APPLE has unveiled its flagship iPhone 18 Pro and foldable iPhone Duo.

But one of the biggest upgrades coming to your pocket is the software running under the hood.

Apple CEO John Ternus and VP of Industrial Design Molly Anderson presenting the new iPhone Duo.iOS 27 delivers AI upgrades, performance boosts, and dedicated features for new Apple hardware Credit: AFP A woman demonstrates Apple's foldable iPhone Duo to attendees at a special event.The new operating system is built to extract maximum performance from Apple’s new A20 Pro chipset Credit: EPA

Revealed during Apple’s (the first hosted by ), 27 brings a wave of new features to both the brand-new handsets and existing devices free of charge.

The operating system is built to extract maximum performance from Apple’s new A20 Pro chipset, which also debuted at the keynote.

On the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, the software drives , variable aperture camera controls, and battery efficiency gains yielding on the Pro Max.

On the iPhone Duo, iOS 27 smoothly shifts software layouts between the compact 5.4-inch outer display and , enabling tablet-like productivity in .

What are the best new features of iOS 27?

iOS 27 delivers (AI) upgrades, performance boosts, and dedicated features for ‘s newest hardware.

The headline change converts Siri into a super-powered digital assistant using on-device AI.

Siri will now be able to understand personal context and execute complex multi-app tasks seamlessly.

As for other AI features, built-in photo tools let you extend borders, re-crop, or adjust the framing of photos already saved in your camera roll.

And a new feature called Apple Reference Image cryptographically signs captured photos at the pixel level to verify genuine snaps against AI fakes.

Optimised for , iOS 27 adds side-by-side app multitasking, dynamic widget placement, and tailored StandBy modes when charging on a nightstand.

Parents gain broader powers to limit app access and digital activity, alongside a fun “Kid View” mode that displays animations on outer screens to encourage children to smile for photos.

Cycle Tracking in the Health app also adds support for perimenopause and menopause, while iCloud Shared Albums now support full-resolution images.

Under the hood, tweaks to system performance will deliver snappier app launch times, accelerated AirDrop transfers, and faster camera image processing.

Which devices are compatible with iOS 27?

Apple has maintained generous software support this year.

iOS 27 runs on every handset that supported iOS 26, extending back to 2019 releases.

Supported iPhone models:

  • iPhone Duo
  • iPhone 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max
  • iPhone 17 series
  • iPhone 16 series
  • iPhone 15 series
  • iPhone 14 series
  • iPhone 13 series
  • iPhone 12 series
  • iPhone 11 series
  • iPhone SE (2nd generation and newer)

While older handsets won’t support high-end AI processing – which requires Apple’s modern A-series chips – they’ll still benefit from performance speedups and updated security features.

When will iOS 27 be released?

Apple has confirmed that iOS 27 will be available for download starting Monday, September 14, around 6pm BST.

While the new operating system comes pre-installed on and the , existing iPhone owners can upgrade their current handsets completely free of charge.

To install iOS 27 on launch day, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update on your device.