Apple unveiled its newest software update, iOS 27, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last week. Here's everything you need to know about the latest major iPhone software update, including the headline feature, a new and improved Siri integrated with Apple Intelligence.
iOS 27: Release date
The first developer beta has commenced, while the public beta will be available in July. The software is still set to go through several months of testing, so it won’t be available to the public until September, around the same time as the iPhone 18 launch.
Based on Apple’s past iOS software updates, it’s reasonable to expect a release date during the second week of September.
iOS 27: New features
Siri is getting a facelift. Soon to be Siri AI, the Apple Intelligence-powered assistant will come with new features like cross-device chat history, thanks to the new Siri app, which stores all your conversations in place, so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
Siri will now have access to the web, too, so you can ask it to search for recipes or provide restaurant recommendations. The new and improved Siri will be smarter, more conversational, and able to provide accurate answers to your questions.
Parents will get new child safety and parental control features, like communication safety tools, which prevent children from viewing or sharing nudity in Messages or FaceTime. Parents can approve of new websites with the ‘Ask To Browse’ feature, and enforce screen time rules with Time Allowances across games, social media, and entertainment categories.
Apple Intelligence is also getting smarter, with better suggestions, photo editing enhancements, and automated tasks over Safari, Photos, Mail, Calendar, Messages, Home, and Shortcuts.
As part of Apple Intelligence, Safari will also get an upgrade, with users able to group tabs by topic and monitor webpages. Photos will gain Spatial Reframing, allowing users to improve image composition after a photo has been taken. The upgrade will also allow users to expand images, straighten horizons, and change the aspect ratio of a photo.
Performance improvements
iOS 27 will also bring system refinements to make iPhones more responsive and reliable.
Apps will launch up to 30% faster, new photos load in your Photos library up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers will be up to 80% faster. Apple have also stated that improved network performance will mean your phone will connect to Wi-Fi or cellular more seamlessly.
Liquid Glass has been refined, too, with better readability, improved contrast, sharper icons, and a customisable appearance.
iOS 27: Compatibility
According to Apple, iOS 27 will be supported by every iPhone that’s capable of running iOS 26. So, even if you’ve got a device as old as the iPhone 11, you’ll still be able to run iOS 27.
Based on rumours that made the rounds on Weibo, plenty of users were expecting the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE 2 to be left out of the iOS 27 party. It’s a welcome surprise they weren't left out of the game this year; however, earlier models (iPhone 15 or later) won’t be able to run Apple Intelligence or Siri AI.
Hannah Geremia
Digital Content Editor
