Apple is developing a new version of Siri that's supposed to be better than the existing Siri in every way. It will be smarter and able to do more, functioning like ChatGPT or Claude instead of a barely competent 2012-era smartphone assistant.
Upgrading Siri hasn't been without hiccups, and it's been delayed once. We've rounded up everything we know about Apple's work on a more capable Siri that uses large language models.
LLM Siri
The next-generation version of Siri will use advanced large language models, similar to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other AI chatbots.
LLM Siri would be able to hold continuous conversations and provide human-like responses to questions, plus the assistant would be capable of completing more complex tasks.
Apple Intelligence Siri Delays
In what became an infamous move, Apple went all-in showing off a smarter, Apple Intelligence-powered version of Siri when it showed off iOS 18 at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Apple also highlighted advanced Apple Intelligence Siri features when the iPhone 16 models launched, but after months of customers waiting for the new feature set, Apple said that it wouldn't be coming.
In March 2025, Apple said that the Apple Intelligence Siri features that it expected to introduce in iOS 18 would not be coming in iOS 18 at all. Apple said that Siri would not be ready until 2026.
The Siri Features That Got Pushed Back
The Siri functionality that was delayed wasn't even the LLM version of Siri that had been rumored. It was an in-between model that was smarter, but without full chatbot capabilities. Here's what we're waiting on:
Personal Context
With personal context, Siri will be able to keep track of emails, messages, files, photos, and more, learning more about you to help you complete tasks and keep track of what you've been sent.
Show me the files Eric sent me last week.
Find the email where Eric mentioned ice skating.
Find the books that Eric recommended to me.
Where's the recipe that Eric sent me?
What's my passport number?
Onscreen Awareness
Onscreen awareness will let Siri see what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, for example, you can tell Siri to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask Siri to do it for you.
Deeper App Integration
Deeper app integration means that Siri will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and completing tasks that are just not possible with the personal assistant right now. We don't have a full picture of what Siri will be capable of, but Apple has provided a few examples of what to expect.
Moving files from one app to another.
Editing a photo and then sending it to someone.
Get directions home and share the ETA with Eric.
Send the email I drafted to Eric.
Siri Redesign
We got more context on what went wrong with Siri when Apple introduced iOS 26 and Apple executives did a series of interviews to explain the situation.
Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that the first-generation architecture that Apple was developing for the personalized Siri features ended up being too limited. Siri was not able to match Apple's high standards, and by spring 2025, Apple realized that it needed to transition Siri to the second-generation architecture (aka the LLM version of Siri) that it had been planning.
With Apple abandoning the first-generation Siri architecture it had been working on, the new Siri features had to be delayed until the second-generation architecture was ready.
In an all-hands meeting in August, Federighi told employees that Apple had attempted to merge two separate systems, and it didn't work out. Apple had one system for handling current commands and another based on large language models. Federighi said Apple realized that the hybrid approach was not going to work.
Federighi said that Apple has successfully revamped Siri, and it's going to be a bigger update than expected. "The work we've done on this end-to-end revamp of Siri has given us the results we needed," Federighi told employees. "This has put us in a position to not just deliver what we announced, but to deliver a much bigger upgrade than that we envisioned."
Internal Restructuring
The misstep with Siri's debut and the failure of the hybrid architecture led Apple to restructure its entire AI team. Apple AI chief John Giannandrea was removed from the Siri leadership team, with Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell taking over instead.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was no longer confident in Giannandrea's ability to oversee product development. Rockwell reports to Federighi, and Federighi told employees that the new leadership has "supercharged" Siri development.
Apple has also struggled with retaining AI employees amid the Siri issue and recruitment strategies from companies like Meta. Meta poached several key AI engineers from Apple, offering pay packages as high as $200 million. At Apple's August all-hands meeting, Cook and Federighi aimed to reassure employees that AI is of the utmost importance to the company. "There is no project people are taking more seriously," Federighi said of Siri.
Cook said that Apple will "make the investment" to be a leader in AI.
Apple's LLM or a Partnership?
Part of the reason that Apple is seeing low morale among its AI employees is rumors that an Apple-designed large language model that's in development might be sidelined.
Apple is rumored to be considering a partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI or Claude creator Anthropic to power the smarter version of Siri. Both companies are reportedly training versions of their models that would work with Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers, and Apple is running tests with both its own models and models from outside companies. No final decision on Siri has been made as of yet.
Partnering with a company like Anthropic or OpenAI would allow Apple to deliver the exact Siri feature set that it is aiming for, while also giving it time to continue work on its own LLM behind the scenes.
Launch Date
Apple executives have confirmed that the new version of Siri will launch in 2026, and rumors suggest it will come as soon as spring 2026. If it is indeed planned for spring, Apple could roll out the features in iOS 26.4, because the .4 software updates are often reserved for significant feature improvements.
