Apple Plans Major AI Overhaul for iOS 27 with Enhanced Siri, Health+ Service, and Web Search Tool

iOS 27 will have three major new AI features, per report - 9to5Mac

Apple is already hard at work preparing iOS 27 for release next year, and a new report highlights three major new AI features coming in the update. Last week in his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman teased that iOS 27, macOS 27, and more would bring "major updates to Apple Intelligence and the broader AI strategy." Though no details were shared, this was noteworthy because not long before iOS 27 is unveiled in June, Apple is expected to ship huge upgrades to Siri. iOS 26.4 will arrive in March or April, and all signs point to it being one of the biggest updates for Apple Intelligence yet thanks to the Siri overhaul. Now, Gurman has started sharing details on what's coming in iOS 27. As I've discussed before, a new Siri is slated to come with iOS 26.4, and the voice assistant will get a redesign in iOS 27. There also are plans for an AI-powered web search tool. But let's focus on a feature I haven't discussed in a while: a revamped Health app with a new Health+ service. It will include an AI agent that helps users manage their health. If successful, the service could make Apple one of the first major tech companies to gain steam in the health AI chatbot space. Unlike the various Apple Intelligence additions in iOS 26, most of which are fairly minor upgrades, these three changes do represent potentially bigger tentpoles to market to users. In the past, Gurman has written about Apple's plans for a Siri redesign that includes a "visual personality to make it feel lifelike." The company has apparently tested making Siri resemble the Finder's icon. It seems odd that Apple might ship major new Siri upgrades in iOS 26.4 then redesign it visually in iOS 27. But perhaps it's a hedge for the company. By upgrading Siri without a big redesign, Apple can manage user expectations. Then if that spring update delivers on its promises, following up with a visual upgrade would make sense as a way to highlight to the masses that Siri truly is new and improved. In any case, it certainly sounds like 2026 could be a big year for Apple Intelligence. What do you think of iOS 27's rumored Apple Intelligence changes, and which AI features are you hoping for? Let us know in the comments.

Next year will reportedly be a big year for Apple Intelligence (again)

Apple's AI plans should kick into high gear in 2026... but we've heard this song before. It's been over a year since Apple Intelligence arrived, and now we've gone nearly a year without any major enhancements. But according to a new report, 2026 will be the year of Apple Intelligence! Mark Gurman's latest Power On newsletter doesn't break any major news on the AI front, but it does have some interesting tidbits about Apple's roadmap for the next year. It all starts in the spring, with the OS 26.4 updates. When iOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, and so on hit our devices sometime around March, we should finally get the new Siri we were promised at the last WWDC. Wait, I mean, the one before that. This will bring three concrete features promised at WWDC in 2024: screen awareness (Siri can see what's on your screen and act accordingly), personal context (Siri builds a graph of knowledge about you, on-device, and uses it to personalize its answers and actions), and the ability to take actions in and across apps. More than just new features, the very core of Siri is being updated to use a modern and sophisticated LLM model, which should give it better understanding of what users are saying to it and more natural responses, in addition to tapping into a wealth of world knowledge. Apple has reportedly been working with several external companies on the possibility of using a modified, bespoke version of their LLMs as the foundation for the new Siri, testing them against its internally-developed LLM in a "bake off" of sorts. In this latest newsletter, Gurman says the new Siri will "lean on Google's Gemini model" it it sounds like Gemini -- or some Apple-specific variant of it -- will serve as the underpinning for Siri. You shouldn't expect talking to Siri to be the same as talking to Google's Gemini, though. Not only will the base model surely be modified in significant ways, but Siri will have access to entirely different sets of data. The March-April timeframe is also when Gurman says Apple will kick off its big smart home strategy. The first release will be a new smart display with both speaker-base and wall-mounted versions, and of course the new Siri will be a major draw to the new device. Over time Apple is expected to introduce more smart home offerings like cameras, a more sophisticated smart display on a robotic arm, and maybe even a doorbell or smart lock. Apple has big smart home plans, and they all require a huge improvement to Siri and Apple Intelligence to get off the ground. In June at WWDC, Apple will unveil the OS 27 generation: iOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, etc. These are expected to again feature "major updates to Apple Intelligence," according to Gurman. Of course they are. Every tech company is all-in on AI now, no matter the cost. While the specific improvements to Apple Intelligence for the OS 27 releases aren't detailed, we can of course expect Apple to double down on Siri and expand capabilities related to the smart home, including AI vision recognition features that allow devices to recognize users and what they're doing while protecting your privacy -- these sorts of AI-powered features will be critical to future products like smart home cameras and smart glasses. Of course, we've been here before. Gurman's sources are no doubt accurate, but Apple has shown willingness to delay AI features when they're not deemed good enough, and some of the features they have released (like Image Playground) leave much to be desired. We're looking at a big year for Apple Intelligence in 2026 if Apple stays on plan and if the results are good and if consumers are happy with the changes, and if it can start to reverse years of brand damage to the Siri name. That's a lot of "ifs."

