Apple has mostly stayed quiet on AI while others went all-in. Microsoft, Amazon, Meta — they spent big, fast. Apple? Not so much. Until now. It’s making a move, and it’s leaning on Google to do it.
The deal is multi-year. Google’s Gemini models and cloud infrastructure will support Apple’s AI features across its products. Siri will get a big upgrade later this year, powered by this setup. Basically, Apple is using Google’s tech as the base. That makes sense — iPhones already rely on Google for search. Integration should be easier this way.
Apple said it looked at other options but decided Google offered the “most capable foundation” for its AI. Sure, that sounds corporate, but practically it lets Apple focus on plugging AI into products people already use. No massive systems to build from scratch. Less risk.
Playing It Safe
From an investor angle, this is smart. Apple moves faster without taking on too much technical risk. Cost control is there, too. The market barely reacted. Apple shares dipped a bit. Google briefly hit a $4 trillion market cap. Last week Google even passed Apple in value, first time since 2019. Interesting.
Siri’s Moment
This also shines a light back on Siri. Apple delayed a big upgrade until 2026. Users noticed. Expectations are high now. Partnering with Google reduces technical hurdles but raises pressure. If Siri still lags, Apple will have to answer for it.
Why Google
Gemini has been growing steadily. Newer models work better. Traffic is climbing. Gemini handles about 20% of AI-related traffic; ChatGPT has roughly 64%. Gemini is in the top 20 sites globally. Google’s cloud is scaling fast too — more billion-dollar deals in the third quarter of 2025 than in the previous two years combined, according to Pichai.
Choosing Google over OpenAI or Anthropic is probably safer. The companies already work together. That makes integration smoother and lowers risk.
The Bottom Line
This doesn’t make Apple an AI leader overnight. It’s a step forward. Apple gets faster AI integration without huge costs. Google gets another validation of Gemini. Execution is key. Investors will watch to see if Apple actually delivers meaningful upgrades or just adds another AI headline.
