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Ever since I started using Google Gemini more than a year ago, it’s transformed the way I use some of the best Android phones on the market. But now that Apple is finally stepping up in the AI wars with its revamped Siri AI in iOS 27, it’s moving past an outdated experience to give us something truly intelligent — an assistant that doesn’t just listen, but actually understands.I’ve been using the iOS 27 developer beta for a week now, which grants access to a beta version of Siri AI. Because I test many of the best phones for a living, my expectations for this upgraded AI chatbot are naturally high after spending so much time with rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini.Obviously, there’s still a long way to go before Siri AI is polished enough for the masses — but I can already tell you that the outlook is bright for iPhone users. Here’s why.On-screen contextual awareness: It’s a smart step forward
(Image credit: John Velasco / Tom's Guide)This is easily the first thing I noticed when I started using Siri AI on my iPhone 17 Pro. No matter what I’m doing, it feels like it's aware of what’s on my screen and tries to create actionable tasks based on it. I say "tries" because it’s not always spot on.For example, it will suggest creating a reminder inside Messages, but when I select it, I’m still required to manually input all the details. For a supposedly advanced AI, I would think it’d be smart enough to handle the typing for me — but it isn’t, at least not in this beta.Despite this limitation, there are other areas where Siri AI is incredibly helpful. When I’m going through emails in either the native Mail app or Gmail, I can lean on Siri AI to quickly create calendar events. It works just like Gemini, analyzing the email’s content and pulling all the pertinent information straight into the calendar invite.It's a similar story when using the updated Camera app in iOS 27, which combines Visual Intelligence with Siri AI to give me details about whatever I'm pointing my lens at — whether it's an unfamiliar weed in my backyard or the specific type of fuel required for the car I'm testing. While it’s great at serving up relevant information, it still lacks the fluid, continuous conversational experience I get with Gemini Live or Meta AI. And it stumbles a lot with follow up questions, but I can't stress enough how it's in beta.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Dedicated Siri app keeps my requests contained
