Multi-year deal grants Google access to billions of Apple devices, reshaping the AI landscape and positioning OpenAI as a secondary player.
In a move that consolidates the AI ambitions of two tech titans, Apple has entered a multi-year agreement to power its next-generation Siri and broader Apple Intelligence features with Google’s Gemini models. The landmark deal, announced Monday, marks a strategic triumph for Alphabet and significantly alters the competitive dynamics against rivals like OpenAI.
The partnership grants Google’s Gemini its largest-ever consumer platform, integrating it into Apple’s ecosystem of over two billion active devices. While Gemini already underpins Samsung’s Galaxy AI features, the Apple agreement represents an unprecedented scale of deployment and a major endorsement of Google’s AI technology.
“After careful evaluation, Apple determined Google’s AI technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models,” Google stated, confirming that Gemini will serve as the core intelligence for the revamped Siri, expected later this year, and for future Apple Intelligence capabilities.
The arrangement deepens a lucrative, long-standing alliance between the companies, which already includes Google’s position as the default search engine on Apple devices—a deal generating tens of billions in annual revenue for Apple. Investor reaction was immediately positive, propelling Alphabet’s market valuation above $4 trillion following the announcement.
Apple’s decision follows a period of internal AI development challenges, including delays to Siri’s upgrade and executive shifts. It also concludes a high-stakes competition between Google and OpenAI for the partnership. Apple had previously integrated ChatGPT in late 2024, allowing Siri to delegate complex queries to OpenAI’s chatbot. That integration will remain, but analysts note its role is now supplemental.
“Apple’s decision to use Google’s Gemini models for Siri shifts OpenAI into a more supporting role, with ChatGPT remaining positioned for complex, opt-in queries rather than the default intelligence layer,” said Parth Talsania, CEO of Equisights Research.
The deal is seen as a direct response to OpenAI’s early market lead. Reports last year indicated OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a “code red” to accelerate development after the release of Gemini 3. Google has aggressively advanced its frontier models in image, video, and language generation to close the gap.
Addressing potential user privacy concerns, Google emphasized that “Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple’s industry-leading privacy standards.”
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment.
