Apple will pay Google $1 billion each year to use the Gemini neural network in Siri. The Gemini model is expected to have 1.2 trillion parameters, which should significantly enhance Siri’s ability to understand context and provide accurate answers.
Initially, Apple considered Anthropic’s Claude model and ChatGPT, but ultimately chose the solution from its long-standing partner Google. These two companies have a history of collaboration: Google has been paying Apple $20 billion annually for years to remain the default search engine in Safari.
Within Apple, the Gemini project for Siri has been codenamed “Linwood.” It is planned to be integrated across all systems with the iOS 26.4 update around March-April.
However, Apple is not abandoning the development of its own models. Since AI’s role in sales is not yet substantial, purchasing ready-made solutions while developing in-house remains more cost-effective. The article’s author criticizes Apple for delaying this “obvious” decision for so long.
