting on advancements in Intel’s processor timeline.
Unfortunately, controlling everything every step of the production process, it also means that if one department ::COUGH!:: Siri developers! ::COUGH!:: faces a delay, everything faces a delay.
This appears to be what happened to the Cupertino firm; several upcoming devices are effectively on ice while Apple waits for Siri to finally grow a brain.
Apple previewed a smarter, more personalized Siri during its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and it was initially expected to get the new Apple Intelligence-powered features in March 2025. However, that upgrade was delayed, with Apple later trying to assuage concerns by promising that what it has in development would be much more feature-rich than what it showed off at WWDC.
Later, the deadline was reportedly pushed back to March 2026, expected alongside the release of iOS 26.4. Well, that release has come and gone, and a recent Bloomberg report says the new features have once again been delayed into iOS 26.5 or iOS 27.
It’s looking like the release might be delayed until the September release of iOS 27.
In February, we reported that Apple engineers were internally testing the new Siri on iOS 26.5, and that employees told Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that the updates included all of the Apple Intelligence Siri features Apple had shown off during its June 2024 WWDC. However, we have yet to see any of the new features, even in the initial iOS 26.5 beta release.
Gurman now says that’s unfortunate for the several new Apple products that are just waiting for new Siri.
During a recent Bloomberg Q&A, Gurman provided updates about upcoming Apple products.
When asked if there were still new versions of HomePod devices and Apple TV set top boxes in development, he replied:
New HomePod mini, yes. New Apple TV, yes. New full-sized HomePod, yes. Just a matter of time. They’ve wanted to get the Apple Intelligence and new Siri features working in those products before rolling out the new versions. They could have rolled them out last year, but it’s just about waiting for that, just like they’ve been waiting for the smart home display.
Gurman had originally predicted late 2025 releases for a new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K, but the release of those two devices are being held back until Siri is ready.
According to Gurman, Apple has four new products ready in the wings but are waiting for Godot, um, Siri.
- New HomePod
- New HomePod mini
- ’HomePad’ or ‘HomePod Touch’
- New Apple TV 4K
When asked about the “HomePad,” — the name the rumor mill has given to Apple’s new display-equipped home hub — Gurman offered additional details, attributing the big delay to the missing Siri features, as he’s been saying since last year when he first reported that select Apple employees were already testing the new product in their own homes. Now, Gurman says his sources tell him the smart displays are sitting in warehouses, waiting for the new Siri software to be finalized so they can finally hit store shelves.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
