Abstract:
Apple officially pushed iOS 27 to users around the world on September 14, local time. This is one of the largest system updates Apple has launched for the iPhone this year. Based on the continuation of the previous generation Liquid Glass design language, iOS 27 has significantly upgraded the system interface, performance and artificial intelligence capabilities. The most watched change is the new Siri AI. At the same time, Apple has also added more Apple Intelligence features and further improved system functions such as photos, AirDrop, shortcuts, and "Find".
iOS 27 supports the iPhone 11 series and newer models, which means that Apple still maintains a long device support cycle this time. The second generation and subsequent iPhone SE can also be upgraded. However, not all devices that support iOS 27 can use all new features. Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features require more powerful hardware and are currently mainly available for iPhone 15 Pro and newer models.
The new Siri AI is the most important upgrade in iOS 27. Apple has finally brought the new generation of Siri, which has been teased for many years, to users. Compared with Siri, which was mainly used in the past to set alarms, check the weather, send messages and perform simple system operations, the new version of Siri is closer to an AI assistant with context understanding capabilities and can handle more complex, continuous and natural requests.
Siri AI understands the user's personal information on the device and answers questions in personal context. It is also screen-aware, meaning it can understand what the user is currently viewing and act accordingly based on the information on the screen. At the same time, Siri AI can interact with more applications that support related capabilities, thereby directly completing some tasks for users.
Apple also provides a new voice experience for Siri AI. The new voice is more natural and allows users to adjust their expressions and speaking speed to a certain extent. Some new iPhones can also use the device's own model to handle related tasks, allowing the voice assistant to have a more natural interactive experience in some scenarios.
iOS 27 also adds a new independent Siri AI application entrance. However, users can still call out Siri by pressing and holding the iPhone side button as in the past. For users who are accustomed to traditional operating methods, there is no need to change their original usage habits.
However, the new version of Siri is not available simultaneously in all regions. Apple is currently launching Siri AI in English first, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and other language versions planned to be added in October. At the same time, Siri AI is temporarily unavailable in the European Union in the early stages of iOS 27, and disputes between Apple and the European Commission over digital regulatory issues are still affecting the launch of related features.
In addition to Siri, iOS 27 further expands the scope of Apple Intelligence capabilities. The photo application has added new AI editing capabilities such as Spatial Reframing and Reframe, which can use artificial intelligence to re-adjust the composition of photos, giving originally ordinary photos more flexible cropping and reframing effects.
The Image Playground has also been upgraded, allowing users to generate more realistic images. Apple hopes to allow users to describe the content they want directly through natural language, and then use the system's built-in AI to generate new visual materials.
Shortcut commands also add AI capabilities. Users no longer need to manually create complex automated processes item by item, but can directly describe the tasks they want to complete, and let the system generate corresponding shortcut instructions based on natural language. This will further transform Shortcuts from an automation tool for advanced users into an AI automation platform that can also be used by ordinary users.
HomeKit Security Video also gets new AI capabilities. The system can generate a description of the video captured by the camera, allowing users to more quickly understand what the cameras in their home recorded without having to watch the footage step by step.
iOS 27 also makes further adjustments to the Liquid Glass design. Apple first introduced this new design language in iOS 26, and iOS 27 further improved the visual effects. Apple said that the new version has a more uniform refraction effect and better contrast, and application icons have become clearer and more detailed.
Users can also adjust the transparency of the Liquid Glass interface through a new slider, choosing between a more transparent and a more opaque, tinted visual effect. Compared with the more fixed visual effects of iOS 26, this means that users can obtain a higher degree of interface personalization.
The lock screen also gets new customization options. For example, users can adjust the size of the lock screen time display to make the lock screen interface more visually distinct. The system has also further improved the volume control, making more detailed distinctions in the volume control of different categories such as ringtones, alarms, timers, reminders and system sounds.
Performance optimization is also an important part of iOS 27. Apple said that in some scenarios, application startup speed can be increased by up to 30%, new photo loading speed in the Photos app can be increased by up to 70%, and AirDrop file transfer speed can be increased by up to 80%. These optimizations won’t necessarily come in the form of obvious new features, but will directly impact the day-to-day user experience.
iOS 27 also adds the iPhone Handoff function. Users can switch between two iPhones and have both devices share the same phone number. For users who use work machines and personal machines at the same time, or who need to frequently switch between different iPhones, this feature can significantly reduce the trouble of device switching.
However, iPhone Handoff requires support from operators, and some operators may charge extra. T-Mobile US and Deutsche Telekom will be the first carriers to support the feature, with T-Mobile plans charging $5 per month. Verizon in the United States and EE in the United Kingdom plan to provide support before the end of this year, and more operators will join in the future.
In terms of payment, iOS 27 also adds the Apple Cash bill sharing function for US users. Users can use the feature in Wallet and Messages, or through the new Siri mode in the camera.
For example, users can use the iPhone camera to scan a restaurant bill, and Siri AI can identify the items on the bill and help the user select the portion they need to pay. The system will then automatically calculate the amount the user should bear, taking into account taxes and tips, and finally complete the payment through Apple Cash.
The Find feature also gets new privacy controls. Users have more flexibility in controlling their location sharing, with the ability to hide or temporarily stop sharing their location when needed. This gives users more control when sharing their location with family, friends or other contacts.
iOS 27 also has a lot of detailed optimizations for messages, phone calls, photos, maps, Safari and other system applications. Instead of focusing all changes on a single major feature, Apple has made a lot of small improvements to make the interactive experience of the entire operating system more unified.
For folding screen devices such as iPhone Duo, iOS 27 also provides a system experience optimized for folding screen forms. The application can adjust the interface layout according to the unfolded and folded state of the device, allowing the 7.6-inch internal screen to more fully utilize the additional display space. This also means that for the first time, iOS needs to adapt to both the traditional straight iPhone and Apple’s new folding screen device.
The release time of iOS 27 is also closely aligned with the launch of the new generation iPhone. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be officially launched on September 18, and iPhone Duo will also become an important member of Apple’s new generation product lineup. New devices will ship with iOS 27 directly from the factory.
For older iPhone users, the biggest feature of iOS 27 is "a wide range of hardware support, but there are obvious differences in new features." iPhone 11 and newer models can install the new system, but AI-related functions mainly rely on newer chips. Therefore, although older devices can get a new system interface and a large number of regular functions, they cannot experience complete Apple Intelligence.
The official release of iOS 27 also marks that Apple has finally entered a more obvious stage of AI operating system. Apple has been gradually increasing machine learning and generative AI capabilities in the past few years, and this time, AI has begun to directly intervene in core experiences such as Siri, photos, shortcuts, home security, and system interaction.
The most critical change is still Siri. Apple hopes that the new version of Siri will no longer be just a "voice control tool", but become an intelligent assistant that can understand user intentions, grasp personal context, understand screen content and actually perform tasks. If more third-party applications can open up corresponding capabilities in the future, the scope of Siri AI will be further expanded.
However, because Siri AI is still in the gradual opening stage, and there are language, regulatory and functional differences in different countries and regions, the complete AI experience of iOS 27 will not appear simultaneously around the world. In particular, EU users cannot use the new Siri in the initial stage, which has become a very special regional difference in this global push.
Overall, iOS 27 is not a simple visual interface update, but an important upgrade for Apple to further embed artificial intelligence into the entire iPhone operating system. Liquid Glass continues to be improved, system performance has been improved, AI capabilities have been further expanded, and new features such as iPhone Handoff, Apple Cash bill sharing, and folding screen adaptation have made iOS 27 a generation of Apple systems with more obvious functional changes in recent years.
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