Apple today filed a lawsuit in Northern California against Chen Shi, a former employee who left Apple and took a job at Chinese smartphone maker Oppo. According to Apple, Shi stole trade secrets relating to Apple Watch development and provided the information to Oppo.
Shi was a "highly compensated Sensor System Architect" at Apple from January 2020 to June 2025, which meant he had access to "valuable trade secret information," including the Apple Watch design, development documentation, internal specifications, and product roadmap.
Apple says that Shi told the company he was returning to China to care for his elderly parents, with no mention that he had accepted a position at Oppo. While in the process of leaving Apple, Shi allegedly collected sensitive Apple Watch documents and attended "dozens" of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch technical team members to "learn about their ongoing research and development efforts."
Three days before leaving Apple, Shi downloaded 63 files from Apple's protected Box folder and transferred them to a USB drive. After downloading the files, he searched for information on how to wipe a MacBook and whether someone could see if he'd opened a file on a shared drive. Further, Shi sent a message to his Oppo employers letting them know that he would "collect as much information as possible" to share with them, specifically sourcing data on heart rate sensing methods. At Oppo, Shi is now leading a team that is developing sensing technology.
Apple is asking for an injunction prohibiting Oppo and Shi from using or disclosing Apple's trade secrets, restitution, damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees.
Some of this week's best deals include our exclusive sitewide sales at Satechi and Anker, plus ongoing steep discounts on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
MacRumors Exclusives
What's the deal? Find exclusive sitewide sales at Satechi and Anker
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Amazon this week introduced a new record low price across the entire M4 MacBook Air lineup, and you can still get the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (256GB) for just $799.00, plus many other deals.
M4 MacBook Pro
What's the deal? Get up to $436 off M4 MacBook Pro
Continuing this week's theme of steep Mac-related discounts, Amazon also has great deals on the M4 MacBook Pro right now. You'll find up to $436 off these computers, starting at $1,299.00 for the entry-level 14-inch model.
Amazon is taking up to $144 off M4 Mac mini models this week, starting at $499.00 for the 256GB model.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
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Apple is in talks with Google about using Google's Gemini AI as the backbone for the upcoming smarter version of Siri, reports Bloomberg. The discussions are in the early stages, but Apple reportedly approached Google to ask the company to create a custom AI model that would be used for Siri.
Google has started training a model that would run on Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers in response. Apple previously held talks with OpenAI and Anthropic, and both of those companies have been working on versions of their models for Apple's servers.
While Apple is exploring partnerships with different AI companies to power an improved version of Siri, Apple still has not made a decision on whether it will use a third-party AI solution or go with the LLM models it has been developing in-house.
Apple is testing multiple LLMs, including its own, to determine which will provide the best results to customers. There are two versions of the new Siri in development, including one that is powered by Apple's own models and one that runs on third-party models.
Apple has been developing a more advanced version of Siri that overhauls the entire Siri architecture. Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi called this the "second-generation" Siri architecture earlier this month, and he said that the "end-to-end revamp" of Siri brought the results that Apple needed for more advanced AI features, such as the personalization that it promised as part of Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.
"This has put us in a position to not just deliver what we announced, but to deliver a much bigger upgrade than that we envisioned," Federighi said.
Apple was leaning toward partnering with Anthropic, but Anthropic's fees prompted Apple to consider other AI companies as well. No deal has been inked with Google, OpenAI, or Anthropic as of yet. Rumors suggest that LLM Siri will launch in spring 2026.
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through what to expect from the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 11, and Ultra 3, and whether it's worth holding off on an upgrade until next year.
The third-generation Apple Watch SE is rumored to feature a larger display (perhaps like the Apple Watch Series 7), the S11 chip, and potentially a plastic casing. It could also available at a slightly lower price point.
The Apple Watch Series 11 will likely feature the S11 chip, 5G RedCap connectivity on cellular models, a "Sleep Score" feature, and potentially hypertension detection. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is rumored to also get all of these new features, as well as a slightly larger wide-angle OLED display with a faster refresh rate, and satellite connectivity.
Earlier this week, internal Apple code revealed that the 2026 Apple Watch lineup is poised to get some major enhancements. The new devices will feature Touch ID for biometric authentication, a redesigned chip based on newer CPU technology for improved performance, a revamped design with a new rear sensor array, and more.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's plan to focus on the smart home with a host of new devices and improvements to Siri.
The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
Apple has released "F1: The Movie" for digital purchase and rental through the TV app, marking the start of the film's premium video-on-demand window while it continues to perform strongly in theaters.
The film premiered worldwide on June 27 and has now surpassed $600 million at the global box office. This makes F1 Apple's most financially successful movie to date, with the release also returning to IMAX theaters due to its popularity.
Apple has now made the film available to rent for $20 or to purchase for $25 in the Store section of the TV app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. It includes approximately 45 minutes of bonus features through iTunes Extras.
