What happened
Apple released the third developer beta for iOS 27. The update enables new voice controls for its AI assistant, Siri, as reported by TechCrunch AI. Testers can now use sliders to adjust the assistant's "Pace" and "Expressivity".
These controls let users personalise how quickly Siri speaks and how much human-like emotion its voice conveys. The feature is part of a broader effort to rebuild Siri with generative AI, a plan first announced at Apple's WWDC 26 event.
How the room's reading it
The consensus is that this is Apple catching up, not leading. Developers are pointing to ChatGPT's voice options, which have offered more granular controls like warmth and enthusiasm since December 2025. The ability to adjust tone — making an assistant more professional or candid — is still seen as a key differentiator for OpenAI's product. On X, some beta testers are reporting bugs, with a few losing access to the new Siri or seeing their phones begin re-indexing data. The move is widely seen as part of Apple's necessary strategy to make its AI feel more personal and deeply integrated.
Sailfish's take
We see this as classic Apple. They aren't trying to win on the longest feature list — they're focused on shipping a simple, polished user experience for a complex system. Pace and expressivity are understandable controls for millions of users, whereas ChatGPT's more granular options appeal to a smaller, more technical crowd. This isn't really about the voice; it's a bet on user interface design as the key to mass AI adoption. For builders, it's a reminder that the best model doesn't always win. The best product experience often does. We're not changing our stack for this, but we're watching Apple's UI choices very closely.