Hands-on with iOS 27 beta: 7 ways the new Siri outshines its predecessor

For years, I've been frustrated with Siri. That's because Apple's voice assistant has so often failed to respond correctly, especially when I'm driving and need directions and other help. And for years, I've been waiting for Apple to fix Siri's flaws, only to be let down by empty promises.

But now I'm finally getting my wish. On Monday, Apple rolled out the first public beta of iOS 27 (along with iPadOS, MacOS, WatchOS, and more). That means the upcoming OS is now available for anyone to install and use.

And with it comes the new Siri AI, which finally earns its place not just as a true assistant but one with the right level of AI smarts. I've been using the new Siri AI with the iOS 27 developer beta for almost a month, both at home and in the car. I've also been turning to Siri in MacOS 27 .

And though there are rough edges, I've been impressed. The new Siri is certainly a dramatic improvement over the current version, not just with its skillset but with its greater accuracy and reliability. Now that the public beta is available, anyone with a supported iPhone can take the new Siri for a spin.

Since this is only the first public beta, it may still be buggy. That means you might not want to install it on your primary phone. In my case, I'm running it on a test iPhone 15 Pro.

But I'll be using that phone more frequently as my main device, especially in the car. To install the public beta, head to Settings, select General, and tap Software Update. Select the Beta Updates option, then choose iOS 27 Public Beta.

Allow the beta to download and install, and restart your phone. With the developer beta, you had to sign up for a waitlist to enjoy the new Siri. But with the public beta, you can start using Siri right away.

You need the right iPhone model to support Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. That means an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, any iPhone 16 model, or any iPhone 17 model. The new Siri will also let you customize its voice and take advantage of more accurate dictation.

But for those features, you'll need an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max or an iPhone Air. Come September, I plan to upgrade to an iPhone 18 Pro, so I'll be able to use all the new Siri features. With those requirements out of the way, here are some of the reasons I like the new Siri.

Instead of the glowing border that wraps around your iPhone screen, the new Siri displays a bubble at the top, which looks cooler and more clearly indicates that you're in Siri mode. I've been using the new Siri with CarPlay in the car, and so far, it's more reliable than the old Siri. Though it's not quite there yet, it has managed to deliver the right results when I ask for directions while I'm driving.