The same pricing and availability apply through other services such as Amazon Prime Video. It is not yet available to stream on Apple TV+.
This period is known in the film industry as the premium video-on-demand (PVOD) window, and represents a higher-priced digital release that precedes availability through subscription streaming. The pricing is in line with other major studio releases in recent years.
Apple is expected to lower the cost once the film transitions from PVOD to standard digital distribution, when it will be available to rent or buy at the usual lower tier. This will likely coincide with its debut on Apple TV+, where it will be available to stream at no additional charge to subscribers.
Based on the previous Apple theatrical-first films such as "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "Napoleon," the PVOD window typically lasts one to two months, suggesting that F1 will likely come to Apple TV+ in October or November 2025.
A first-generation iPod in a sealed, never-opened box fetched a staggering $40,264 during an auction run by RR Auction this month.
This appears to be a record-breaking sale price for an original iPod at auction, with the previous known record being $29,000 in 2023. The latest price fetched does include a 25% buyer's premium charged by RR Auction.
In the U.S., the original iPod was priced at $399 at launch.
Introduced by Steve Jobs in October 2001, the iPod helped Apple to become successful again, after it flirted with bankruptcy in the late 1990s.
Jobs famously pitched the iPod as offering "1,000 songs in your pocket," and he unveiled the device by pulling it out of his own pocket.
"With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go," he said. "With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again."
Here are the features advertised on the original iPod's box:
Holds over 1,000 songs at near-CD quality on 5GB hard drive
Up to 10 hours of continuous playback with rechargeable lithium polymer battery
Super portable at 6.5 ounces and only 0.78 inch thick, 2.43 inches wide, and 4.02 inches tall
Automatically synchronizes music and playlists with iTunes on your Mac
Unique scroll wheel for simple, one-handed navigation
Plays MP3, WAV, and AIFF formats
Skip protection of up to 20 minutes (yes, minutes)
High-resolution backlit LCD display
Includes iPod, Apple Earphones, FireWire cable, and AC adapter
In addition, a sealed-in-box original iPhone with a rare 4GB of storage (8GB is more common) fetched $81,989 at RR Auction this month.
While that is not a record price for an original iPhone, it is still a staggering amount of money for a device that cost $499 when it launched in 2007.
Apple One allows you to subscribe to a bundle of up to six of Apple's services for a discounted all-in-one monthly price, and its value just went up in an artificial way.
The reason why Apple One just became more valuable is because Apple TV+ received a price increase this week in the U.S. and select other countries. In the U.S., for example, the cost of the service increased from $9.99 per month to $12.99 per month. However, Apple One plans with Apple TV+ did not receive any corresponding price increases.
There are three Apple One tiers, all with Apple TV+ included:
Individual ($19.95/month): Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+ (50GB)
Family ($25.95/month): Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud+ (200GB)
Premier ($37.95/month): Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and iCloud+ (2TB)
All in all, you can now potentially save even more money by switching to Apple One as opposed to paying for Apple TV+ and other services separately.
Alternatively, you can switch to the annual Apple TV+ subscription, which also avoided a price increase. In the U.S., that plan remains available for $99 per year.
Many streaming services like Disney+ and HBO Max offer annual plans at a discount compared to paying for 12 months individually, although it is worth keeping in mind that there is an opportunity cost to paying in full upfront.
This is a win-win situation for Apple, which gains an instant revenue boost from customers who stick with the monthly Apple TV+ plan, while boosting the appeal of its Apple One and annual Apple TV+ plans with a higher spend or longer commitment.
Now through August 29, Apple will donate $10 to the National Park Foundation for every purchase made in the U.S. using Apple Pay on Apple.com, in the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store, up to a maximum of $1 million.
Apple has supported the National Park Foundation with this annual charitable initiative since 2017.
The non-profit organization "generates private support and builds strategic partnerships to protect and enhance America's national parks for present and future generations."
Apple celebrates U.S. national parks every August with special content across services like the App Store, Apple Maps, Apple Fitness+, and Apple Podcasts. Apple Maps has a Discover America's National Parks guide for hikes, Apple Fitness+ is offering a selection of Time to Run episodes inspired by national parks, and Apple Podcasts is featuring "The Wild with Chris Morgan" episodes that spotlight various national parks.
Apple also promoted the National Park Service app as App of the Day in the App Store.
Additionally, on August 24, Apple Watch users can unlock a special national parks award in the Fitness app, and animated stickers for the Messages app, by recording a workout of 20 minutes or more with any app that adds workouts to the Health app.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is a national parks enthusiast. In 2022, he said the parks provide a "sense of awe, tranquility, and quiet reverence only nature can inspire," and he emphasized that they are "well worth protecting, today and for every generation to come."
All of these initiatives are timed with the National Park Service's birthday on August 25.
Apple has an upcoming promotion that gives users up to two months of free Apple Music when they add funds to their Apple Account balance, according to code found by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.
