WWDC26 Preview: New Siri as the Highlight, iOS 27 Expected to Focus on Minor Upgrades

Apple has finally confirmed that WWDC26 will kick off at 10:00 AM PDT on June 8, which is 1:00 AM Beijing Time on June 9.

Image source: Apple

By tradition, each WWDC showcases updates to the next generation of Apple platforms, including advancements in AI and new software and developer tools. In the past, the keynote address—typically the most anticipated part of the event—focused primarily on the latest upgrades and changes to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. But by 2026, Apple faces different challenges.

Over the past two years, Apple Intelligence has not significantly changed the daily usage of iPhone users. The major upgrade to Siri has been repeatedly delayed, making Apple seem somewhat slow in this wave of generative AI.

So what’s truly worth watching at WWDC26 this year isn’t just what iOS 27 looks like or what new features macOS 27 brings—but whether Apple can still answer a more fundamental question: today, with AI deeply integrated into phones, computers, headphones, watches, glasses, and home devices, will the Apple ecosystem remain the best computing platform?

Leikeji’s roundup of current leaks about WWDC26 suggests that, aside from the entirely new Siri powered by the Gemini base model, Apple’s next-generation operating systems are unlikely to undergo major overhauls—instead, they will focus primarily on incremental improvements to the underlying systems and details. True reforms are expected to arrive in 2027 (the iPhone’s 20th anniversary), particularly for iOS.

Over the past few years, iOS has undergone somewhat awkward changes. On one hand, Apple has introduced new features every year—from lock screen widgets and Dynamic Island to personalized home screens and Apple Intelligence. On the other hand, the everyday experience for the majority of users hasn’t changed much: apps are still apps, Control Center remains Control Center, system settings are still nested menus, and Siri has long failed to become a true central hub.

iOS 27 may initially alter this habit through visual and access changes. According to Bloomberg, the new Siri will pop up from the Dynamic Island in a lighter bubble form and slide down from the center of the top of the screen to enter a system-level entry point similar to “Search or Ask.”

Not an actual device; image source: Bloomberg

This entry point doesn't necessarily need to be understood as part of AI capabilities; rather, it resembles Apple redefining how search, control, and questions are handled on the iPhone. Previously, swiping down triggered Spotlight search; in the future, it may become a unified entry point connecting local content, system functions, web search, and an intelligent assistant.

The Dynamic Island has previously been primarily used for status notifications and light interactions, such as incoming calls, timers, music playback, and navigation progress. If iOS 27 truly integrates Siri and system search access into the Dynamic Island, it suggests Apple may be transforming this screen cutout from a mere "information display area" into a full-fledged "system entry point."

The camera app may also receive a more practical update.

According to leaks, the iOS 27 Camera app will introduce a new "Advanced" tab featuring depth control, exposure control, and widget options such as "Basic," "Manual," and "Presets," along with potential new grid and histogram tools. The main interface will also allow users to customize whether icons for flash, exposure, timer, and other functions are displayed.

If iOS 27 could maintain Apple's signature simplicity in the camera interface while offering more control to users who want to customize it, it would be a practical upgrade.

Additionally, the Photos app may introduce a new tools section, adding editing capabilities such as image expansion and recomposition beyond the existing "Clean Up" feature. While this naturally involves AI, from the perspective of system experience, it appears more like Apple continuing to integrate lightweight photo editing functions—previously handled by third-party apps—into the native Photos app.

More fundamental changes may involve stability and performance. MacRumors notes that this generation of Apple’s system places greater emphasis on bug fixes, improved stability, and underlying performance optimizations, even drawing comparisons to the kind of update seen with Mac OS X Snow Leopard. While it may not be as flashy as AI features, these improvements are even more important for iOS users.

Another direction that cannot be overlooked is the early adaptation for foldable iPhones.

Even if Apple doesn't release a foldable iPhone this year, iOS 17 may prematurely reveal system preparations such as more flexible window ratios, enhanced multitasking optimized for larger screens, improved landscape interfaces, and a blurring boundary between iPhone and iPadOS.

For Apple, it’s not just about the hardware—the real challenge is making iOS transition seamlessly between small screen, unfolded large screen, and external display modes.

Image source: X

By the way, let’s also talk about iPadOS 27.

The biggest issue with the iPad over the past few years has been excessive hardware performance paired with insufficient system productivity. Therefore, one can expect Apple to continue expanding the iPad’s system boundaries—such as implementing more stable Stage Manager, more flexible window management, a file system closer to desktop standards, improved external display support, and creating a more natural workflow between the Apple Pencil, keyboard, trackpad, and multi-window functionality.

For the iPad, AI is certainly important, but foundational system capabilities matter more. Without sufficiently mature multitasking and file management logic, even the most powerful AI assistant will struggle to turn the iPad into a truly reliable primary productivity tool.

Compared to the iPhone, the Mac is better suited to showcase Apple’s AI ambitions. The reason is simple: the Mac naturally supports more complex workflows—writing, editing, programming, file management, organizing browser tabs, meeting communications, and cross-app collaboration—all scenarios where generative AI can more easily deliver value.

