Siri gets a standalone app and Gemini AI engine
Apple announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday that Siri is getting its biggest upgrade since launch. The new Siri AI runs on Google Gemini technology and becomes a standalone app for the first time. Users can type or speak to Siri from anywhere on the device, including from the Dynamic Island. The assistant can now access information displayed on the user's screen and pull data from across apps, messages, calendar, and contacts.
The upgraded assistant can perform complex tasks that previously required multiple steps. For example, users can ask Siri to write a message incorporating information from a web page and an earlier email. Siri returns results as text cards with detailed information rather than simple spoken answers.
iOS 27 brings speed improvements and design flexibility
iOS 27 launches with broad device support, covering all iPhones from the iPhone 11 onward. Apple says new photos appear 70% faster and AirDrop transfers are 80% faster thanks to improved CPU schedulers. The company also addressed user complaints about last year's Liquid Glass design aesthetic, allowing users to dial back some elements or embrace them fully through a new layered approach within apps.
Tim Cook's final WWDC marks end of an era
Tim Cook hosted his last WWDC keynote as Apple CEO. He will hand over leadership to John Ternus on September 1, 2026. Cook's departure marks the end of a 13-year tenure during which Apple became the world's most valuable company. The WWDC event also featured new AI editing tools for the Photos app, AI-powered workflows in Shortcuts, and an improved Image Playground feature for generating images.