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At Apple’s 2026 WWDC event, the news was dominated by Apple Intelligence and the newly branded Siri AI (mentioned over 100 times by our count), which added additional capabilities, some powered by a partnership with Google Gemini. Siri remains one of the top three voice assistants, alongside Amazon Alexa and Google Gemini/Gemini for Home (RIP, Google Assistant).
Apple showed off a litany of advanced Siri capabilities, including making an event menu, analyzing photos, describing videos and offering advice based on chat conversations. But one thing caught my attention: The ability to change how Siri sounds and how fast it talks.
I’ve tested the AI advances of Alexa Plus and Gemini for Home for over a year now. Alexa, in particular, has had notable upgrades, including its conversational AI and various personalities you can choose from, though it can get a little too chatty at times. But Apple’s changes to Siri take things a step further, and I’m glad to see it.
Watch this: Tech Editors Discuss the New Siri AI Updates from WWDC 2026
Siri users will be able to not only switch between voices but also adjust two metrics called Pace and Expressivity to change how Siri behaves. Expressivity seems to give Siri a more upbeat inflection, or a more robotic tone if you adjust it down. Pace is an especially interesting option for speeding up or slowing down Siri’s speech.
Out of the many tricks Apple showed for its new Siri, the voice customization options were my favorites.
Speeding up the voice assistant can save tons of time and fix an issue that often puts people off the voice command experience, while slowing it down is very important for accessibility. Users may also want to take extra time when Siri is giving directions or instructions, and will now be able to adjust its responses depending on what they’re doing.
Other voice assistants don’t offer this. Some people have reported that Gemini can increase its voice speed when requested, but it doesn’t seem reliable, and there’s no clear slider to use, as there is with Siri. I can’t wait to try it out when the beta version is released, and I’ll let you know how it performs.
What I’m not sure about is which Siri features will cost extra. Apple did mention that some abilities may require an upgraded iCloud subscription to use, or at least to use as frequently as you’d like. Fully unlocking Alexa Plus costs $20 per month without an Amazon Prime subscription, so there’s precedent for charging fees in this area. I’m hoping that customization options like these will remain free, though, since they’re useful for everyone using Siri — or any other voice assistant.
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