Apple unveiled iOS 27 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, placing a rebuilt version of Siri at the centre of the update. The new Siri runs on Google’s Gemini AI models at the server level while processing personal data on-device through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute system, a combination the company said would make the assistant more capable than any previous version while maintaining user privacy.

For the first time, Siri ships as a dedicated standalone app with a messaging-style chat interface. Users can type or speak queries, attach images, PDFs, and documents, and receive longer, more contextually aware responses than the older version allowed. Siri will also work across third-party apps without requiring users to leave them.

Apple announced that iOS 27 will support user-selected AI assistants. In addition to the built-in Siri powered by Gemini, users will be able to set Anthropic’s Claude as their default assistant, a significant move that opens the door to third-party AI integration at the operating system level.

The update includes meaningful performance improvements. Photos in the Photos app load up to 70 percent faster, apps open up to 30 percent more quickly, and the CPU scheduler has been rebuilt to improve multitasking. iOS 27 will run on every iPhone from the iPhone 11 onwards, a wider compatibility window than many analysts expected.

Child safety features received a substantial update. Parents can create age-gated accounts for children under 13, with optional restrictions extending until age 18, applying consistent guardrails across apps, websites, and communication tools.

Apple also announced macOS 27 Golden Gate, which drops support for Intel-based Macs. WWDC ran June 9 to 13 at Apple Park in Cupertino. See full coverage of the macOS 27 announcement and earlier reporting on Anthropic’s Claude positioning in the AI assistant market. For official details visit Apple Newsroom. The Nvidia RTX Spark chip represents the competing Windows AI approach.