The offer will provide two months of free Apple Music for new subscribers and one month for qualified returning subscribers when adding $25 or more to an Apple Account balance. Users receive a bonus code immediately after adding the required amount.
The promotion is set to run through March 16, 2026, and is available only in the United States for users 13 and older. Gift card purchases from third-party retailers and Apple stores are excluded from the offer.
After the free period ends, Apple Music automatically renews at $10.99 per month unless canceled. Users can manage their subscription through the Apple Account section at the top of iPhone's Settings app menu (then tap Payment & Shipping ➝ Add Money to Apple Account). To avoid being charged, users must cancel at least one day before renewal.
The offer, which has yet to go live, will be limited to one per Apple Account and cannot be combined with other Apple Music promotions.
Apple is no longer signing iOS 18.6, making downgrades from iOS 18.6.2 or iOS 18.6.1 to iOS 18.6 impossible. iOS 18.6.1 was released a little over a week ago, swiftly followed by iOS 18.6.2 on Wednesday.
Apple often stops signing an older version of iOS, usually within a week or two after a new version is released. When an update is no longer signed, it can't be installed on an iPhone due to a server-side software verification check.
By no longer signing a software version, Apple ensures that customers have the latest security improvements and are not vulnerable to known attacks.
Apple's iOS 18.6.1 update re-enables blood oxygen monitoring in the United States for the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 running watchOS 11.6.1, which was released concurrently. That was quickly followed by iOS 18.6.2, providing important security fixes.
An established Chinese leaker has pushed back against recent rumors suggesting Apple plans to eliminate the Camera Control button from the iPhone 18, instead claiming the company is working to simplify the component to reduce costs.
According to Weibo leaker Instant Digital, the Camera Control's pressure-sensitive modules for the iPhone 18 series currently remain in trial production. However, Apple is reportedly removing the capacitive sensor from the current dual-sensor design, and opting instead to rely solely on pressure sensing to achieve all button functions.
The current Camera Control button on iPhone 16 models uses both capacitive and pressure sensors beneath a sapphire crystal surface. The capacitive layer detects touch gestures, while the force sensor recognizes different pressure levels for taps, presses, and swipes.
Instant Digital says Apple's revised approach is similar to designs found in devices like the OPPO X8 Ultra and vivo X200 Ultra, where pressure sensors alone can recognize light taps, firm presses, and sliding gestures.
The leaker suggests cost concerns are driving the change, noting that the current solution is "genuinely very expensive" for Apple and is generating costly after-sales repairs. This is said to be creating "significant internal cost pressure" for Apple, especially since not all of its AI-powered Visual Intelligence features have fully rolled out yet, which is limiting the button's perceived value.
Instant Digital has a decent track record for leaks, suggesting this is a genuine debunk of the recent report from another Weibo account indicating that Apple would drop the Camera Control from the iPhone 18 lineup due to low user engagement. Its removal would have been quite the reversal – Apple only debuted the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 series last year.
Apple has had yet another AI executive poached by Meta, despite reports that the social networking company is slowing hiring (via Bloomberg).
Frank Chu, one of Apple's team leaders focused on cloud infrastructure, training, and search, will join Meta's Superintelligence Labs, a division tasked with building advanced AI systems capable of performing at or beyond human-level intelligence.
Chu was involved with managing Apple's cloud-based large language models (LLMs), and was also influential in developing search features for Siri and Apple's entertainment services. For Meta, Chu will work on a new team called MSL Infra, responsible for AI infrastructure development.
Meta has spent billions of dollars on recruitment for its Superintelligence group in recent months, but the company is said to be slowing down hiring over concerns of an overheated market. The pause went into effect last week amid a broader restructuring of the group.
Fears that investments in AI are moving too fast weren't helped by reports earlier this week that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told a group of journalists that he believes AI is in a bubble. There was a broader sell-off of U.S. technology stocks following the news.
Apple has hemorrhaged around a dozen artificial intelligence staff to rivals since January. The exodus of staff from Apple's AI team over the last seven months has seen senior researchers leave variously for Meta, OpenAI, xAI, Cohere, and others.
One of the most notable recent departures was Ruoming Pang, head of Apple's Foundational Models team, who joined Meta last month after being lured by CEO Mark Zuckerberg with a $200 million pay package.
The talent drain coincides with Apple's struggle to update Siri by integrating LLMs. A chatbot-like version of the virtual assistant was one of the key Apple Intelligence features that Apple promoted at last year's WWWDC, but it has yet to arrive.
Apple is said to be considering using third-party AI models for Siri rather than its in-house technology, following an executive restructuring. During Apple's recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is "making good progress on a more personalized Siri" that is powered by Apple Intelligence, and he reiterated that the features will be available next year.
