Amid repeated delays in major upgrades to Siri and a slower rollout of Apple Intelligence, a deep analysis from The Information suggests that: **Apple's conservative strategy in the field of artificial intelligence may become its most underestimated competitive advantage by 2026**.
Since Apple made a high-profile announcement of its AI vision at the 2024 WWDC but failed to deliver on time, the company has significantly reduced its promotional efforts, instead focusing on UI innovations like "Liquid Glass" for its 2025 software update. Meanwhile, competitors such as Google and Meta have invested billions of dollars in AI data centers and dedicated chips, while Apple's AI capital expenditures have been relatively restrained—this "step back" stance is now being re-evaluated as a sign of strategic discipline.
The report points out that Apple still holds about **$13 billion in cash reserves**, and has not made any major AI acquisitions in 2025, giving it much more financial flexibility than competitors who are "burning money for models." More importantly, Apple is taking a "hybrid approach": **planning to integrate Google Gemini technology into some AI features in 2026**, rather than relying entirely on internally developed large models. This move not only accelerates product development but also leaves sufficient funds for future key acquisitions.
There is also division within the company regarding the value of internally developed large models (LLMs). Some executives believe that as LLM technology becomes increasingly commoditized, continuing to invest heavily in training may no longer be sustainable. Although the company still maintains a team working on internal models, the focus has shifted toward **how to efficiently integrate, optimize, and deliver AI experiences**, rather than simply pursuing model parameter size.
In addition, Apple's unique hardware ecosystem—especially the iPhone—is seen as an **ideal platform** for AI features. Its highly integrated software and hardware architecture, large premium user base, and strict data privacy controls provide a natural testing ground for AI services such as contextual awareness and personalized assistants.
In 2025, with the retirement of the former AI chief John Gianandrea, and the takeover of AI operations by Mike Rockwell, a core member of Vision Pro, it marks that Apple is integrating spatial computing and AI strategy more closely.
Naturally, whether this "steady progress" approach can meet market expectations by 2026 remains to be seen. And whether the LLM boom itself is sustainable is also uncertain. But at the crossroads of AI hype and practical implementation, Apple's choice may confirm one thing: **in the tide of technological frenzy, restraint sometimes requires more vision than boldness**.
