Apple Drags Feet on Major iOS Updates, Get Ready to Wait Years

If you’re hoping for major iOS updates like we’ve seen in the past, don’t hold your breath.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his Sunday Power On newsletter, Apple is stretching out its updates and features over longer periods, with major changes now expected only by spring 2026, when iOS 19.4 launches.

One of the most exciting upgrades in the works is a completely revamped Siri, called “LLM Siri,” reported earlier by Gurman. This version will use Apple’s in-house large language models (the same kind of tech behind ChatGPT) to make Siri more conversational and advanced.

While testing is already happening internally, this new Siri isn’t set to roll out until 2026, possibly after being previewed at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in 2025.

In the meantime, Apple is shifting away from its usual approach of dropping big updates all at once each year. Instead, it’s rolling out new features in smaller, staggered releases.

iOS 18.4, expected this spring, will include some updates, but other features that were originally planned for iOS 19 have already been pushed back to 2026, according to what Gurman is hearing. It’s crazy to think we’re already talking about 2026 iOS updates in 2024.

Apple’s approach means fewer surprises and slower upgrades for iPhone users. Take a look at full Apple Intelligence features—they won’t be out until spring of 2025. While big improvements like LLM Siri are on the horizon, it’s clear Apple is playing the long game.