If the past fortnight had a single theme, it was this: the assistant is becoming the front door. The question a customer used to type into a search bar is now spoken to a phone — and the answer that comes back rarely includes a list of ten blue links. It includes a recommendation. This issue looks at who is being recommended, and why.
What moved this fortnight
Apple makes the iPhone multi-model
At WWDC, Apple unveiled a Gemini-powered Siri and an Extensions system that lets people choose their assistant — making Claude a built-in iPhone option for the first time, on the back of a confirmed licensing deal with Google.
Why it matters — The most-used device on earth is becoming a place where assistants, not search results, mediate discovery.
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The Signal — Issue 002