Startup accelerator and venture capital firm Y Combinator (YC) today filed an amicus brief supporting Epic Games in Epic's continued legal fight with Apple. Y Combinator says that Apple's "anti-steering restraints" have long inhibited the growth and development of technology companies that monetize goods and services through apps.
The company calls on the court to deny Apple's appeal and uphold the order that required Apple to change its App Store linking rules in the United States.
Back in April, Apple was found to be violating a 2021 injunction that required it to let developers direct customers to third-party purchase options on the web using in-app links. Apple had implemented a system for developers to link to external websites in their apps, but it charged an up to 27 percent fee to do so.
Apple was found to be in "willful violation" of the anti-steering injunction, and it was ordered to allow developers to freely link to purchase options outside of the App Store with no fees or restrictions on link format. Apple implemented those changes, but also filed an appeal, so there is potential for the decision to be walked back. Epic Games and now Y Combinator are aiming to prevent Apple from being able to revert to its old App Store rules around linking.
Y Combinator says that it has "long been hesitant" to support app-based businesses subject to "the Apple Tax" because they were poor investments.
A 30% revenue share can easily be the difference between a company that can afford to scale, hire new employees, and reinvest in its product, and one that is perpetually struggling to stay afloat. Understood in this light, the 30% Apple Tax protected from erosion by Apple's anti-steering restraints is not merely a cost of doing business, it is a profound and often insurmountable barrier to entry that stifles competition and innovation at its source.
The enforcement order that's currently in place has already created renewed investor interest in app-based business models that were previously not feasible, according to Y Combinator. The company believes that Apple adds minimal value for the fees that it collects.
Y Combinator suggests that the court end Apple's anti-steering restraints permanently to promote innovation and to allow tech startups to freely compete.
The cases feature a muted, fabric design in colors that appear to include black, blue, green, purple, and orange. The TechWoven cases will reportedly replace the fabric-like FineWoven casesthat Apple discontinued with the iPhone 16 launch. The FineWoven cases were not popular with customers due to their penchant for staining and issues with durability. The fabric of the TechWoven case has supposedly been "redesigned for greater durability."
Majin Bu claims that the cases will include metallic buttons with "improved tactile feedback," a Camera Control button, MagSafe compatibility, and two small holes at the bottom for attaching a crossbody strap or accessories. The cases appear to be for the iPhone 17 Pro models that are rumored to have a horizontal camera bar given the size of the camera cutout, but Bu says the TechWoven cases will be available for all of the iPhone 17 models.
It is unclear as of yet if these cases are real, but we will find out in less than a month when Apple unveils the new iPhone 17 models.
Popular cartoon series South Park has been satirizing U.S. President Donald Trump, and the latest episode, titled "Sickofancy," includes Apple CEO Tim Cook.
A cartoon version of Cook is depicted visiting Trump in the White House to provide him with a gift, which is poking fun at the glass and gold Apple plaque that Cook presented to Trump earlier in August.
"Mr. President, your ideas for the tech industry are so innovative and you definitely do not have a small penis," said the fake Cook. "Please accept this gift on behalf of Apple."
Cartoon Trump proceeds to take Cook's gift into bed with him. "Another great day getting presents," said cartoon Trump while climbing into bed with Satan. "Look at what some dipshit tech CEO gave me," he adds, before suggesting the duo do something X-rated with Cook's gift. Cook was just one of several notable figures shown presenting Trump with high-value gifts in the South Park episode.
“Mr. President, your ideas for the tech industry are so innovative. And you definitely do not have a small penis.” pic.twitter.com/anVvOSIVb0
— South Park (@SouthPark) August 21, 2025
In real life, Cook gave Trump a glass plaque with an Apple logo engraved on it, which was manufactured by Apple supplier Corning in Kentucky. Beneath the glass plaque, there is a 24-karat pure gold base that Cook said was sourced from Utah.
Cook was at the White House to announce Apple's plans to invest an additional $100 billion in U.S. manufacturing over the next four years, bringing Apple's total investment to $600 billion.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
The Deebot X9 Pro Omni is the latest flagship robot vacuum from Ecovacs. At $1,300, it doesn't come cheap, but it is one of the most full-featured automated vacuuming and mopping options on the market right now.
I reviewed the X8 Pro Omni earlier this year, and I've been using the X9 Pro Omni for over three months now. For something this expensive, I wanted to make sure that I extensively tested it before sharing an opinion. The X9 Pro Omni is a Matter-enabled robot vacuum, so it connects to the Apple Home app. It can be controlled with the Home app, the Ecovacs app, or Siri voice commands.
Design
In a lot of ways, it's hard to distinguish the X9 Pro Omni from the X8. The actual design of the robot is similar, though there are several changes. There are some minor updates to the design of the mopping pad and the main brush, and the side brush has a new design. There's also an update to the design of the top cover, but the two vacuums are otherwise identical in size and are close in function.
