Apple is reportedly shifting its strategy for upcoming major operating system updates, prioritizing core system stability and deep artificial intelligence integration following widespread user complaints about recent software performance.
Analyst Mark Gurman indicates that iOS 27 and macOS 27 will adopt a “Snow Leopard-style” approach. This strategy focuses on quality control, a departure from the significant interface changes introduced with iOS 26.
This move mirrors Apple’s 2009 Mac OS X Snow Leopard release. That update halted rapid feature expansion to rewrite core code and enhance efficiency.
Now, Apple’s engineering teams are reportedly scrutinizing the operating systems for iPhone and Mac. The goal is to eliminate excess code and address existing bugs.
While Gurman did not personally experience major quality issues with iOS 26, users have widely reported problems. These include device overheating, excessive battery consumption, and interface failures since the introduction of the “Liquid Glass” interface across Apple platforms.
Despite the focus on refinement, Apple’s commitment to artificial intelligence remains aggressive. The company aims to regain ground in the competitive AI landscape.
Future updates are expected to include deep AI integrations. Among these are a health-oriented AI agent, potentially linked to a subscription service, and an expanded AI web search tool. This search tool is designed to challenge current market leaders like Google and Perplexity.
Before the launch of iOS 27, a significant update for Siri is anticipated with iOS 26.4 in the spring. Apple is reportedly utilizing Google’s Gemini models and an internal chatbot, codenamed “Veritas,” to refine the voice assistant.
This substantial effort involves engineering teams across the company. Sebastien Marineau leads user and developer-facing AI features. Mike Rockwell, known as the creator of the Vision Pro, is overseeing Siri’s reformulation under software chief Craig Federighi.
Just as Snow Leopard paved the way for future Mac transitions, iOS 27 is expected to establish a foundation for new hardware designs. This includes the potential introduction of Apple’s first foldable iPhone.