Apple iOS 27 & iPadOS 27 Launch: Key New Features
Original: The Top New Features in Apple’s iOS 27 and iPadOS 27
Why This Matters
Siri's AI overhaul signals Apple's continued push to compete with on-device AI assistants from Google and Microsoft.
Apple released iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 on September 14, 2026. The update focuses on stability, quality-of-life improvements, and a major Siri AI upgrade. iPhones from 2019 (iPhone 11) onward are supported, while some older iPads are cut from the list.
iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 officially rolled out on September 14, 2026. Unlike the sweeping Liquid Glass visual redesign that defined iOS 26, this release is more about refinement. The headline feature is a significant Siri AI upgrade — upon installation, the assistant requests permission to index the device to better understand the user's apps and data, a process that can take several hours to a couple of days. Shortcuts are also reportedly much easier to configure than before. On compatibility: every iPhone that ran iOS 26 can run iOS 27, meaning iPhone 11 and later (including iPhone SE 2nd Gen) are covered. iPads are a different story — the 8th-gen iPad (2020) and 5th-gen iPad Mini are dropped. Supported iPads include the 9th-gen iPad and later, 6th-gen iPad Mini and later, and iPad Air/Pro models starting from certain chip generations. Apple Intelligence features remain restricted to newer hardware even among compatible devices, so older supported iPhones won't get the full AI experience.