What to expect from iOS 27, whether Tim Cook is staying, and how Apple is handling the AI race

Apple is preparing a major update to the iPhone with iOS 27, which is expected to become a “back-to-basics” release in the spirit of Snow Leopard.

The report comes from Mark Gurman in his weekly Power On newsletter.

A Snow Leopard philosophy for the iPhone

In 2009, following the feature-heavy release of Mac OS X Leopard, Apple introduced Snow Leopard — an update focused not on new functionality but on stability, bug fixes, and performance improvements.

The strategy proved extremely successful, and Apple now plans to apply the same approach to its mobile operating systems. After the sweeping redesign in iOS 26 and the introduction of the Liquid Glass aesthetic, the next cycle will prioritize refinement and reliability.

The need has been growing for some time. Many users have reported issues across iOS 26, including overheating, unexplained battery drain, UI glitches, and overall sluggishness.

Engineering teams at Apple have already started a deep code audit. Their goal is to identify root-cause bugs, improve performance, and build a solid foundation for future hardware, including foldable iPhones.

AI becomes a core focus

Despite its quality-first approach, iOS 27 will not be a purely maintenance release. Artificial intelligence remains Apple’s top priority as it works to close the gap with competitors.

A long-awaited overhaul of Siri is expected. AI will also be integrated more deeply into system apps, including a new health-focused AI agent available with the Health+ subscription.

Apple is also developing its own AI-powered web search engine meant to compete with ChatGPT and Perplexity. Internal work supports this direction: the company is already testing a full chatbot called Veritas and is reportedly collaborating with Google to incorporate Gemini technologies into its core models. Together, these efforts are shaping up to deliver a significant expansion of Apple Intelligence in 2026.

Brain drain and talent challenges

The race for AI dominance is creating real staffing pressures for Apple. Competitors, led by OpenAI, are aggressively recruiting high-value talent out of Cupertino.

In the past month alone, OpenAI has hired over 40 people for its device development group. Many came directly from Apple, including key directors, managers, and senior engineers.

The talent drain spans nearly every critical division: camera systems, iPhone and Mac hardware, silicon engineering, Vision Pro development, and industrial design. The impact is becoming increasingly visible.

Even rising stars are leaving. Recently, designer Abidur Choudhury, who presented the iPhone Air on stage, departed for another AI startup. The trend underscores a broader shift: prestige alone is no longer enough to retain top engineers.

Leadership transition not expected soon

Although Tim Cook is now 65 and Apple has long been preparing a succession plan, he appears in no rush to step down. Internally, the consensus is that he remains fully engaged.

John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, is viewed as the most likely successor. He is the youngest member of Apple’s leadership team and is widely respected across the company. But that transition, by all indications, is still far off.