The 5 biggest rumored upgrades coming to your iPhone in iOS 27 – including the long-awaited new Siri

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max REVIEW
The iPhone 17 Pro Max (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

iOS 27 is the next major upgrade we’re expecting for iOS, with this new operating system version likely to land alongside the iPhone 18 line in September, following an unveiling at WWDC in June.

So there’s a while to wait before it’s in any way official, but we already have some idea of what to expect, based on leaks and rumors. And while iOS 26 included a major visual overhaul, it so far seems like iOS 27 will be far more focused on AI than on interface changes.

So below, we’ve listed five of the biggest possible upgrades we’ve heard of so far – most, but not all of them, are AI related.

1. The all-new Siri

New Siri features infused with Apple Intelligence being demonstrated at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2024.

(Image credit: Apple)

The biggest update we’re expecting in iOS 27 is the overhauled, all-new version of Siri, powered by Google Gemini. Parts of this might arrive in iOS 26.4, but we’re expecting the complete version will land in iOS 27.

That’s when reputable Apple watcher Mark Gurman says we’ll get it anyway, claiming that Siri will get smarter in iOS 26.4, but that it will have a whole new, chatbot-like interface in iOS 27, making it look and feel more like ChatGPT than the current Siri we all know and tolerate.

This new Siri should of course be more conversational and more intelligent, but it will also apparently have new skills, like being able to analyze on-screen content and tap into your personal data, so it can provide far more personalized and relevant assistance.

2. Apple Health+

Apple Watch app health

(Image credit: Future)

Along with Siri’s big AI overhaul, we’ve been hearing for a while that Apple might give its Health app a major refresh – complete with a new AI-powered and subscription based ‘Health+’ service, and that this might land as part of iOS 27.

This will reportedly include a chatbot – much like the overhauled Siri – but one that’s specifically focused on providing health insights.

Whether this will be useful or just gimmicky remains to be seen, but if it can go beyond the basic data and provide actionable insights then it could prove a handy tool.

3. Satellite connectivity upgrades

iPhone 14 Pro Max review back angled

iPhones have had basic satellite connectivity features since the iPhone 14 series (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Various satellite connectivity upgrades are reportedly in the works, and at least some of these are likely to land with iOS 27.

The biggest of these is perhaps allowing for 5G satellite connections, though it’s possible this feature would be exclusive to the iPhone 18 series – or even just the iPhone 18 Pro models.

We’re also hearing that Apple is working on satellite-powered maps in Apple Maps, and that the company might allow image sharing over a satellite connection, as well as releasing a satellite API for third-party app developers to use with their apps.

If these features are added, it could mean you’d have fast connectivity across various apps and services almost anywhere on Earth.

4. An AI-powered calendar app

In a post on X, the ever-reliable Mark Gurman claimed that Apple was working on AI-powered calendars for iOS 27.

We don’t know much about this yet, but it sounds like this would be a revamp to the existing calendar app, likely with deeper integration with the upcoming Siri overhaul.

5. Performance improvements

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max REVIEW

iOS could get faster and smoother (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

From what we’ve heard so far, there might not be many truly new features in iOS 27 beyond those detailed above, but what there will apparently be are improvements to the "quality and underlying performance".

This again comes from Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg, who compared this update to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in that the focus will be more on polish than new additions.

So that’s likely to mean fixing bugs, removing bloat, and making the operating system as fast, smooth, and intuitive as possible.


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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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