Joanna Stern Puts iOS 27's New Siri AI to the Test — and the Results Are Promising
Apple has been quietly rebuilding its voice assistant from the ground up, and the results are finally starting to show. Joanna Stern, the veteran tech journalist formerly of The Wall Street Journal, spent an entire week putting the new Siri AI in iOS 27 through its paces — and her detailed findings paint a picture of an assistant that is genuinely improved, though not yet perfect. Her video review, published to YouTube, has quickly become one of the most talked-about pieces of Apple coverage this season, and for good reason. It gives everyday users a realistic, hands-on look at what to expect from Apple's most ambitious Siri overhaul in years.
Who Is Joanna Stern and Why Does Her Review Matter?
Joanna Stern is one of the most respected names in consumer technology journalism. Having spent years as a senior personal technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal, she built a reputation for accessible, thorough, and often entertaining product reviews that cut through marketing spin. When Stern reviews something, the tech community pays attention — not because she is sensational, but because she is methodical. Her week-long test of the new Siri AI is not a quick hands-on impression. It is a sustained evaluation across a wide range of real-world use cases, which makes her conclusions particularly valuable for anyone wondering whether iOS 27's Siri improvements are worth getting excited about.
What Is the New Siri AI in iOS 27?
iOS 27 introduces a significantly redesigned version of Siri powered by a more capable large language model. This is not a cosmetic refresh. Apple has rearchitected how Siri understands context, handles multi-step requests, and integrates with apps across the operating system. The new Siri is designed to feel less like a rigid command-response tool and more like a genuinely conversational assistant that can follow the flow of a discussion, remember what was said earlier in a session, and take meaningful action inside third-party applications.
This update is part of Apple's broader Apple Intelligence initiative, which aims to bring on-device and cloud-based AI features to iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Siri's transformation is arguably the most visible and user-facing piece of that strategy, and iOS 27 represents the most complete version of that vision so far — at least in beta form.
The Strengths Stern Highlighted
Stern's week of testing revealed several areas where the new Siri genuinely impresses. According to her review, the assistant is notably better in the following areas:
- Natural, flowing conversation: Siri can now maintain context across multiple back-and-forth exchanges. You no longer have to repeat yourself or rephrase from scratch every time you follow up on a question. Stern demonstrated this with multi-part queries that the old Siri would have completely fumbled, and the new version handled them with ease.
- On-screen awareness: One of the most impressive new capabilities is Siri's ability to understand what is currently on your screen and act on it. Whether reading a recipe, a travel booking, or an article, Siri can now reference that content directly without requiring you to copy and paste anything.
- App integration: The new Siri can take actions inside supported third-party apps, going well beyond the limited shortcuts of previous versions. Stern tested this across a range of productivity and messaging apps and found the results to be consistently useful rather than gimmicky.
- Smarter responses overall: The underlying language model gives Siri a much richer ability to synthesize information and provide answers that feel complete and thoughtful rather than pulled from a simple lookup.
The Shortcomings Stern Identified
Stern did not pull any punches when it came to the areas where the new Siri still falls short. As thorough as her praise was, she was equally honest about the limitations present in the current beta.
- Inconsistency: Perhaps the most frequently cited issue in her review was reliability. The new Siri does not always perform at the same level. Some requests that worked perfectly in one session failed or produced odd results in another, which is understandably frustrating for users who depend on their assistant for daily tasks.
- Speed variability: Certain complex requests took noticeably longer to process than expected, particularly those involving deeper app integration or longer on-screen content analysis. For a feature meant to feel seamless, these delays can break the experience.
- Beta caveats: It is worth noting that Stern was testing a beta version of iOS 27, which means some rough edges are expected. Apple will almost certainly address a number of the pain points she identified before the final public release.
What This Means for Apple Users
For the millions of people who have grown frustrated with Siri over the years, Stern's review offers genuine hope. This is not another incremental tweak. The new Siri in iOS 27 represents a meaningful leap forward in what Apple's assistant can do and how naturally it can do it. The inconsistencies she flagged are real concerns, but they are also the kind of issues that tend to improve significantly between beta and public release.
Apple has faced intense competitive pressure from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and a growing wave of standalone AI assistants. iOS 27's Siri appears to be Apple's most direct and serious response to that pressure yet. If the final release delivers on the potential Stern observed during her testing, it could fundamentally change how iPhone users interact with their devices every single day.
Should You Be Excited About the New Siri AI?
Based on Stern's thorough and balanced week-long evaluation, the answer is a cautious but real yes. The new Siri is not flawless, and it is still in beta. But the core improvements are substantial enough that even a measured reviewer like Joanna Stern walked away impressed. That matters. Apple seems to finally be delivering on the promise that Siri has always had but rarely fulfilled. As iOS 27 moves closer to its public launch, all eyes will remain on whether this version of Siri can hold up under the demands of millions of users — not just a single week of controlled testing.
If you want to see Stern's full findings for yourself, her video review is available on YouTube and is well worth the watch for any Apple enthusiast or curious tech user keeping an eye on where AI assistants are headed in 2026.