The key updates in macOS 27 include the new Siri, new Apple Intelligence features, and further refinement of the Liquid Glass design language.

Image source: X

First, macOS 27 will bring performance optimizations and minor design adjustments on top of macOS Tahoe, including improved readability of the Liquid Glass interface. For Mac users, these kinds of refinements are far from trivial. Finder, the menu bar, the Dock, Mission Control, window management, Safari, file previews, and the shortcut system collectively form the foundation of Mac productivity.

Additionally, macOS 27 will officially drop support for Intel chips. Many Intel Macs still perform well, but from Apple’s perspective, transitioning entirely to the M series allows macOS to shed the historical burden of supporting legacy hardware, improving graphics, energy efficiency, security, virtualization, on-device models, and cross-device collaboration.

Safari may also be a key focus of macOS 27, with the new version introducing automatic tab grouping to streamline the browsing experience.

If the new Siri and Apple Intelligence truly make it into macOS 27, what it should first address is not AI chat on Mac, but whether it can integrate into real workflows—such as understanding the content of the current window, connecting information across Mail, Calendar, Notes, Files, and browsers, directly helping users generate scripts, organize files, create to-do lists, process images, or even complete a sequence of tasks across apps with user permission.

This will be a crucial step for Apple. Previously, Apple Intelligence had limited presence on iPhone, partly because mobile scenarios are more fragmented and users have lower tolerance for AI errors. However, tasks on Mac are longer and more complex, making AI’s value easier to perceive.

If Apple can make macOS 27 the most stable, secure, and intuitive personal AI workstation, it may prove its capabilities more effectively than adding features to the iPhone.

Beyond iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, WWDC26 also presents Apple with an opportunity to refine the experience across all its platforms, with upcoming updates expected for visionOS, watchOS, tvOS, and others—though currently, there is limited information available.

Undoubtedly, the biggest highlight of WWDC26 will still be Siri.

According to Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing a new Siri based on Gemini technology, with deeper system-level access to integrate more closely with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27, enabling access to full personal data such as local messages, photos, calendar, and documents.

Moreover, Apple plans to launch a standalone Siri app, which is expected to take on additional functions, similar to the independent apps developed by Chinese smartphone manufacturers for their AI assistants.

Image source: X

However, it is noteworthy that Apple has long emphasized hardware-software integration and built a differentiated reputation around privacy and on-device processing—yet now it must rely on Google’s Gemini model to achieve a major upgrade to Siri, effectively acknowledging that Apple has fallen behind in foundational large model capabilities.

From a practical standpoint, this may also be Apple’s most pragmatic choice. Siri’s issues have dragged on for too long; Apple can no longer reasonably explain delays with “we’re still refining” for another year or two. By leveraging Gemini, Apple can fill in its underlying model capabilities and amplify the areas where it truly excels:

System entry point, privacy architecture, on-device processing, cross-device experience, developer ecosystem, and control over user data access boundaries.

This is also the most compelling aspect of WWDC26. Apple needs to clarify what role Gemini will play—which tasks will be handled on-device, and which will be processed by Private Cloud Compute? Will users' personal data be used to train third-party models? And can developers access the new Siri capabilities?

On the other hand, Apple Intelligence's biggest issue so far has been that it appears as a collection of disjointed features: writing tools, summaries, image generation, notification organization, photo cleanup, and partial Siri enhancements. These features aren't useless, but they make it hard for users to feel like they can't live without them daily.

What truly matters is whether they can be connected together. The next step for AI phones isn’t for each app to simply add an AI button, but for the system to understand what the user is currently doing and provide assistance at the right moment.

For example, when a user is viewing a photo, the AI can help retouch it, generate captions, and send it to a designated contact; when a user is writing an email, the AI can reference calendar events, files, and the previous email; when a user is researching on Safari, the AI can organize web pages, extract tables, and generate notes; when a user describes a need in Shortcuts, the system can automatically create a cross-app workflow.

This is the role Apple Intelligence should fulfill—not just a brand name, but a system-level intelligence integrated across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, and Vision Pro.

WWDC26 will be a particularly special developer conference for Apple. It will, of course, include the usual updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS, as well as continued refinement of design, performance, development tools, and ecosystem capabilities.

But this year, what truly shapes external perceptions is still Siri and Apple Intelligence.

Apple doesn’t lack devices, users, or ecosystem. But today, as generative AI has reshaped software entry points, can Apple still turn complex technology into an experience that ordinary people want to use every day?

If the new Siri is merely better at chatting, WWDC26 will likely just be Apple’s belated attempt to catch up; but if AI can truly integrate into Apple’s major systems, understand personal contexts, leverage device capabilities, while maintaining Apple’s longstanding emphasis on privacy and stability, then this event could mark the beginning of Apple redefining the AI interface.

Apple has missed the earliest window. Now, it must prove it can still seize new opportunities.