Apple plans major camera AI overhaul in iOS 27 with new Siri mode and photo editing tools

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

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Apple is preparing a significant upgrade to iPhone camera capabilities with iOS 27, introducing a dedicated Siri camera mode and new AI-powered photo editing tools. The update will integrate Visual Intelligence directly into the camera app and add features like Extend, Enhance, and Reframe to help users modify images using on-device AI, though internal testing suggests some features may face delays.

Apple Intelligence Gets Deeper Camera Integration

Apple is preparing to embed Apple Intelligence more deeply into the iPhone camera experience with iOS 27, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman

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. The update will introduce a dedicated Siri camera mode that appears alongside existing options like Photo, Video, and Portrait, representing a major camera AI overhaul for the platform

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Source: Digit

Source: Digit

The Visual Intelligence AI feature, currently accessible only through the Camera Control button on iPhone 16 models, will move directly into the camera app itself

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. This repositioning makes the feature more prominent and easier to access. Users will still be able to launch it by pressing and holding the Camera Control button, but it will now open the Siri camera mode within the app rather than a standalone interface that many find difficult to locate

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New AI-Powered Photo Editing Tools Coming to Photos App

Apple is also planning a substantial overhaul of the Photos app editing interface, adding three new AI tools under a dedicated "Apple Intelligence Tools" section

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. The Extend, Enhance, and Reframe tools will join the existing Clean Up feature, which currently stands as Apple's only AI-powered editing option

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Source: FoneArena

Source: FoneArena

The Extend tool enables generative AI background expansion, allowing users to add content beyond the original frame by manually expanding the image's edges

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. Someone photographing a landmark, for instance, could use Extend to fill in surrounding scenery

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. Enhance automatically adjusts color, lighting, and overall image quality using on-device AI

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. Reframe is designed primarily for spatial photos captured with Apple's 3D image format, allowing users to shift perspective after taking the shot—a front view of a car could be adjusted to emphasize the side

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All three AI-powered photo editing tools will use on-device processing that typically takes a few seconds

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. The features will be available on Apple Intelligence-supported devices running iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27

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Upgraded Visual AI Adds Nutrition Scanning and Contact Capture

Beyond camera integration, Apple is expanding the upgraded Visual AI with additional capabilities

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. Users will be able to scan nutrition labels on food packaging to log dietary information and capture contact details directly from what the camera sees

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Source: AppleInsider

Source: AppleInsider

The feature will continue to support ChatGPT integration for asking questions about objects or scenes, as well as Google reverse image search

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. Existing capabilities like extracting calendar events from concert posters, identifying plants and animals, and pulling up business information remain intact

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Potential Delays and Competitive Pressure

Internal testing has revealed reliability issues with the Extend and Reframe tools, according to sources familiar with the development

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. Apple may delay or scale back these features depending on improvements to its underlying models

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The updates position Apple to better compete with Google and Samsung, both of which have offered advanced AI editing capabilities for years

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. Google's Magic Editor and Samsung's Galaxy AI features have set a high bar for generative image manipulation

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Apple is expected to unveil these changes at WWDC, scheduled for June 8-12, with a consumer release planned for fall 2026

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. The company is also preparing new Siri-focused hardware including smart glasses, a wearable pendant, and updated AirPods designed to analyze the surrounding environment

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. Additionally, a standalone Siri app powered by Gemini models is in development

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