I'm Living with Two Siris. Apple's Price Hikes Will Make This Your Life, Too

Your iPhone is about to have two Siris: one smart, one dumb. Apple's price hikes and hardware requirements are splitting the voice assistant into a free basic version and a paid premium one, and experts say this tiered AI future will become the norm for millions of users.

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, promising a smarter Siri that can perform actions across apps, understand context, and even generate images. But there's a catch: the new Siri only runs on devices with an M-series chip or the A17 Pro (iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max). Older iPhones, iPads, and Macs are stuck with the current, less capable Siri. And even among eligible devices, Apple Intelligence requires an iCloud+ subscription for certain features and may eventually need a separate Apple Intelligence subscription itself, according to analysts.

The CNET commentary "I'm Living with Two Siris" highlights a growing reality. The author notes that they use an iPhone 15 Pro with the new Siri at home, but an older iPad with the old Siri on the go. This split experience is disorienting and hints at what's coming. Apple's move to monetize AI through subscriptions and hardware upgrades follows a broader industry trend: OpenAI charges $20/month for ChatGPT Plus, Google charges for Gemini Advanced, and Microsoft bundles Copilot into Office 365. Apple is simply joining the party.

Key details: Apple Intelligence launches in beta with iOS 18.1 later this year. Eligible devices include iPhone 15 Pro series, iPad Pro and Air with M1 or later, and Macs with M1 or later. Apple hasn't announced standalone pricing for Apple Intelligence, but it's bundled with iCloud+ and Apple One subscriptions, which have seen price hikes—up to $12.99/month for the top tier. Users who don't subscribe or have older devices will continue with the legacy Siri, which cannot perform advanced tasks like in-app actions or on-device summarization.

This bifurcation raises serious questions about digital inequality and ecosystem lock-in. Unlike previous Siri updates that were free for all, Apple Intelligence is gating core functionality behind a paywall. Trevor Chittenden, a tech policy researcher at the University of Oxford, notes: "Apple is effectively creating a two-tier AI assistant: one for those who can afford the latest hardware and subscriptions, and one for everyone else. This could deepen the digital divide within Apple’s own ecosystem."

Looking ahead, users should expect more services to follow this pattern. Apple's growing reliance on recurring revenue—services now account for 23% of its total revenue—means that AI features will increasingly require monthly payments. The next milestone is the full rollout of Apple Intelligence in 2025, which may include a dedicated subscription tier for EU users due to regulatory constraints. Consumers with older devices or tight budgets face a choice: pay up, upgrade, or live with a less intelligent Siri. The two-Siri life is here to stay.