The X9 Pro Omni is 13.9 inches wide and 3.85 inches tall, and these are important dimensions to consider. If a lot of your furniture is shorter than that, the robot isn't going to be able to get underneath it. And 13.9 inches is the width that it needs for navigating doorways, around tricky furniture, and in other tight spaces. This isn't the smallest robot vacuum on the market, and it is taller than the Saros 10R from Roborock. The Saros 10R can get underneath all of my furniture, but I have a TV stand and a couple other pieces of furniture that are too low for the X9 Pro Omni. I've learned that slimmer and smaller definitely helps for a thorough clean, but there still has to be space for a dust bag and water, so it's a balancing act.
The X9 Pro base station received a much more significant design update than the robot, and it's the reason why I'd absolutely choose the X9 over the X8 if I were going to buy a robot vacuum from Ecovacs. The X9 base station is several inches smaller than the X8 version, and it has a modern, streamlined look. It takes up less vertical space, and the two water containers are hidden away. It's also not quite as wide.
Design wise, the X9 Pro Omni base station makes the X8 Pro Omni base station look clunky and outdated. These base stations can't be hidden away because they need to be easily accessible for the robot, so I appreciate the refined design for something that has a prominent place in my bathroom. It's a major improvement.
Function
Ecovacs says the X9 Pro Omni has 16,600 suction Pa, which on paper is lower than the X8 Pro Omni. I haven't noticed a difference in performance, though. It's still able to get all the dust, dirt, and cat hair off of my floors and out of my rugs.
I have wood flooring and no carpet, so I can't thoroughly review how it performs on carpeting. If you have carpet, you're going to want to read additional reviews from people who have used it extensively on carpet. I have a couple large rugs and some smaller rugs scattered throughout the house, and it's able to clean them well. I have a rug that sheds like crazy, and I feel like the X9 Pro is able to do a better job than my Dyson vacuum, which just gets clogged. Ecovacs says that the X9 Pro Omni gets 137 percent more dust out of carpets than the X8, but I can't quite tell because of how little carpet I have.
I do not like how the X9 Pro Omni performs with smaller rugs. It really struggles with a thinner rug that I have that has fringe on the edges. It gets stuck constantly in that rug, so much so that I eventually just made that rug a no-go zone. On more substantial rugs that have a rubber backing to hold them in place, it's able to perform better and doesn't get itself stuck, but like most of the robot vacuums, it'll move the rugs around a little.
If you have thinner rugs that do not have a rubber backing on them (I have several of these because I don't want to damage my wood floors), then the X9 Pro Omni will be a headache. I blocked it from some of my rugs and others I pick up before it runs. The X8 Pro was the same way, so there's been no improvement. For comparison's sake, the Saros 10R from Roborock is able to navigate those kinds of rugs well enough not to get itself tangled up constantly.
I have no other issues with the vacuuming. I have a lot of houseplants and I have had a dirt spill or two, and it has no problems with that. It also leaves no trace of cat hair. The side brush is designed to get into corners and around furniture, and it works well keeping the area near the baseboards clean. I haven't noticed a major difference between the cleaning of the X9 Pro and the X8 Pro despite the updated side brush design.
There's also a new main brush that Ecovacs is calling ZeroTangle 3.0, up from 2.0. I have never had the brush on one of the Ecovacs robots tangle up. I have long hair, my partner has long hair, and one of my two cats has long hair, but I haven't had to pull out the brush to remove hair wrapped around it.
Ecovacs uses a unique roller mop design for its robots, which I am a fan of. The roller mop gets constantly washed as it cleans, and I like the idea of clean water washing my floor rather than dirt being spread around. The roller mop is an alternative to the dual spinning heads that other robots have, which have to be washed at the base station.
For mopping, the X9 Pro Omni does a good job. If you have something stubborn like dried ketchup or dried cat food on the floor, it's often not able to get it all in one go, but it does get smaller stains and it is able to remove stubborn stains with multiple passes. With robot vacuums, the idea is to run them multiple times a week so that the floor is cleaned over time and stays clean. For small messes, it's great. For a huge sticky stain on the floor? I have to clean that myself unless I want to run the X9 Pro Omni over that area several times, which is an option.
Prior to using the X9 Pro Omni, I mopped once a week and had my house thoroughly cleaned once a month. When the robot first started mopping the floor, the water would come back gray. Now, it's a little dirty some of the time, but it's close to clear. I'm a thorough mopper, but 3x per week mopping with the X9 Pro Omni's roller mop made a difference, especially in areas where I didn't regularly clean like under the couch. My floors never looked dirty before, but now they feel much cleaner.
I should add that the X9 Pro Omni is almost always cleaning my floor with just water. There is a slot for adding cleaning solution, but you need to be careful what you use. Ecovacs recommends using its solution to avoid gumming up the internals, but I've also successfully used Bona's robot vacuum cleaning solution. Water is totally fine and gets the floor clean.
