WWDC26 is scheduled to be held on June 9th! Rumor has it that Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) plans to launch iOS 27: AI writing, language shortcuts, and wallpaper generation.

On the morning of June 9th, 1 am Beijing time, the keynote speech of Apple Inc.'s 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will officially kick off. The main visual slogan of this conference is "Let there be light first," but what the industry is truly waiting for is Apple Inc.'s rare advance notice that this conference will introduce "new advances in AI." According to various sources including well-known tech journalist Mark Gurman, Apple Inc. is preparing to launch a series of significant AI features in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, covering AI-driven writing tools, creating natural language shortcuts, AI wallpaper generation, and the most thorough transformation of Siri in the 15 years since its inception, to be officially released to the public in September. This is not only Apple Inc.'s comprehensive response to competitors such as Alphabet Inc. Class C and Samsung on the AI track, but also a potential key turning point for Apple Inc.'s AI strategy to shift from "follower" to "differentiated competitor." The positioning of "Snow Leopard" for iOS 27: Practicality over showiness The internal development code name of iOS 27 is "Rave," and its core update approach is inspired by the Mac OS X Snow Leopard system released in 2009back then, Snow Leopard abandoned many flashy new features and focused on optimizing system performance, bug fixes, and improving overall system stability, ultimately becoming one of the best-received versions in Mac OS X history. According to insiders, Apple Inc. has significantly lowered the priority of developing non-core functions and focused core resources on two main areas: comprehensive system performance optimization, concentrating on addressing vulnerabilities, lags, and other pain points; and the deep implementation of AI capabilities across all scenarios to create a dedicated system-level optimization for Apple Intelligence features. This strategy of "practicality over showiness" is not only a response to user dissatisfaction caused by frequent bugs in previous iOS updates, but also provides a stable and reliable system base for the widespread deployment of AI features. Siri as a standalone app: Evolving from a voice assistant to "AI chatbot Siasun Robot & Automation" The most significant change in the iOS 27 update is undoubtedly Siri's first appearance as a standalone app. According to Gurman, iOS 27 (internally code-named "Rave") will feature a completely rebuilt Siri, which will be upgraded to an all-day online intelligent assistant, capable of deep access to personal data and performing autonomous operations across different applications. This marks the first time in 15 years since Siri was acquired by Apple Inc. in 2010 and integrated into the system base layer that Siri will return to being a standalone app. In terms of interaction, the new version of Siri will completely break free from the previous restrictions of single wake-up commands and single conversations, adopting a minimalist chat interface similar to iMessage, supporting continuous follow-up questions, multi-turn conversations, search and pinning of conversation histories, aligning the overall experience with mainstream chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. Siri will also be deeply integrated with Lingdong Island, where upon activation, Lingdong Island will automatically expand and display "Search or Ask" prompts with a glowing cursor, adding a global gesture to trigger the system-level search panel by sliding down from the center top of the screen. In terms of underlying capabilities, the restructured Siri has made breakthroughs in three dimensions: firstly, it can handle compound multitasks, understanding and executing multiple tasks consecutively within a single command; secondly, it features deep interconnection across applications through the App Intents framework, allowing it to read emails, calendars, and screen content, and take appropriate actions; thirdly, it supports multimodal processing, enabling the extraction and analysis of summaries and content from uploaded files such as PDFs and photos. Siri will also be deeply integrated with camera applications, supporting instant translation and object recognition within the viewfinder, providing "visual intelligence" functions. Of note, Apple Inc. will introduce third-party AI models access system called "Extensions" in iOS 27, allowing users to install popular AI chatbot extensions like Claude and Gemini, and switch between different AI engines seamlessly through the search bar. This move breaks Apple Inc.'s previous closed policy of only supporting ChatGPT integration, and signifies a shift of ChatGPT from being Apple Inc.'s "privileged partner" to being "one of the options." Upgrade of AI writing tools: Grammar checkers comparable to Grammarly As an integral part of Apple Intelligence strategy, Apple Inc. plans to significantly expand its suite of AI writing tools in iOS 27. According to Gurman, the most anticipated feature is a grammar checking function that rivals Grammarly. This system will slide up from the bottom of the screen in a semi-transparent menu, displaying both the original text and the AI-generated suggestions for modifications. Users can accept suggestions line by line, approve all suggestions with a single click, or completely ignore them. The system also supports pausing grammar checks and navigating between marked paragraphs, balancing efficiency and user control. Apple Inc. is also testing two new entry points to increase the frequency of AI writing tool usage: a "Use Siri to Write" switch at the top of the keyboard, and a "Help me Write" option that appears when activating Siri in a text box. This design reflects Apple Inc.'s intention to elevate AI writing capabilities from a "tool" to a "system-level service," seamlessly integrating it into users' daily operations like copy-pasting. Revolutionizing shortcuts: Creating automations using natural language descriptions The upgrade of the Shortcuts app is another underestimated yet profound change in iOS 27. Currently, users need to manually combine operation steps or download shortcuts made by others from the App Store to create complex automation workflows. However, in the iOS 27 beta version, users will only need to see a prompt"What actions do you want the Shortcut to perform?"and then describe their requirements in natural language in the text box, prompting the system to automatically generate and install the corresponding shortcut. This feature's underlying logic is similar to the "Create My Widget" feature in Alphabet Inc. Class C's Android 17, which generates home screen widgets based on natural language descriptions, marking the evolution of AI from being an "assistive tool" to an "active agent"users no longer need to learn how to operate software, as the software begins to understand