Siri AI Launches With a Waitlist and Five Frustrations

The new Siri AI shipped with iOS 27 earlier this month. It runs on a large language model, understands screen context, and has real knowledge — things the old Siri never had. It also cannot reliably find your alarms, loses track of HomeKit devices, and runs noticeably slower on Apple Watch.

The Five Pain Points

Early adopters on the Apple Intelligence waitlist are reporting consistent problems. Users have tried asking the new Siri to turn off all their alarms only to be told they have none. HomeKit accessories that worked fine with the old Siri are not found consistently by name. Response times are slower — the new model takes longer to process requests that the old rule-based system handled instantly.

On Apple Watch, the situation is worse. Siri AI requires a nearby iPhone with Apple Intelligence enabled, and the processing delay makes quick wrist commands feel sluggish compared to the older version. Setting timers and creating reminders — the basic tasks people use Siri for most — are reportedly less reliable than before the update.

Regional Gaps

EU users still cannot access Siri AI on any Apple device at launch. Mainland China is excluded entirely. The feature requires Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, or Apple Watch SE 3 — leaving older models on the previous Siri indefinitely. For European buyers who upgraded for iOS 27's headline feature, the wait continues with no public timeline.

Beta Label, Full Price

Apple labels the new Siri as a beta, which sets expectations for bugs. The problem is that it replaced the old Siri for enrolled users, so the bugs affect daily workflows, not a test environment. When a beta alarm system replaces a working alarm system, the label does not soften the 6 a.m. miss.

Apple's new CEO called the iPhone "already perfect" days ago. Siri AI's rocky first weeks are the clearest counterpoint — not because the technology is wrong, but because shipping it as a gradual rollout means some users get a better assistant while others get a worse one. The full list of Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27 is impressive on paper. The gap between announcement and experience is where trust gets tested.