Noise
When vacuuming, the X9 Pro sounds like a vacuum. I can tolerate being in the same room with it if I wear noise canceling headphones, but I wouldn't want it to vacuum at night. The mopping is quieter, and I don't hear much when the vacuum isn't on.
The X9 Pro Omni is designed to mop and vacuum at the same time, and that's as noisy as vacuuming alone.
Battery
The X9 Pro Omni has decent battery life, but how long it lasts when cleaning will depend on the parameters that are set and how often it needs to return to the dock to empty the dustbin or wash the mop.
I've seen it last for a little over three hours before it needs to recharge, and in that time period, it's able to clean around 1,000 sq ft, but that also varies based on the type of cleaning that it's doing.
If the X9 Pro Omni runs out of battery life in the middle of a task, it will recharge and then resume when it's done.
I find the best way to use robot vacuums is to have a set it and forget it cleaning schedule. I assign it to clean one area of the house per day, so it's not running out of battery. With a cleaning schedule, I don't have to think about the robot much at all. It goes off and does its thing, and the house stays clean. I add in spot cleanings when needed, and have it clean high traffic areas a couple times a week.
Dock
The dock is a charger, plus it holds clean and dirty water tanks and a dust bag. The X9 Pro Omni has to return to the dock to empty the dust it's collected and it also washes the mop with hot water.
Since the X9 Pro Omni's dock is smaller than the X8 Pro Omni, it has a smaller dirty water tank (2.2L vs. 4L). I do need to empty it more often, but it's quick to do so it hasn't been a hassle. The clean water tank is still 4L.
AI Features and Obstacle Avoidance
I've found that the high-end robot vacuums are good at navigation, and the X9 Pro Omni hasn't gotten stuck or had problems getting to different rooms of my house. It seems to be better at avoiding obstacles than the prior-generation X8 Pro Omni, and I've never had it wander off and get lost.
I have seen the X9 Pro Omni push lightweight items like my cat's food bowl out of the way to clean, but it's somehow never sucked up a small cat toy. It's surprisingly good at getting itself out of entanglements with tricky furniture, and it will try several avenues to exit a tight spot.
There is a "sensitive" setting that will make sure it avoids pets and people, but I have that turned off because if it stopped every time my cat approached it, it wouldn't get anything done.
This model has an "Intelligent Hosting" cleaning mode, where the robot decides what to clean and how to clean it. With this mode, the robot uses AI to determine where to clean and how much to clean an area. I've primarily been using this mode to give it a solid try, but sometimes I'm not sure why it makes a particular decision. I've noticed that it will do extra passes in doorways and around pet areas, which is smart, but then sometimes it will also skip entire rooms, or only clean half of a room.
The most recent time I used it, it cleaned most of my office, skipped my bathroom and closet, cleaned one small section of my living room, thoroughly cleaned two bedrooms, cleaned half of the craft room, and skipped the kitchen and living room entirely even though those are the rooms most in need of cleaning. If there was a reason for that chaotic pattern, I don't know what it was.
It is supposed to be able to detect dirty areas on the floor, and it will sometimes go over a spot a bunch of times. I think sometimes that it sees the darker knots in my wood floor as dirt, but I have also seen it successfully scrub dried cat food off of the floor, and spend a good 15 minutes mopping up a craft area with clay on the floor.
You don't need to use the intelligent mode, and can instead elect to have the robot use standard cleaning methods that aren't directed by AI.
Ecovacs App
Setup and management of the X9 Pro Omni is done with the Ecovacs app, and that's also where all of the more advanced features are available. Getting the robot up and running takes less than five minutes, and then it's ready to go. When first activated, the X9 Pro Omni will do a complete 3D home scan to learn the layout of your house.
The robot maps out individual rooms and separates them out for the most part, but some manual management is necessary. I labeled each area and used the in-app tools to clarify that my bathroom and my closet are separate areas.
There is a detailed map editor for setting boundaries, creating no-go zones, labeling rooms, labeling furniture, merging rooms, separating rooms, and more.
The app has basic start, pause, and stop controls, but there are also multiple cleaning options to choose from. You can adjust the suction power of the vacuum (which impacts noise level), choose the water flow for mopping, and select cleaning patterns. There's standard clean with one pass, a deep clean with two, and a quick clean with more space between the back and forth rows the robot cleans in.
There is a built-in voice assistant activated with an "OK Yiko" wake word, but I use it very little. It's responsive and it works well for things like pausing cleaning or continuing to clean when the app is not at hand. It's more capable than Siri for cleaning-specific commands because it understands multi-step instructions like vacuum the bedroom and then mop the bathroom.
I appreciate that Ecovacs has detailed privacy controls with toggles to disable data sharing. There are also some fun little add-ins in the app, like the ability to view whatever the robot is seeing through its camera, and send it off through the house so you can keep an eye on things when you're not home.