how to serve the users. AI wallpaper generation: Playing catch-up to Samsung and Alphabet Inc. Class C's delayed step In terms of personal expression, Apple Inc. also plans to address its shortcomings by introducing AI-generated wallpapers. Reports indicate that iOS 27's wallpaper selector will include an option driven by the Image Playground app, allowing users to generate custom lock screen and home screen backgrounds by describing their preferences. In fact, Alphabet Inc. Class C and Samsung have long provided AI-based wallpaper generation features on their respective devices, making Apple Inc.'s entry into this field somewhat belated. However, considering the technical accumulation of Image Playground in AI-generated imagery at the device level, Apple Inc.'s differentiation advantage may still lie in privacy protection and deep integration with the iOS system-level themes. Competitive landscape: Android camp closing in, Apple Inc. forced to accelerate Apple Inc.'s large-scale push in the field of AI this time is not a proactive move but a response to being "forced". Just last week, Alphabet Inc. Class C released the Android 17 operating system and Gemini Intelligence, introducing new features enabling the creation of home screen widgets using AI, a new "Rambler" voice input mode (which filters tone and corrects wording in real-time), and the ability to automatically execute multi-step tasks across applicationsfor example, adding items from a note-taking app's shopping list directly to the shopping cart. Samsung also deeply integrated AI functions into their One UI 9 system, and closely collaborated with Alphabet Inc. Class C to launch Gemini Intelligence first on devices like the Galaxy Z Fold8 foldable screens. In fact, Apple Inc.'s overall progress in AI has significantly lagged behind competitors like Alphabet Inc. Class C, OpenAI, and Anthropic, both in terms of breadth of features and depth of interaction. This lagging position has necessitated several strategic adjustments by Apple Inc.: in January 2026, Apple Inc. reached a multi-year cooperation agreement with Alphabet Inc. Class C, and Apple Inc.'s next-generation base models will be built on Alphabet Inc. Class C's Gemini model and cloud technology, with reports indicating Apple Inc. will pay approximately $1 billion annually for this. This move signifies Apple Inc.'s strategic compromise from "fully self-developed stack" to "platform openness". At the same time, Apple Inc.'s partnership with OpenAI is deteriorating, with reports suggesting that OpenAI's legal team is preparing to sue over the Siri-ChatGPT cooperation agreement failing to bring expected subscription revenue. Privacy card: Apple Inc.'s differentiating ace or a narrative facade? In the widespread deployment of AI features, Apple Inc. continues to emphasize privacy as a core differentiator. Reports indicate that the standalone Siri app will feature automatic deletion of chat logs, allowing users to set conversations to automatically clear after 30 days or one year, or to preserve them permanentlya design consistent with the message management mechanism in Apple Inc.'s iMessage. According to reports, Apple Inc. executives will focus on conveying the message at WWDC that their AI solutions are "safer and more privacy-focused than competitors." However, it's worth noting that there is some tension behind Apple Inc.'s privacy narrative. Reports suggest that the cloud-based inference tasks of the new Siri may partly rely on Alphabet Inc. Class C's cloud infrastructure to handle the workload, a fact that Apple Inc. has not disclosed with the same level of transparency in its external communications. The Next Web commentary points out, "The auto-delete feature is a smart positioning strategyregardless of whether the privacy argument is entirely consistent, Apple Inc. can claim that its AI assistant 'is designed to learn to forget,' contrasting with systems that are 'designed to remember everything for continuous optimization'." Chinese market: High-growth window and challenges in implementing AI Another important background for Apple Inc.'s upgrade in AI strategy this time is its performance in key markets, especially in China. According to IDC reports, the smartphone market in China shipped around 69.01 million units in the first quarter of 2026, a 3.3% year-on-year decline, but both Huawei and Apple Inc. saw growth, with Apple Inc. shipping 13.1 million units, securing an 18.9% market share, ranked second after Huawei's 19.8%. Counterpoint Research data shows that iPhone shipments in the Chinese market in the same quarter grew by 20% year-on-year, marking the best performance among smartphone manufacturers. In the second quarter of Apple Inc.'s 2026 fiscal year, the Greater China region achieved a revenue of $20.497 billion, a 28.09% year-on-year increase, marking a historic record for the second fiscal quarter of Apple Inc.'s history, far exceeding other regions like the Americas and Europe. This growth is mainly attributed to the strong sales of the iPhone 17 series and promotions with price reductions, as well as government subsidy policies. However, the introduction of Apple Intelligence in China still faces uncertainties in regulatory approval. Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook revealed back in October 2025 that Apple Intelligence "is working hard to enter the Chinese market," but as of now, Chinese users have to wait for regulatory approval to experience the new AI features. How the new Siri features that depend on Alphabet Inc. Class C's Gemini cloud-based inference will be implemented in China, and in what form, will be the key variables affecting the effectiveness of Apple Inc.'s AI strategy in the Chinese market. Outlook: The strategic significance of WWDC 2026 This year's WWDC is likely to be the most strategically significant developer conference for Apple Inc. in recent years. Market data shows that currently, about 80% to 85% of iPhones in useapproximately 1.1 billion to 1.3 billion deviceslack the hardware support needed to run the next generation Apple Intelligence features. Analysts believe that if the new Siri can truly impress consumers, it could trigger a significant "super upgrade cycle," especially targeted at users who have been using older devices for three to four years. Taking a broader perspective, iOS 27 represents Apple Inc.'s cautious yet firm strategic adjustment in the AI era: no longer fixated on fully self-developed solutions, but rather complementing its technological shortcomings by introducing external models like Alphabet Inc. Class C's Gemini; no longer marginalizing AI features as just "icing on the cake," but embedding them systematically into high-frequency usage scenarios like writing, automation, photography, and personalization; while using privacy protection as a core narrative, trying to strike a balance between catching up in features and differentiating its brand. Whether this strategy will be successful or not will be revealed in Apple Inc.'s WWDC keynote speech on June 9th.