Tim Cook ended his 14-year tenure as Apple CEO at WWDC, handing the reins to John Ternus just before the iPhone 18 launch cycle. Ternus inherits a company with tripled revenue and a critical moment for Apple Intelligence’s impact on consumer upgrades.
Apple’s iOS 27 Genmoji update finally adds iterative editing, letting users refine outputs layer-by-layer instead of regenerating from scratch—a feature competitors like Midjourney have long offered. The update also brings faster generation, better battery efficiency, and improved consistency, suggesting Apple’s Foundation Models are now smaller and more optimized.
Apple is preparing developers for a foldable iPhone through a major shift in app design philosophy. Code strings referencing “foldState” and “angleDegrees” in iOS 27 reveal hardware states that don’t exist on current iPhones, signaling the company’s secretive work on a book-style foldable with a 7.8-inch inner display expected in 2026.
Apple is discontinuing software support for the Apple TV HD (2015) and Apple TV 4K first generation (2017) with tvOS 27, leaving only the newer 4K models compatible. The move comes ahead of an expected fourth-generation Apple TV 4K later this year, as tvOS 27 offers modest updates including a redesigned Podcasts app and interface improvements.
Apple’s most powerful on-device AI model in iOS 27 requires 12GB of unified memory, excluding the base iPhone 17 while allowing the mid-tier iPhone Air to access advanced features like expressive voices and improved dictation. This marks the first time Apple has raised memory thresholds for its most capable on-device features, prioritizing privacy and performance over broad compatibility.
Apple gave tvOS 27 just ten seconds at WWDC 2026, but the update includes meaningful improvements like faster AirPlay, smart downloads, and expanded accessibility options. While the feature set is modest, these quiet quality-of-life fixes could meaningfully change daily use for Apple TV users.
Apple’s Siri update finally rebuilds dictation from scratch with automatic punctuation, capitalization, and real-time formatting—matching what Android users expect from Google. Voice customization sliders let you tune expressiveness and pace, though these advanced features will likely be limited to recent iPhone and iPad models.
Apple’s iOS 27 Wallet update includes a hidden feature that lets you photograph physical tickets and membership cards to create scannable digital passes—no business participation required. This breaks Wallet’s traditional dependency on vendors building their own integrations, potentially opening the platform to countless small venues and regional businesses.
iOS 27’s new writing assistant learns your personal communication style, offering tailored suggestions for different contacts instead of generic responses. The update also adds system-wide proofreading and intelligent file naming, though Apple’s handling of sensitive writing data remains unclear.
Apple is integrating Siri directly into the Camera app in iOS 27 as a dedicated shooting mode, letting you identify objects and answer questions about what’s in frame. The feature relies on an expanded Visual Intelligence system that can now estimate calories and split bills, though it requires joining a waitlist since the AI infrastructure isn’t ready for all users at launch.