One of the things I’ve always liked about computers and smartphones is how they get better over time through software updates. That’s certainly true of the iPhone. Every year, Apple introduces new phones, but it also releases a new version of iOS that, depending on the age of your phone, adds new features to the device you already own. Sometimes those improvements can make an older iPhone almost as appealing as the new models.
Read more This popular fresh-pressed juice bar just opened a new East Bay location
Apple released iOS 27 on Sept. 14, bringing several new features and improvements to the iPhone. I’d been testing it for a couple of weeks on last year’s model, my iPhone 17 Pro.
If you have an iPhone 16, released in 2024, or a later model, it supports Apple Intelligence and the new AI features in iOS 27. Apple Intelligence also works on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, released in 2023. iOS 27 itself works on the iPhone 11 and newer, so there are still improvements for people with older iPhones. You can check whether iOS 27 is available to download by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
Newer iPhones get a much smarter Siri
The most notable change for iPhones that support Apple Intelligence is the new AI-powered Siri. Many of the new features are now available, though some will roll out later.
Siri has long been able to answer simple questions and perform basic tasks such as opening apps or playing music, but the new Siri AI goes much further. You can have more natural conversations and ask more complex questions, much as you can with ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI models. It can also understand personal context and what’s on your screen and take more sophisticated actions within and across apps. As before, you can invoke Siri by saying “Siri” or “Hey Siri,” or by pressing and holding the side button.
For example, while displaying a radiologist’s report about a recent X-ray on my screen, I said Siri, explain, and it did so in plain English. I also sometimes have trouble interpreting the sleep report in Apple Health, which is based on data recorded overnight by my Apple Watch. Now, I can display the report on the screen and ask Siri, “Tell me what these readings say about how I slept last night,” and get an understandable interpretation based on my sleep data.
Siri can also search your email, messages, photos and notes to answer questions based on what it sees. For example, I needed to know the recording dates for my upcoming podcasts. Rather than search my calendar or look for an email from my producer, I asked Siri for “upcoming recording dates for my podcast” and got a list. Out of curiosity, I also asked Siri how many dental appointments I’d had in the past two years, and it showed me a list of them.
There’s also a new Siri app that keeps your conversations in one place.
AI comes to photos
Siri is also integrated with the camera, where it can answer questions about what’s around you, identify objects and translate text either from a picture or just by pointing your camera at an object and saying something like “Siri, what am I looking at?” I took a picture of a Japanese-language menu from a Tokyo restaurant and had Siri explain each item in English and convert the prices into U.S. dollars.
Phones with Apple Intelligence can reframe a picture after you’ve taken it, extend its borders and more precisely remove unwanted objects. You can also describe the story you want and have Photos create a Memory movie from your pictures and videos, which you can then share with others.
I tested the Memory feature by creating a short movie of a recent trip to Las Vegas. iOS created the movie from both still photos and videos and added a soundtrack. I was then able to export it and post it on YouTube.
Plenty for older iPhones, too
You don’t need an Apple Intelligence-capable phone to get many of the other improvements in iOS 27, so long as you have a 2019 iPhone 11 or newer.
iCloud Shared Albums have been improved, with full-resolution photos and videos, emoji reactions, better filtering and an activity feed showing additions, comments and reactions.
Read more Bay Area high school football 2026: Week 4 preview, schedule
Apple has expanded its existing Cycle Tracking feature in Health with new tools related to perimenopause and menopause. The company has also announced additional Health features that aren’t yet available, including Longevity, which is designed to bring together health data and trends to help users better understand factors that may affect how they age.
Other additions that don’t require Apple Intelligence include extra-large Home Screen widgets that can display more information and Dual Capture in FaceTime, which lets you share views from the front and rear cameras during a call.
There are also performance improvements that Apple says can benefit existing phones. According to Apple’s own testing, apps can launch up to 30% faster, photos can load up to 70% faster after they’re taken and AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster. Apple said that it tested the app-launch improvement on an iPhone 11 Pro Max, suggesting that at least some of the performance benefits extend to older phones. The other tests were conducted on newer iPhones. I haven’t independently verified these performance claims, and actual results will vary depending on the device and how it’s being used.
New tools for parents
Apple has also expanded its parental controls in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27, and these features don’t require Apple Intelligence.
A new feature called Ask to Browse lets parents require their children to get permission before visiting a new website in Safari. Communication Safety, which already offered protections when children encountered nudity in shared photos and videos, has been expanded to intervene when children encounter gore and violent content, including during live FaceTime calls.
Parents can also set Time Allowances for categories such as social media, entertainment and games. Apple provides age-based recommendations as a starting point, although parents can adjust them based on what they think is appropriate for their children. Screen Time has also been redesigned to make it easier to see how children are using their devices and quickly change their access.
When setting up a new child account, Apple now recommends a basic set of essential apps rather than giving the child access to everything from the start.
Apple says it developed these features with input from online safety and health experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is working with Apple to adapt its Family Media Plan for Apple devices.
Apple says all devices in a Family Sharing group need to be running version 27 of their respective operating systems to use the updated Screen Time features.
In addition to releasing the new operating system, Apple is also offering new iPhones, including the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro, the 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max and the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable phone, which opens to reveal a 7.6-inch display. The least expensive of the new phones, the iPhone 18 Pro, starts at $1,199 unless you qualify for a trade-in or carrier deal. iOS 27 is free.
Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at [email protected].
Read more 14-year-old Bay Area girl arrested after bringing handgun to school
About the Author
