Why Apple’s Siri Delay Signals an Opportunity for AI Startups in 2025

At WWDC 2025, Apple Inc. took the stage to unveil its long-awaited leap into artificial intelligence, introducing the world to Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered features designed to modernize Siri, personalize user experiences, and catch up to the likes of ChatGPT’s conversational fluency. Yet amid the sleek demos and confident branding, one question echoed across the tech landscape: Why has Apple still not cracked AI the way OpenAI, Meta, or even smaller players have? While the company’s AI strategy shows signs of life thanks to partnerships with OpenAI and bold claims around privacy-first absence of groundbreaking, native innovation left many developers and analysts underwhelmed. This hesitation, some argue, isn’t a setback. It’s a signal of opportunity. As Apple opens its AI doors to developers, the delay in truly autonomous Siri or robotaxi systems presents a window for AI startups to step in, innovate faster, and build the next generation of AI-driven products that Apple hasn’t yet mastered. OpenAI’s o3-Pro Upgrade Raises the Bar as Apple’s AI Delay Sparks Debate at WWDC 2025 While much of the tech world was captivated by WWDC 2025 and the unveiling of Apple Intelligence, OpenAI quietly raised the stakes in the AI race. The company launched a major upgrade to its ChatGPT’s capabilities by introducing the o3-pro model an advanced version of its foundational o3 architecture that now replaces the earlier o1-pro. The newly enhanced OpenAI’s platform now supports web browsing, file uploads, and an even more context-aware AI-powered user experience, placing further pressure on Apple Inc, whose AI strategy comes into question after a lukewarm response to Siri’s evolution. In parallel, OpenAI revealed a significant enhancement to ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, making conversations sound remarkably more human. The improvements allow the chatbot to convey empathy, sarcasm, and emotional nuance with natural cadence and expressive delivery capabilities still noticeably missing in Apple’s software, especially in Siri. Much like Apple and Meta, OpenAI also introduced live translation, enabling users to speak in one language and have real-time audio playback in another. While Apple Intelligence gestures toward similar functionality, the execution remains in beta, leaving a clear lane for emerging AI startups to lead in multilingual, real-time, and emotionally aware AI experiences. Apple’s AI Hesitation: A Billion-Dollar Gap Startups Are Ready to Fill For years, Apple Inc. resisted the term “artificial intelligence,” preferring the more subdued “machine learning” as it optimized Apple’s software for efficiency on battery-powered devices like the iPhone. But the tide turned after ChatGPT’s viral success in late 2022, shifting the AI narrative and the pressure onto Apple’s leadership. At WWDC 2025, Apple finally debuted Apple Intelligence, a collection of AI-powered experiences meant to modernize Siri, integrate OpenAI’s technology, and mark Apple’s late entrance into the generative AI race. However, as the dust settles, Apple’s AI strategy comes into question. Despite its headline features, Apple has yet to challenge the true frontier models being developed by leaders like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, which require massive capital, proprietary infrastructure, and GPU-hungry server farms. Unlike its rivals, Apple has taken a conservative route, renting compute from Google Cloud and third-party providers instead of investing directly in the GPU arms race. In FY 2024, Apple’s capital expenditures totaled just $9.5 billion, or 2.4% of revenue. Meanwhile, Meta, Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft plan to spend over $300 billion in 2025, with Amazon alone targeting $100 billion to accelerate AI infrastructure. This disparity creates a massive opportunity for emerging AI startups. While Apple remains cautious, firms like Perplexity AI are partnering with Motorola and eyeing deals with Samsung, rapidly embedding themselves into mobile ecosystems. Even OpenAI’s newest upgrades, like the o3-pro model with live translation and a more expressive Advanced Voice Mode, outpace what Apple has built natively. With over $133 billion in cash, Apple could make a bold move to bridge the innovation gap. Historically, its most disruptive features, from Siri to its semiconductor division, were born from strategic acquisitions. Analysts speculate that acquiring players like Anthropic or Perplexity could become Apple’s best bet for leapfrogging competitors. Yet with OpenAI’s recent collaboration with Jony Ive on AI hardware, Apple’s current alliances may already be fraying. As robotaxis, AI assistants, and multimodal systems become central to future consumer experiences, Apple’s delay may be more than a misstep, it’s a signal to the startup world. The next breakout innovation in the Apple App Store or AI-powered hardware might not come from Cupertino, it might come from a bold new player ready to scale faster, think bigger, and move beyond the constraints of legacy hardware. Conclusion Despite the polished unveiling of Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2025, the question remains: Why Apple still hasn’t cracked AI? While competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta continue to ship groundbreaking frontier models, Apple AI Siri still lags in functionality, expressiveness, and autonomy. Yes, we now know what Apple’s AI is called “Apple Intelligence” but the branding alone can’t mask the broader issues. The rollout feels fragmented: the Apple AI app is still in limited beta, Siri’s improvements are incremental, and rumors of an Apple Intelligence lawsuit over data usage only amplify concerns. Add to this the fact that Apple Intelligence is delayed for many devices, and users are left wondering how to use Apple AI in any meaningful way today. This ambiguity presents a rare moment in tech history. As Apple’s AI failure to deliver a seamless, real-time, multimodal experience becomes clearer, emerging AI startups have an open lane. From building vertical-specific assistants and productivity tools to developing voice-first or spatial AI interfaces that surpass Siri, there’s a real opportunity to lead where Apple has stalled. In a world where trust, usability, and real-time performance define adoption, speed and specialization matter more than brand legacy. Apple’s AI delay isn’t just a product gap it’s an open invitation for bold founders to redefine what intelligent systems can be in 2025 and beyond.