(Image credit: Future / Britta O'Boyle)

If you've purchased a new iPhone in the last year or so, you've probably been really excited by the prospect of Apple's updated Siri. First announced at WWDC back in June 2024, AI-powered Siri sounded like the perfect upgrade for Apple's assistant.

Unfortunately, the project has been peppered with issues, meaning some 16 months later, it's still nowhere to be found. That could all be changing soon, though, with a major shake up expected to launch next year.

For anyone seeking some new goodness before then, there's also a suite of improvements expected in upcoming updates, starting with iOS 26.1. The news comes from Mark Gurman via the Power On newsletter, so there's a good degree of credibility behind it.

Speaking about what to expect from the forthcoming iPhone software updates, Gurman says, "Over the next two iOS “.x” updates, the company is planning to bring formal support for Apple Intelligence to China, as well as improved Siri control for services apps."

The first is a big step, and would give a massive user base access to the brand's AI offering. It's also culturally significant, as the software had previously been restricted by the countries' government.

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

The improved Siri control for services apps is potentially a little more interesting, and more of a fresh idea. As reported by 9to5Mac, that could point towards a new piece of Apple TV 4k hardware, which has been slated for an October launch and is rumoured to include support for Apple Intelligence.

It could also mean a wider range of apps taking on App Intents capabilities. There are still a wide array of Apple's apps – like Fitness and Music – which could benefit from integration.

One thing's for sure though – just because the big, sweeping changes are coming a little later, don't think Apple is resting easy. I'd expect a couple of fairly decent improvements in that area before we see major revisions come in.