Apple Plans to Charge for Advanced Siri AI Features, Bloomberg Reports

Apple is planning to charge users for access to Siri's most powerful AI capabilities, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on June 15. The plan would introduce a tiered model similar to what ChatGPT and Google Gemini Advanced already offer.

Free vs. Paid

Under the proposed structure, basic Siri functions — existing voice assistant features and on-device personal context capabilities introduced with Siri AI — would remain free without rate limits for all iOS users.

The paid tier, which Gurman says could be positioned within Apple's existing Apple One subscription bundle rather than sold separately, would cover cloud-powered features requiring significant server processing: complex cross-app workflows, advanced scheduling, research compilation across apps, and generative tasks like creating documents or images. iCloud+ subscribers may already receive elevated rate limits as a preview of the model.

Timeline

Apple has not announced a price or a firm launch date. Gurman says Apple needs to first prove that Siri AI is worth paying for, a threshold he believes the product could clear within the next 12 months. The rebuilt Siri AI — which debuted at WWDC 2026 with its own dedicated app — is expected to reach users publicly in autumn 2026 with iOS 27.

Why Now

Running Siri AI and Image Playground at scale requires substantial server infrastructure, and a subscription model is how Apple intends to generate recurring revenue to offset those costs. Tim Cook has discussed AI monetization broadly on recent earnings calls. A Siri subscription would be a significant commercial shift for Apple, which has traditionally bundled assistant features into device purchases without an additional fee.

Sources:

• TechnoBaboy
• ETV Bharat