Rick Boers vs Apple Siri
Explore what we can build. Examples describe possible workflows; integrations, hosting, and scope are agreed for your project.
Apple Siri is the free voice assistant built into iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, AirPods, and CarPlay. At WWDC in June 2026 Apple announced "Siri AI," a ground-up LLM rebuild powered by Apple Intelligence (with next-generation Apple Foundation Models built on Google's Gemini) that adds natural conversation, world knowledge, personal context, onscreen awareness, and systemwide app actions. As of July 2026 Siri AI is in developer testing with a user beta due "later this year" — the Siri shipping on devices today remains the more limited Apple Intelligence-era assistant.
Rick Boers is an independent AI product builder. I design and build custom agents, document workflows, internal tools, and complete web and mobile applications, with one person owning the work from brief to delivery.
At a glance
| Comparison dimension | Rick Boers | Apple Siri |
|---|---|---|
| Always-on computer | Hosting and runtime architecture are chosen for your project; dedicated VMs are one option. | No — Siri runs on your own Apple device (plus Apple's stateless Private Cloud Compute for bigger requests); there is no persistent cloud machine working while you're away. |
| Tool integrations | I build integrations around the tools your workflow needs. Access, permissions, API availability, and any service subscriptions are checked and scoped before implementation. | Controls Apple's own apps; Siri AI (beta later 2026) adds onscreen awareness and systemwide app actions, with third-party apps reachable via App Intents/Spotlight; iOS 27's Apple Intelligence Extensions let you plug in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Grok as the chatbot inside Siri; no catalog of SaaS integrations like Slack, Notion, or GitHub. |
| Messaging channels | Messaging or web interfaces are implemented where supported and included in the agreed scope. | Voice or typed input on Apple devices only (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, Vision Pro, AirPods, CarPlay); it can send texts for you, but you can't reach Siri from Slack/WhatsApp and it doesn't message you proactively when work finishes. |
| Persistent memory | Storage and memory can be designed for the workflow, with retention and access controls agreed first. | Today's Siri keeps context within a conversation but has no persistent user-editable memory store; the Siri AI beta (later 2026) adds personal context from an on-device index of your messages, email, and photos, plus a dedicated Siri app with conversation history synced across devices via iCloud. |
| Background automations | Scheduled and background jobs can be included with monitoring, limits, and human review where needed. | Shortcuts app supports personal automations with time/location triggers; OS 27's Safari adds 'Notify Me' webpage monitoring (checked about once a day); no general background agent jobs — Siri acts only when invoked. |
| Pricing | The first 20-minute fit call is free. Paid work is scoped individually. We agree the deliverables, price, and payment milestones before work begins; hosting and model costs depend on the system we build. | Check the provider’s current pricing and plan limits. |
Where Apple Siri shines
- Free and built into every Apple device — no setup, no account linking, and it works hands-free from the lock screen, AirPods, CarPlay, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.
- Deepest OS integration on Apple platforms: Siri AI can answer questions about what's on your screen and take systemwide app actions no third-party assistant is allowed to perform on iOS.
- Personal context without connecting accounts — Siri AI searches your own messages, email, photos, and calendar on-device to surface things like hotel confirmations or restaurant recommendations (this long-delayed capability arrives with the Siri AI beta later in 2026).
- Strong privacy architecture: on-device models plus Private Cloud Compute, where Apple states personal data "is never stored" and is used only for your requests.
- The 2026 rebuild gives it real LLM capability — Gemini-based Apple Foundation Models (a reported ~$1B/year Google deal), a dedicated Siri app with iCloud-synced conversation history, and Write with Siri that adapts to your personal writing style.
Where it falls short
- The flagship rebuild is still in beta: Siri AI was announced June 2026 with a user beta "later this year," English-only to start, after the personalized Siri promised at WWDC 2024 slipped repeatedly (it missed iOS 18.4, iOS 26, the March 2026 iOS 26.4 release, and iOS 26.5 entirely).
- Siri only works while you invoke it on your device — there's no always-on computer, so it can't run multi-hour tasks, browse the web on your behalf while you're away, or message you proactively when something finishes.
- No real browser or web-app operation: it can't log into websites or work third-party SaaS dashboards; app actions are limited to what developers expose through App Intents on Apple platforms.
- No general background automation — Shortcuts offers trigger-based personal automations and Safari's new Notify Me checks a page roughly once a day, but there are no agent-style scheduled jobs, crons, or long-running workflows.
- Locked to recent Apple hardware (iPhone 15 Pro/16+, M1+ iPads and Macs, with the most powerful on-device models reserved for 12GB-RAM devices), and regional gaps at launch: EU availability initially limited to Mac and Vision Pro, and no availability in China pending regulatory approval. Early reviewers also measured demo response times of roughly 3.7–10.4 seconds, slower than rival chatbots.
Choose Apple Siri if…
- You want a free, hands-free assistant for in-the-moment tasks — timers, texts, calls, navigation, smart home, and quick questions — from the lock screen, car, or your wrist.
- You're deep in the Apple ecosystem and want an assistant that can see your screen and act inside iOS/macOS apps, which no third-party agent can do at that level.
- Privacy is your top constraint: Siri's on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute keep personal-data queries off third-party servers with no account setup.
- You want AI woven into apps you already use — writing help in Mail and Messages, photo search, Visual Intelligence — without paying a subscription.
Choose Rick Boers if…
- You need a custom workflow or product built around your team.
- You want one builder to own design, implementation, and delivery.
- Your project needs integrations or behavior beyond a packaged tool.
- You need a custom workflow or product built around your team.
Common questions
Is the new Siri (Siri AI) actually out yet?
Not fully. Apple announced Siri AI at WWDC on June 8, 2026, and it has been available for developer testing since then, but Apple says it ships "as a beta later this year" in English first. As of July 2026, the Siri on most people's devices is still the older Apple Intelligence-era assistant — the revamp originally promised at WWDC 2024 slipped past iOS 18, iOS 26, the March 2026 iOS 26.4 release, and iOS 26.5 before landing in the iOS 27 cycle.
Is Apple Siri better than Rick Boers?
This comparison is between using a packaged tool and commissioning a custom system. Provider features change; check current documentation. For a custom build, we agree the specific workflow, infrastructure, integrations, and operating responsibilities.
Is Siri free, and what devices does it need?
Siri itself is free on every Apple device, and Apple Intelligence features (including the coming Siri AI) come at no additional cost — but they require recent hardware: iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16 or later, M1-or-newer iPads and Macs, iPad mini (A17 Pro), Apple Vision Pro, or a recent Apple Watch paired to a supported iPhone. Higher daily limits on server-backed features like image generation come with most iCloud+ plans.