Apple released the first public beta of iOS 27 on July 13, 2026, giving iPhone users an early look at significant software upgrades. The update focuses heavily on artificial intelligence, with a completely redesigned Siri AI at its core. This new Siri can hold ongoing conversations, understand onscreen content, and integrate deeply across apps, promising a more capable and personal assistant for millions of users.[9to5mac+4]
Siri AI Becomes More Conversational
The biggest change in iOS 27 is the total overhaul of Siri, now officially branded Siri AI. Apple rebuilt the assistant using its next-generation Apple Intelligence system. This allows Siri AI to maintain an ongoing conversation, understanding context from previous interactions.Users can now engage with Siri in a more natural, chat-like manner, moving beyond simple, one-off commands.[9to5mac+6]
Siri AI can also access and search personal information stored on the iPhone, such as messages, emails, and photos, to answer specific questions.It can understand the content displayed on the screen, enabling it to take actions within apps or provide relevant information about what users are currently viewing.For instance, Siri AI can draft documents or locate locally stored media based on user descriptions.[9to5mac+11]
A new dedicated Siri app is part of iOS 27, allowing users to revisit all their conversations with the assistant. This app syncs history privately through iCloud, making it possible to continue interactions across different Apple devices.Siri AI responses now emerge from the Dynamic Island, and users can pull down on a response to open the full conversation view.Apple states that Siri AI is powered by Apple Foundation Models, which are based on Google's Gemini models, enhancing its accuracy and capability.[9to5mac+8]
Advanced AI Tools Extend Beyond Siri
The iOS 27 public beta also introduces several other powerful AI features that enhance various iPhone apps. The Photos app gains three new editing tools. "Clean Up" can handle larger and more complex distractions in images. "Extend" generates content beyond the existing frame of a photo, and "Reframe" helps users adjust compositions.[9to5mac+5]
The Camera app now includes a Siri mode for Visual Intelligence. This allows users to photograph a membership barcode and convert it into a Wallet pass. Siri can also import events directly from a flyer.Another notable AI improvement is an upgrade to the Vision Intelligence tool, which can analyze food items in photographs or through the camera lens to provide nutritional insights.[9to5mac+2]
Safari receives AI enhancements too. It can automatically organize tabs by topic and group bookmarks and Reading List items. A "Notify Me" feature can monitor a webpage for specific changes, such as an item coming back in stock.Users can even create specialized Safari extensions using natural-language descriptions.[9to5mac+4]
Performance Boosts and New Customization
Beyond AI, iOS 27 brings significant performance improvements across the iPhone. Apple reports that app launches can be up to 30% faster, new photos can load up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% quicker.Users will also notice smoother animations, more responsive keyboards, improved iMessage syncing, and better transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular networks.[techdogs+2]
The update includes a redesigned Screen Time experience with enhanced child safety features, offering parents more granular controls and insights into app and website usage.Liquid Glass, Apple's design element for translucent menus and UI, also receives refinements, allowing users more control over its transparency.Users can adjust Siri's pace and expressivity under the Siri Voice settings, which also affects spoken output in Maps and Safari.[9to5mac+9]
Compatibility and Regional Limitations
To experience the full suite of Apple Intelligence features, including Siri AI, users need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer model.Some advanced on-device features, like Expressive Voices and enhanced dictation, require devices with more than 12GB of RAM, such as the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air.iOS 27 itself supports iPhone 11 and newer devices, along with the iPhone SE (2nd generation and later).[9to5mac+8]
Siri AI initially supports select English variants and will not launch in the European Union immediately. This is due to ongoing discussions regarding the Digital Markets Act.Apple recommends installing beta software on a secondary device, and users should create a recent backup of their iPhone before installing the public beta, as it may contain bugs or affect battery life.[9to5mac+5]
The iOS 27 public beta offers a substantial leap forward for Apple's AI capabilities, particularly with the revitalized Siri AI. The full stable version of iOS 27 is expected to be released this fall, alongside new iPhone models.[uk+4]