iOS 27 will have 'major updates' to Apple Intelligence, per report - 9to5Mac

iOS 26 launched to all users earlier this fall, but development is already well underway on the next major OS version. Now, a new report says iOS 27 has "major updates" coming for Apple Intelligence. Mark Gurman writes at Bloomberg about Apple's 2026 plans: On the software front, we'll see iOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 and other operating systems unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. They'll be accompanied by major updates to Apple Intelligence and the broader AI strategy Though light on details, Gurman emphasizing "major updates" is noteworthy. There are 20+ new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26, but that release generally hasn't been seen as a significant one for AI. Despite the lack of details, this claim of "major updates" coming is especially curious to me. Why? Because we're already expecting iOS 26.4 to bring huge AI upgrades in the form of a supercharged Siri. Gurman himself has reported several times that iOS 26.4 is being targeted by Apple as the release that will bring Siri's long-awaited overhaul. Per Apple, we'll not only get the three big Siri upgrades previously promised for iOS 18, but also even more new features. So if Apple hits its goals, it sounds like users will get major AI upgrades not only in iOS 26.4 in the spring, but also iOS 27 in the fall (and actually summertime for beta users). I'm also intrigued by the comment about Apple having updates to its "broader AI strategy." I don't see the company pivoting from its current, privacy-friendly approach of prioritizing on-device intelligence. But perhaps there's some other strategy change coming based on how AI trends have shifted since iOS 18 debuted. What sort of major Apple Intelligence updates do you hope to see in iOS 27? Let us know in the comments.

iOS 27 Will Transform The Apple iPhone Into A Telehealth Powerhouse

Apple's iOS 27 software upgrade is expected to bring a number of notable, AI-powered software upgrades, including a rumored overhaul of its Health app. We already know that Apple has been working to introduce a number of key Apple Intelligence features with its Spring 2026 iOS 26.4 update, bringing: However, just weeks after the iOS 26.4 update rolls out, Apple would reportedly unveil its iOS 27 update, as per Mark Gurman's latest Power On newsletter, bringing: It is the last feature in this list that is attracting the most attention. According to Gurman, the revamped Health app will offer the much-anticipated Health+ service, which would feature "an AI agent that helps users manage their health. If successful, the service could make Apple one of the first major tech companies to gain steam in the health AI chatbot space." As such, Apple's Health+ service is expected to offer a personalized, AI-powered health coaching, with a curated list of helpful videos from health experts to explain various health conditions and offer guidance on lifestyle improvements. The service will also offer a nutrition tracking feature. This comes as Apple is planning to use a gigantic, albeit tailored, Gemini AI model to power its upcoming revamped Siri in the cloud. With 1.2 trillion parameters under its belt, the customized Gemini model would "dwarf" the 1.5 billion-parameter, bespoke AI model that Apple currently uses to power Siri in the cloud. Apple will pay Google around $1 billion per year to use Google's proprietary AI technology.

Apple iOS 27 to bring major Apple Intelligence overhaul, report hints at massive AI upgrade

Reports suggest Apple may refine its broader AI strategy beyond current privacy-focused limits. Apple's much-hyped Apple Intelligence has been under intense scrutiny lately, with users calling out the company for delaying several AI features that were promised at WWDC 2024. Many expected these upgrades to arrive with the iOS 26 rollout, but were postponed due to some reasons. Now the report suggests that the iOS 27 update, which is set to be revealed at WWDC 2026, will include a massive update to Apple Intelligence as part of the company's expanding AI roadmap. According to the report, Apple's AI ecosystem will be greatly improved by its upcoming operating systems, which include iOS 27, macOS 27, and watchOS 27. While details are limited, Gurman's description suggests that the tech giant may be planning a deeper integration of Apple Intelligence across its devices, potentially changing the way how Siri and other system features work. Interestingly, Gurman's update comes as Apple continues to roll out iOS 26 features, with the iOS 26.4 release expected to deliver a major Siri overhaul earlier next year. The upcoming iOS 26.4 update is said to offer better contextual awareness, enhanced natural language processing and enhanced on-device intelligence. While it is too early to predict when Apple will introduce its iOS 27, the reports suggest that iOS 27 should debut in June 2026 during the Worldwide Developers Conference, followed by a public rollout in the fall. It should be noted that Apple has not confirmed the developments at this time. However, multiple reports indicate that the company may fine-tune its "broader AI strategy," potentially expanding beyond the privacy-centric approach that defines its current Apple Intelligence framework.