In his final earnings call as Apple’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Cook revealed that the company’s highly anticipated Siri AI upgrade could eventually include premium features available through a paid subscription model.
Cook said the plans are still under consideration but suggested that users may be able to purchase additional AI computing capacity for Siri through existing iCloud+ subscriptions, which currently provide expanded cloud storage and other premium services.
The approach would align Apple with other leading AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, which offer free access to their AI assistants while charging subscribers for higher usage limits and more advanced capabilities.
Apple has already introduced the redesigned Siri AI in the iOS 27 beta, with a wider public rollout expected later this year.
The leadership transition comes at a pivotal moment for the company as Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus prepares to succeed Tim Cook as CEO. Apple continues to face increasing pressure to strengthen its position in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence market.
The company has fallen behind several competitors in developing a next-generation AI assistant and recently partnered with Google by licensing a customised Gemini model to enhance Siri’s capabilities.
Delays to the Siri AI overhaul also resulted in legal challenges, with Apple agreeing to pay $250 million to settle a class action lawsuit over claims relating to the marketing of the iPhone 16’s artificial intelligence features.
Apple is also facing broader supply chain pressures affecting the technology industry. A global shortage of AI-related memory components has increased manufacturing costs, prompting several major technology companies, including Meta, Samsung, Microsoft and Sony, to raise prices on selected devices.
Last month, Apple increased the prices of several Mac and iPad models in response to rising component costs, although the company has not yet announced any price increases for its current range of iPhones.
