January 13, 2026 Apple has struck a multiyear partnership with Google to power key AI features across its ecosystem. Including a long-awaited overhaul of Siri expected later this year, the move could reshape how Siri and Apple’s entire AI strategy finally catches up in a market already dominated by ChatGPT and Gemini.
Under the deal, Apple will use Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology as the foundation for its next generation of Apple Foundation Models, while keeping AI processing on its devices and within its private cloud infrastructure.
“After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users,” Apple said in a statement on Monday.
The partnership marks one of the most consequential AI decisions for Apple, which has largely failed to make headline-grabbing AI launches while its competitors poured billions into AI infrastructure and consumer-facing tools. Although Apple rolled out Apple Intelligence features in 2024, users have found Siri’s lagging capabilities underwhelming. The company even delayed its flagship Siri AI overhaul last year until 2026, even as it continued advertising features that weren’t ready.
The deal also underscores Google’s resurgence in AI after early stumbles following OpenAI’s ChatGPT launch. In 2025, Google logged its strongest year since 2009, introduced its Gemini 3 model and signed more than $1 billion-plus cloud deals through the third quarter of 2025 alone, according to CEO Sundar Pichai.
The partnership also reinforces the long-standing relationship between Apple and Google. Google already pays the former billions annually to remain the default search engine on iPhones, a deal that briefly came under threat after a court found Google held an illegal search monopoly. A September ruling avoided a worst-case outcome that could have forced Google to divest Chrome.
According to earlier reporting, Apple explored models from OpenAI and Anthropic before settling on Google. Bloomberg previously reported Apple could pay roughly $1 billion per year for access to Google’s AI technology, though neither company has confirmed financial terms. Apple said the arrangement is not exclusive.
Apple currently partners with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri and Apple Intelligence for complex, knowledge-heavy queries. The company told CNBC that it is not making changes to that agreement, though it remains unclear how Gemini and ChatGPT will coexist inside Apple’s AI stack over time.
