Apple Just Handed Google the Keys to Siri

Heidi Schwende
3 days ago
2 min read

Google and Apple announced a multiyear partnership this week that puts Google's Gemini AI at the core of Apple Intelligence, including a rebuilt Siri. Marketers need to understand what this means.

The Deal

Apple confirmed on January 12 that after evaluating its options, it determined Google's AI technology provides "the most capable foundation" for Apple Foundation Models.

Reports suggest Apple will pay Google roughly $1 billion for access to Gemini technology. That's on top of the estimated $20 billion Google already pays Apple annually to remain the default search engine on iPhones.

Google pays Apple $20 billion to be the default search. Now Apple is paying Google $1 billion to power its AI. These two companies compete on smartphones, yet they're financially dependent on each other. Frenemies is the only word for it.

Why Apple Made This Move

Apple has been cautious with generative AI while competitors rushed products to market.

In December, Apple brought in Amar Subramanya, a former Google and Microsoft executive, as its new VP of AI. Now this partnership. Apple appears to have decided it can't go it alone on AI.

Google, meanwhile, keeps winning. After the Apple news broke, Alphabet's market value hit $4 trillion briefly. That follows a strong Q3 2025 where improved ad relevance and performance helped push Alphabet past $100 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time.

Recent AI commerce deals with Target and Walmart add to that momentum.

What This Means for Marketers

If Google's Gemini is powering Apple Intelligence, including how Siri answers questions, makes recommendations, and helps users find what they need, then Google's AI just became even more central to how consumers discover brands.

Your SEO work is no longer just about Google Search. It's about how your brand appears when Siri uses Gemini to answer a question. When Apple's AI recommends a product. When someone asks their iPhone for help making a purchase decision.

Google search. Google ads. Google AI powering Apple devices. The same AI influencing Walmart and Target shopping experiences. If your brand isn't structured for how these AI systems interpret and present information, you won't show up in a growing number of moments that matter.

And those moments are getting harder to track. More searches now end without a click to any website. AI assistants answer questions directly. Traffic alone no longer tells you whether your brand is visible.

The Concentration Question

A court ruled Google operates as an illegal monopoly, but that ruling didn't block revenue-sharing agreements with partners. This new Apple deal fits comfortably within those boundaries.

For marketers, the regulatory environment matters because it shapes where your audience actually finds information. Right now, that points to Google, whether users realize it or not.