There is one aspect of the cleaning that gets on my nerves, and that's the voice narration. The X9 Pro Omni will narrate what it's doing, such as letting me know when it's going to wash the mop, or that there will be noise when it's emptying the dust bag.
Home App
The X9 Pro Omni has Matter integration, so if you have iOS 18.4 or later, it can be added to the Home app and used with Siri.
When I first tested the X8, I wasn't sold on Siri integration, but I've come around to it and it's more useful than I first thought. I can say "Hey Siri, clean the kitchen," and it works. I have HomePods in my living room and office, so it's more convenient for me to ask Siri to do spot cleaning than it is to open the Ecovacs app or use the robot's voice command capabilities.
There are fairly basic controls for the X9 Pro Omni in the Home app. You can start/stop, choose between vacuum or mop modes, select a specific room to clean, and toggle between deep clean and quick clean.
I actually like some of the Home app automation options better than the cleaning schedules I can set in the Ecovacs app. With HomeKit, I can set the X9 Pro Omni to start cleaning when everyone leaves home, or schedule it to be activated alongside other HomeKit devices.
Maintenance
The X9 Pro Omni hasn't required much maintenance so far, but there are components that have a limited lifespan and that will need to be replaced. Ecovacs recommends replacing the main brush after 300 hours, the roller mop and side brush after 150 hours, and the filter after around 120 hours.
Sensors need to be cleaned every so often, the dust bag needs to be swapped out about once a month, and the water tanks need to be managed. I have to refill the clean water every two or three cleanings, but with the smaller dirty water tank, I need to do that with almost every cleaning. The app sends alerts when the tanks need to be addressed, and it keeps track of when components need to be replaced.
With heavy use, it would probably cost $100 a year to swap everything out. Three filters are $15, the main brush is $20, the mop roller is $30, three dust bags are $25, and the side brush is $15.
The other bit of maintenance that I have to do is moving the robot when it eats a rug, or gets something stuck in the brush. I had a little felt ball get caught once, but it's good enough at object detection that it's a rare occurrence. I haven't run into mechanical issues or performance problems with the exception of the robot's poor rug handling.
Ecovacs has a point system where you earn points for using the app's features, so there are discounts for accessories available. For any issues that arise, there is a one-year warranty.
Bottom Line
After a few months with the X9 Pro Omni, I have mixed feelings about it. It's $1,300, while the prior-generation X8 Pro Omni is $900 (currently on sale). I think the X9 Pro Omni and X8 Pro Omni are similar enough in performance that it's worth going with the more affordable model, unless you want some of the features that are unique to the updated version.
The X9 Pro Omni's dock is much more aesthetically pleasing, and the look is worth considering if it's going to be in a spot central to the home. I didn't notice a lot of difference in the cleaning ability between the X8 and X9 on wood floors, but I did appreciate the stronger force of the mop and some stains did seem to come up quicker. This version is supposed to be much better on carpet, so with carpet in the home, the upgrade is probably worth it.
If you already have an X8 Pro Omni, the X9 is not worth upgrading to, but if you're new to robot vacuums, it's a good one to get. The X8 and X9 Pro Omni from Ecovacs are both impressive vacuuming and mopping robots. With the exception of some poor performance on lightweight rugs, the X9 Pro Omni is an automated cleaning machine that requires little user interaction, and it just works. It does what Ecovacs says it will do, and it does it well.
I was skeptical about robot vacuums before I was able to try one, but now I am sold. This isn't a product that I want to be without because it saves me so much time and mental effort. I basically never have to think about cleaning my floors, and it's a job that just gets done.
I don't think Matter and HomeKit integration are necessary for a robot vacuum, but it's functionality that's nice to have if you use Siri for home tasks or want to set up complicated automations.
Heavily promoted Apple-produced film F1: The Movie is rolling out on the Apple TV app starting today, and it is available for purchase or rent in some countries.
Apple TV users in South Korea and Japan have reported seeing F1: The Movie available in the Apple TV store, but it does not appear to be available through the Apple TV+ streaming service as of yet.
In South Korea and Japan, it is already Friday, August 22, so it is possible that it won't be available in the U.S. until midnight Eastern time.
F1: The Movie launched in theaters on June 27, and it had a highly successful box office run. The film earned more than $500 million globally, making it Apple's highest-grossing theatrical release to date. Apple did a second theatrical run in August.
Ahead of when F1 launched in theaters, there was a relentless advertising campaign from Apple and other companies featured in the film. Apple ran ads on YouTube, sent Apple CEO Tim Cook and Brad Pitt to Apple Fifth Avenue, put a guide in the Maps app for well-known F1 racetracks, and even put ads for the movie in the built-in Wallet app and the Sports app, frustrating iPhone users.
It is not yet clear when F1: The Movie will be available for Apple TV+ subscribers.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
