Apple is gearing up to host its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 8 to June 12. Every year, at the conference, the company unveils new software versions and features for all its platforms. As we are nearing WWDC 2026, more details are emerging on what enthusiasts can expect from the event. In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed fresh details on the upcoming iOS 27, which will be unveiled during the event.
Unlike last year, when Apple introduced Liquid Glass design aesthetics across its operating systems, including iOS 26, Gurman says that this year iOS 27 will offer more incremental changes. Apart from a boost in performance, users will also get a host of artificial intelligence features.
“Features outside those areas have been deprioritised, with the hope of getting a release that Apple can position as more stable and better optimized for AI,” Mark Gurman wrote.
One such major feature is an upgrade to Apple Intelligence in the Photos app. With iOS 27, users will get new tools to extend, enhance, and reframe images within the Photos app, Gurman said.
Apple is also overhauling the Visual Intelligence feature, which was introduced with the iPhone 16 in 2024. Currently, it uses services like ChatGPT to analyse photos for information. In iOS 27, Gurman says Apple is adding Visual Intelligence capability to the camera app as a Siri mode. However, he did not delve into any details on how this new feature will work.
Apart from the Visual Intelligence feature in the camera app, Apple is also working on features that will pull nutrition information from food packaging and capture contact details directly from what the camera sees.
Siri set to get a standalone identity
Apple isn’t adding any new apps with iOS 17 right now, but it plans to introduce Siri as a standalone app. This new app will allow users to perform tasks on their device, search the web, and access news. Users will also be able to interact with Siri within other Apple apps through a feature called “Ask Siri,” which may appear in app menus and let them ask questions about content inside the app.
The assistant is expected to come with a new interface, support third-party tools via the App Store, and handle multiple commands in a single request. According to Gurman, turning Siri into a standalone app could put it in direct competition with chatbot apps like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude.
