AI could make iOS 27 much bigger than the rumors suggest

WWDC is many Apple enthusiasts’ favorite event of the year. During the opening keynote, the iPhone maker unveils the next major versions of its operating systems. It then releases the first beta versions to registered testers, giving them a first glimpse of what to expect. These updates tend to contain dozens of changes, including UI tweaks, new features, bug fixes, and other improvements.

Following Liquid Glass’s substantial overhaul last year, iOS 27 is expected to focus on implementing AI tools and optimizing performance and reliability. The next update apparently won’t introduce a ton of noteworthy features (beyond AI). Although geeks may find it boring The nature of iOS 27 is disappointing, I think it’s exactly the kind of update Apple’s platforms need right now.

AI for the rest of the operating system

As we’ve established, most of the new features for iOS 27 users will likely revolve around AI. Many users assume the Apple Intelligence upgrade will be limited to a smarter Siri and a few other gadgets they’ll rarely use. In reality, iOS 27’s AI boost promises to be much more than that.

For starters, the Photos app could finally benefit from new AI tools, in addition to the existing Clean Up functionality. The enhance, extend and crop features, rumored to allow users to apply appropriate color edits, stretch an image beyond the frame and change its perspective. These are must-have additions that mobile photographers will especially appreciate.

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Other hands-on introductions could include a Grammarly-like keyboard that helps you choose the right words, personalized analytics in the Health app, and an AI-powered calendar redesign. These are all apps we use every day, and significant AI additions are sure to make them even more useful.

Needless to say, Siri is finally getting some love with iOS 27 as well. The assistant is rumored to have a dedicated app with support for complex conversations, world awareness, multitasking, third-party template extensions, and more. Apple’s virtual assistant will also be able to extract personal data stored on your iPhone, understand on-screen elements, perform in-app actions, create natural language shortcuts, and much more.

Even if you don’t currently rely on Siri to perform basic tasks, you’ll probably appreciate the advanced features it gains with the next big release. If successful, it will likely transform the way users interact with their iPhones for years to come.

Malleable glass

iOS 26 brought the most dramatic iPhone interface change since iOS 7, with the futuristic Liquid Glass design language. The new look relies heavily on fluidity and translucency, and it can be seen in menus, buttons, toggles, navigation bars and other interface elements in apps and in the system itself. Naturally, many users absolutely hate how it looks and works due to text readability issues and the magnitude of the change.

During the initial beta cycle of iOS 26.0, Apple listened to feedback from testers and changed the intensity of Liquid Glass several times. With iOS 26.1, it even gave users control of Liquid Glass by allowing them to set the appearance to Clear or Tinted. iOS 26.2 then added a dedicated slider that lets you fine-tune the liquid glazing of the lock screen clock.

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Since Liquid Glass is still relatively new, iOS 27 will almost certainly include changes that improve its functionality and aesthetics. Rumor has it that like the existing lock screen clock, the operating system will feature a slider that controls the intensity of Liquid Glass universally. This would make the design more flexible and allow users to opt for the look they prefer system-wide.

Actually more vivid

Beyond AI products and potential Liquid Glass tweaks, iOS 27 is rumored to be a Mac OS X Snow Leopard some sort of update. For those unfamiliar, Snow Leopard was released in 2009 to optimize the performance of Macintosh computers and improve their stability through bug fixes and code cleanup. This would eliminate outdated and unnecessary iOS code running in the background, thereby increasing the speed of the operating system and possibly extending battery life. It may not be as exciting as visible changes, but it’s certainly necessary to maintain the long-term reliability of the iPhone.

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A few more things

Given the leaks and rumors mentioned above, iOS 27 already appears to be a somewhat feature-rich update, despite its “Snow Leopard” nature. Nonetheless, Apple will surely include a host of other small quality-of-life updates that really make a difference in our daily digital lives.

For example, the Wallet app would allow users to create and store personalized passes without relying on third-party apps. These minor introductions, while convenient, often don’t leak in advance, so we can expect to see several of them at WWDC and once we get our hands on the first beta of iOS 27 next month.

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The time has come for iPhone to properly embrace AI and run smoother, and that’s what iOS 27 could be.