September is almost here, and in the tech world, that means a brand new software update is arriving for your iPhone. Apple is getting ready to release iOS 27, and it is packed with some incredible tools.
Software updates can sometimes feel overwhelming, but this year’s release focuses heavily on making your phone easier to read, smarter, and much more helpful for your everyday life. Based on the latest previews, we’ve rounded up the upcoming features we think you’ll love the most!
Easier on the Eyes 👀
If you ever find yourself squinting at your screen, iOS 27 has some fantastic visual upgrades:
- Extra Large Widgets: You will now be able to add extra-large widgets to your Home Screen for apps like Calendar, Photos, and Music. This means you can see your upcoming appointments or favorite family photos at a much larger, more comfortable size.
- Improved Readability: Apple is updating its “Liquid Glass” design to specifically improve the readability, depth, and sharpness of text, menus, and icons across the whole phone.
A Smarter, More Helpful Siri 🗣️
Voice commands are getting a massive upgrade. Siri (Apple’s built-in voice assistant) is being overhauled with generative “Apple Intelligence” so it acts more like a conversational assistant (similar to ChatGPT) rather than a simple robot.
- Write with Siri: If you struggle to type out long messages on the tiny keyboard, Siri can now do it for you! You can ask Siri to “draft a thank you note for a gift” or “shorten this to three sentences,” and it will generate the text for you.
Your Camera is Your New Assistant 📸
Your camera will do a lot more than just take pictures in iOS 27, thanks to new “Visual Intelligence” features:
- Nutritional Insights: Trying to keep an eye on your diet? Just take a picture of a meal or a food item, and your iPhone will automatically give you its nutritional value.
- Bill Splitting: Out to lunch with friends? Take a photo of the restaurant receipt, and your phone can figure out exactly what you ate and help you split the bill via Apple Cash (Apple’s digital payment platform).
Family Photos Without the Fuss 🖼️
Sharing memories with the family is getting much easier, even if they don’t use Apple products:
- Android Family Welcome: Do you have family members with Android or Windows devices? For the first time ever, they will be able to contribute their own high-resolution pictures directly to your Apple iCloud Shared Albums!
- Videos to Photos: If you take a video of the grandkids running around, a new feature lets you easily save a single, perfect frame of that video as an individual photo.
A Smoother, Faster Experience 🚀
Apple focused heavily on performance for this update, meaning everything will feel faster, even on older iPhones. But our favorite background improvement is how the phone transitions between Wi-Fi and Cellular connections. This means you will experience fewer dropped calls and unsent messages when you walk out the front door!
What You Need to Know 🚨
iOS 27 will be a free update arriving this September. It will be compatible with all devices from the iPhone 11 and newer. (Note: The advanced “Apple Intelligence” features like the new Siri will require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, but the readability, connectivity, and photo sharing improvements will benefit everyone.)
If you want to make sure your phone is backed up and ready for the big update, or if you want to learn how to set up those new Extra Large widgets once it arrives, our Sharks are always here to help. You can book an appointment today!