Apple's next major software update cycle won't be characterized by glitzy glamor, with focus on under-the-hood stability improvements rather than introducing new and flashy features, as per Mark Gurman's latest Power On newsletter.
Mark Gurman: Apple's iOS 27 would be a "no-frills snow leopard" software update
According to Bloomberg's legendary tipster, Mark Gurman, Apple's upcoming iOS 27 software update won't have any new shiny features, with the Cupertino giant expected to focus on improving the operating system's underlying stability.
This would be the first time since iOS 12 that Apple would focus on subtle improvements rather than dazzling its users with new features. According to Gurman, these subtle undertones would extend to Apple's other operating systems as well, including macOS 27, iPadOS 27, tvOS 27, etc.
Gurman believes Apple engineers would focus on cutting bloat, eliminating bugs, and meaningfully boosting the overall stability and efficiency of the tech giant's various operating systems, akin to what Apple did with the Mac OS X version 10.6, which was officially dubbed the Snow Leopard update.
Nonetheless, Apple is expected to introduce some new AI features with iOS 27, including:
A visual redesign for the Siri voice assistant
- Apple's Siri voice assistant is slated to receive a visual overhaul with iOS 27, replete with a Finder icon-like avatar. Along with Siri's improved contextual understanding as part of the upcoming iOS 26.4 update, the visual overhaul would allow users to hold more natural back-and-forth conversations with the voice assistant.
An AI-powered web search tool
- Apple is working on unlocking a new AI-powered search experience, dubbed internally as World Knowledge Answers. The feature would allow Siri to provide summarized answers to general user queries by leveraging a hefty database of knowledge, reducing the voice assistant's reliance on traditional link-based search results.
A revamped Health app
- Apple's Health+ service is expected to offer 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.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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