Apple is currently building out its next major iPhone software refresh, iOS 27, which is expected to be officially unveiled at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). As per Apple’s usual launch cycle, WWDC usually takes place in June, which means there are still a few months to go before the company officially reveals what’s new in its upcoming software updates. That said, the market of tech rumors never really stops churning, and early leaks and reports are already circulating, pointing to potential upgrades that Apple could bring with iOS 27. This time, the focus appears to be on AI upgrades, a smarter Siri, and overall performance improvements.

Let’s take a look at what we might see with the upcoming software update for iPhones, possibly iOS 27.

focus on performance

If industry insiders are to be believed, iOS 27 is shaping up to be a refinement-focused release. According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple’s priority this year will be on improving “quality and underlying performance”, addressing bugs, visual inconsistencies and system slowdowns reported by some users on iOS 26.

smarter siri

We’ve been hearing rumors for some time now about Apple’s plans to make Siri smarter. Although iOS 26 brought some upgrades, there were no major changes. However, iOS 27 is believed to provide the long-awaited leap forward. According to reports, Siri will feel much more conversational and context-aware in iOS 27. The virtual assistant can remember past conversations, better understand follow-up questions, and make proactive suggestions based on the user’s habits. It also hints at gaining the ability to automatically bring up relevant reminders, travel details, or app tasks without asking Siri explicitly.

More power to Apple Intelligence

Apple is expected to advance Apple Intelligence significantly with the release of iOS 27. Building on its definitive collaboration with Google’s Gemini, the company is reportedly rolling out a suite of new AI-powered features.

One of the most anticipated additions is a smart, AI-powered calendar that is able to suggest meeting times and adjust schedules based on the context of emails, messages, and user behavior. Additionally, the report suggests a new Health+ subscription service that would leverage Apple Watch data to provide personalized nutrition and wellness guidance.

Improvements in all apps

Many built-in apps are also expected to see meaningful upgrades. The Photos app may get better organization tools, helping users manage larger libraries with better categorization and search. The pair of AirPods are said to be faster and more reliable, while Safari may get an AI-powered search feature, internally called “World Knowledge Answers”, which provides conversational, summary-style responses instead of traditional search results.
Additionally, iOS 27 may also introduce a significantly upgraded Health app that uses AI to interpret trends in user data, providing insights similar to guidance from a medical professional. Some reports suggest that Apple may also add explanatory videos and simplified summaries to help users better understand their health metrics.

Optimized for Apple’s first foldable iPhone

It is also being speculated that 2026 will be the year when Apple may finally enter the foldable phone sector. With that in mind, iOS 27 is expected to quietly lay the groundwork for future hardware, including Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone. Apple is said to be already working on software optimizations for larger and flexible displays.

ios 27 launch date

As far as availability is concerned, Apple is expected to announce iOS 27 at WWDC 2026, possibly in June, followed by the immediate release of a developer beta. A public beta should arrive in July, with a stable release following later in the year with new iPhone models. iOS 27 is expected to support most of the latest iPhones, although older models may lack some AI-heavy features.