iOS 27 arrives September 14 with a major Siri AI overhaul
Apple begins rolling out iOS 27 on Monday, headlined by a completely reworked, AI-powered Siri, new photo-editing tools and performance gains — though sources differ on which technology powers the new Siri.
What's new and when it arrives
On Monday, September 14, Apple is rolling out iOS 27, the new iPhone operating system unveiled at the company's September 9 event, which Mashable refers to as "Surprise and Shine." The update becomes available around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Time) via Settings → General → Software Update; users can also enable automatic updates so the download starts on its own while the phone is locked and charging.
The headline feature — Siri AI
The biggest change is a completely reworked Siri, which Apple calls "Siri AI" — a version capable of chatbot-like conversation and answering a much wider range of requests than before. Mashable reports that the new Siri is powered by Google's Gemini technology, while MacRumors does not mention this detail and describes it only as running on Apple Intelligence. Users will be able to use a dedicated Siri app or invoke the assistant by pressing and holding the side button. MacRumors adds that Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, will initially work only in English, and will be subject to daily usage limits, with expanded paid access planned for the future. Both sources confirm that Siri AI will not initially be available in the European Union due to a regulatory dispute with the European Commission.
Other AI and design changes
iOS 27 also brings new photo-editing tools — image extension and reframing (which Mashable calls "spatial reframing") — photorealistic image generation in the Image Playground app, the ability to create Shortcuts simply by describing what you want, and automatically generated video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video cameras. The "Liquid Glass" design continues to be refined, with improved contrast, sharper app icons, and a new slider to adjust transparency. MacRumors also cites performance gains: app launches up to 30% faster, Photos library loading up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers up to 80% faster.
Other features
A new "iPhone Handoff" feature lets users switch between two iPhones while keeping the same phone number — initially offered by T-Mobile in the U.S. (for $5 a month) and Deutsche Telekom in Germany, with Verizon and the UK's EE planning to join by year's end. U.S. users also gain Apple Cash bill splitting via Wallet, Messages, or the Camera app's Siri mode. In Find My, users can now set an exact expiration time for location sharing or pause it temporarily without notifying others. CarPlay, meanwhile, gains the ability to browse and watch video while the car is parked.
Compatibility
Mashable states that iOS 27 supports devices starting with the iPhone SE (2nd generation) and the iPhone 11 series, while MacRumors says the update is compatible with "the iPhone 11 series and newer" — both sources agree that older models will not receive the update.
