When Apple confirmed it’s working with Google to convey Gemini models into Apple Intelligence, the response was swift — and predictable. May it’s that Apple was admitting defeat within the AI race and was now leaning on Google to catch up?
However based on a number of trade analysts, that interpretation misses what’s truly taking place. This deal isn’t Apple giving up on AI — it’s Apple selecting how and the place it desires to compete.
Apple is using Gemini as a foundational layer
“I don’t think it’s the slightest bit controversial to say that Google was ahead of Apple in terms of AI model development,” says Avi Greengart, founder and lead analyst at Techsponential. “Apple is building its own models based on Gemini that will power a more advanced version of Siri.”
That distinction matters. Apple isn’t outsourcing Siri. As a substitute, it’s utilizing Gemini as a foundational mannequin layer, then constructing its personal methods on prime — together with how AI runs on-device, in Apple’s personal cloud and throughout first-party apps.
Greengart expects significant differentiation between what lives on the cellphone and what occurs within the cloud, together with deeper integration into Apple’s UI and app ecosystem. In different phrases, Gemini could energy the engine, however Apple nonetheless designs the automotive.
Why Apple didn’t need to build a Gemini rival from scratch
Carolina Milanesi, founder and principal analyst at The Heart of Tech, sees the move as pragmatic rather than defensive.
“Google is the foundational model behind the new Siri, so Apple can still deliver a differentiated experience by how it will use that to add value across the ecosystem,” she explains.
Apple, Milanesi argues, doesn’t need to win the AI arms race the same way Google, Microsoft or OpenAI do — as a result of that’s not Apple’s enterprise mannequin.
“They don’t seem to be a cloud firm or an AI firm in the identical method GCP, Microsoft or AWS are,” she says. “They’re leveraging what others do effectively and sticking to what they do greatest.”
That “what they do greatest” consists of hardware-software integration, privateness controls, customized silicon and tightly managed consumer experiences — all areas the place Apple nonetheless has vital leverage.
Siri’s advantage isn’t the model — it’s the data Apple controls
One of the most important takeaways from both analysts is this: AI models are increasingly commoditized. What differentiates assistants now is context, permissions and ecosystem access.
Essentially, Apple holds advantages Google doesn’t. Siri has deep access to on-device data, system-level actions and private cloud infrastructure designed specifically for Apple users. That allows it to power out-of-the-box experiences in ways third-party assistants can’t — regardless of which model sits underneath.
That’s also why Apple can afford to offer multiple models at once. In the short term, Siri will continue offering ChatGPT as an possibility for sure queries, and Greengart notes that would stay true even after Gemini-based Apple Intelligence rolls out later this yr.
Some customers will want OpenAI. Others received’t. Apple can accommodate each.
What this means for iPhone vs Pixel
If this deal levels the playing field on AI capabilities, does that weaken Apple’s position against Google’s Pixel lineup? Not necessarily.
“As far as Pixel vs. iPhone, the ecosystem still matters to users,” Milanesi says. “It’s a big part of the decision when picking a phone.”
AI may influence buying decisions, but it doesn’t override years of platform investment, app libraries, accessories and services. Apple isn’t trying to win by being the best AI company — it’s trying to make AI invisible, useful and embedded everywhere.
The bottom line
This Google partnership doesn’t signal Apple falling behind. It signals Apple choosing efficiency over ego.
By adopting Gemini as a foundation while controlling the experience layer, Apple avoids an expensive race to build a massive standalone model — and focuses instead on what actually reaches users.
So no, Apple isn’t throwing in the AI towel. It’s betting that the experience matters more than the model behind it.
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