In summary:
- Macworld reports that iOS 27 is expected to be a performance-focused “Snow Leopard” style update, prioritizing AI integration and system optimization over flashy new features.
- The update will include major Siri improvements, AI-powered photo editing tools, and enhanced Wallet app functionality while refining the controversial Liquid Glass design.
- Despite appearing less exciting visually, iOS 27’s emphasis on cleaning outdated code and boosting reliability could significantly improve iPhone speed and battery life.
WWDC is many Apple enthusiasts’ favorite event of the year. During the opening keynote, the iPhone maker unveils the upcoming major versions of its operating systems. It then releases the first beta builds to enrolled testers, giving them an early look at what’s to come. These updates tend to pack dozens of changes, including user interface tweaks, fresh features, bug fixes, and other improvements.
Following last year’s substantial Liquid Glass redesign, iOS 27 is believed to focus on implementing AI tools and optimizing performance and reliability. The forthcoming update seemingly won’t introduce a ton of noteworthy features (beyond AI). While geeks may find the boring nature of iOS 27 underwhelming, I think it’s exactly the kind of update that Apple’s platforms currently need.
AI for the rest of the OS
As we’ve established, most of iOS 27’s new user-facing features will likely revolve around AI. Many users assume that the Apple Intelligence upgrade will be limited to a smarter Siri and some other gimmicks they’ll rarely use. In reality, iOS 27’s AI boost is shaping up to be much more than just that.
For starters, the Photos app could finally be getting some new AI tools, apart from the existing Clean Up feature. The rumored Enhance, Extend, and Reframe features could allow users to apply suitable color edits, stretch an image beyond the frame, and change its perspective. These are much-needed additions that mobile photographers will especially appreciate.
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Other handy introductions could include a Grammarly-like keyboard that helps you pick the right words, tailored analyses in the Health app, and an AI-powered Calendar overhaul. These are all apps that we use every day, and the meaningful AI additions are bound to make them even more useful.
It goes without saying that Siri is finally getting some love with iOS 27, too. The assistant is rumored to get a dedicated app with support for complex conversations, world knowledge, multitasking, third-party model extensions, and more. Apple’s virtual assistant will also be able to pull up personal data stored on your iPhone, understand on-screen elements, execute in-app actions, build Shortcuts using natural language, and more.
Even if you don’t currently rely on Siri to perform basic tasks, you’ll likely appreciate the advanced capabilities it’s gaining with the next big release. If successful, it will likely transform how users interact with their iPhones over the coming years.
Malleable Glass
iOS 26 brought the most dramatic iPhone interface change since iOS 7, featuring the futuristic Liquid Glass design language. The new look heavily relies on fluidity and translucency, and it can be perceived in menus, buttons, toggles, navigation bars, and other interface elements across apps and the system itself. Naturally, many users absolutely hate how it looks and functions due to text legibility concerns and how drastic of a change it is.
During iOS 26.0’s initial beta cycle, Apple listened to testers’ feedback and repeatedly tweaked the intensity of Liquid Glass. With iOS 26.1, it even gave users control over Liquid Glass by letting them set the look to Clear or Tinted. iOS 26.2 then added a dedicated slider that lets you precisely adjust the Liquid Glassiness of the Lock Screen clock.
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Given that Liquid Glass is still relatively fresh, iOS 27 will almost certainly include tweaks that improve its functionality and aesthetic. It’s also rumored that, similar to the existing Lock Screen clock, the operating system will offer a slider that controls the intensity of Liquid Glass universally. This would make the design more flexible and allow users to opt for whichever system-wide appearance they prefer.
Actually snappier
Beyond the AI goods and potential Liquid Glass tweaks, iOS 27 is rumored to be a Mac OS X Snow Leopard sort of update. For those unfamiliar, Snow Leopard launched in 2009 to optimize the performance of Macintosh computers and improve their stability through bug fixes and code clean-up. This would get rid of outdated and unnecessary iOS code in the background, boosting the operating system’s speed and possibly extending the battery life. It may not be as exciting as visible changes, but it’s certainly necessary to maintain the iPhone’s long-term reliability.
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A few more things
Taking the above-mentioned leaks and rumors into consideration, iOS 27 already appears to be a somewhat feature-packed update—despite its “Snow Leopard” nature. Still, Apple will surely include a slew of other smaller quality-of-life updates that actually make a difference to our everyday digital lives.
For example, the Wallet app will reportedly allow users to create and store custom passes without depending on third-party apps. These minor, albeit handy, introductions often don’t leak in advance, so we can expect to see several of them during WWDC and once we get our hands on the first iOS 27 beta build next month.
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The iPhone’s time to properly embrace AI and run more smoothly has come, and that’s what iOS 27 could be all about.
Author: Mahmoud Itani, Contributor, Macworld
For a decade, Mahmoud has rigorously evaluated Apple hardware and software. His current technological arsenal features an iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, MacBook Air M2, iPad Air M1, AirPods Pro 2, AirTag, Apple TV 4K 3, and HomePod Mini stereo pair. Outside of work, you’ll likely find him jogging at a park, swimming in open water, brainstorming at a coffeehouse, composing poetry on a rooftop, or merely lost in nature.