Apple Plans 'Snow Leopard' Style Update for iOS 27 With Focus on Stability and AI [Gurman]

Apple is planning a strategic shift for its next major operating system updates, prioritizing system stability and AI over major interface changes. According to the latest newsletter from Mark Gurman, iOS 27 and macOS 27 will follow a "Snow Leopard" approach, focusing on quality control after the massive visual overhaul of iOS 26.

It's a move reminiscent of 2009, when Mac OS X Snow Leopard paused rapid feature expansion in order to rewrite core code and improve efficiency. Now, Apple engineering teams are reportedly doing the same for the iPhone and Mac—combing through the OS to cut bloat and squash bugs. While Gurman notes he hasn't experienced major quality issues personally with iOS 26, overheating, battery drain, and UI glitches have been widely reported by users since the launch of the Liquid Glass interface across Apple's platforms.

The refinement focus doesn't mean next year will be light on new features. The report emphasizes that while general interface changes are taking a back seat, the push for artificial intelligence remains aggressive. Apple is still playing catch-up here. Expect to see deep integrations, including a health-focused AI agent tied to a subscription and an expanded AI web search tool designed to challenge Google and Perplexity.


Before iOS 27 lands, a significant Siri upgrade is still slated for iOS 26.4 this spring. To get there, Apple is reportedly leaning on Google's Gemini models and utilizing an internal chatbot tool codenamed Veritas to refine the system. The massive undertaking involves engineering teams across the company, with Sebastien Marineau handling user-facing AI features and Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell leading the Siri revamp under software chief Craig Federighi.

Much like Snow Leopard laid the groundwork for future Mac transitions, iOS 27 is expected to prepare the platform for new hardware designs, including the company's first foldable iPhone.

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