Apple is set to overhaul its operating systems with iOS 27 and macOS 27, focusing on system stability and aggressive artificial intelligence integration, according to a prominent industry analyst.
This strategic shift will see the company adopt a “Snow Leopard-style” approach, prioritizing quality control and refinement over major interface changes after recent visual updates.
Mark Gurman, an Apple market analyst, reported this plan in his latest newsletter. He noted the parallels to 2009, when Mac OS X Snow Leopard focused on rewriting core code for efficiency.
While Gurman has not personally experienced significant issues, users have widely reported problems such as overheating, excessive battery drain, and interface failures since Apple launched its “Liquid Glass” interface.
Despite the emphasis on refinement, Apple’s investment in artificial intelligence remains aggressive as it seeks to regain ground in this competitive field.
Deep AI integrations are expected, including a health-oriented AI agent likely tied to a subscription service. An expanded AI web search tool is also planned, aimed at competing with Google and Perplexity.
Significant updates to Siri are anticipated sooner, with an iOS 26.4 release slated for spring, preceding the full launch of iOS 27.
Apple is reportedly using Google’s Gemini models and an internal chatbot named “Veritas” to refine Siri’s capabilities.
This massive engineering effort involves teams across the company. Sebastien Marineau leads user and developer-facing AI features. Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell heads Siri’s redesign under software chief Craig Federighi.
Much like Snow Leopard laid foundational work for future Mac transitions, iOS 27 is expected to prepare the platform for new hardware designs, including the company’s first foldable iPhone.