12+ reasons to update to iOS 27 today

While we wait to see if Apple really is experiencing huge demand for its newly introduced iPhones, today’s the day every iPhone user gets a completely new device experience, with iOS 27 rolling out internationally, along with the other members of Apple’s 27 series OS family. If you’re on the fence about installing the new release, here are 12 reasons you should upgrade today.

Speed and performance

Apple seems to have worked hard to improve speed and performance in this release. Everything feels much zippier, but where it seems most noticeable is when launching apps. Apple says these now open up to 30% faster, while AirDrop transfers are almost twice as fast as before.

Liquid Glass looks nicer

With the 20^th anniversary glass iPhone waiting in the wings, Apple isn’t going to get rid of Liquid Glass. But the company is prepared to iterate the look, and iterate it has, with sharper icons, improved contrast, and a new slider control that lets you set the UI’s transparency.

Use two iPhones

iPhone Handoff lets you use one eSIM across two devices on supporting carriers. Once set up it’s remarkably easy to use — your SIM activates the moment you unlock one of your iPhones. Better still, if you use two lines on one device, you’ll find these both transfer across too.

Siri AI

We’ve been talking so much about Apple’s improved Siri that I demoted it to fourth place; that’s not a reflection on what it does, but on how often you’ll have seen how it has become so much better at understanding context. It now has a Chat GPT-like interface, a standalone app, and powerful on-screen awareness to help get things done. Sadly, many of these features aren’t available in the EU.

Notes, Calendar, Reminders

AI is everywhere, including in Reminders Smart Suggestions, which can read your Messages chats and prompt you to set reminders for agreed tasks. Notes also gains Markdown copying.

Shortcuts to imagination

You can now create a shortcut just by describing what actions you want it to take. Apple Intelligence will string a shortcut together for you, which you can then use across all your systems.

Notify Me

Safari can watch a web page and automatically let you know when it changes. That’s not the only improvement; Apple Intelligence automatically groups your open tabs into topics so related pages are easier to find.

DIY: Safari extensions

I feel like this feature hasn’t had the attention it deserved, but you can now get Apple Intelligence to build you extensions in Safari. Just tap the three-line menu on the left of the address bar, choose Describe Extension, and let the fun begin.

Smarter Photos tools

Spatial Reframing is amazing; it lets you extend backgrounds and reframe subjects using AI. The upgraded Clean Up tool removes distractions even more easily than before. 

Passwords auto-fix

Apple’s Passwords app now does an even better job of keeping your online world safe, as it can now automatically visit a website to sign in and swap a weak or compromised password for a stronger one. 

Parental control improvements

Apple has really thought about child protection. Parental controls have had a huge overhaul, including the introduction of new Ask to Browse, Ask to Buy, contact calling approval and settings to protect minors against nudity, gore, and violence. These arrive alongside new scheduling function which manages which apps kids can use during school hours, meals, or bedtime.

Maps is amazing

Maps now uses aerial imagery and vision intelligence models when you use Flyover. It makes for much more detail, and a real sense of immersion.

Mail is better

While you’ll have to wait for search indexing to complete, Mail has become faster to load with better search results and more accurate unread counts. (Though that’s a little moot for this writer, who currently has 4,719 unread emails.) Spotlight has also been improved with smarter, more relevant suggestions. 

The new operating systems are expected to be made available at around 10am PDT. One more thing? They are bound to include security updates, which you likely need. 

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