We're only a week away from Apple unveiling its first preview of iOS 27, and yet the rumor cycle is already talking up next year's iOS 28.
Writing in his latest Power On newsletter over the weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 28 is shaping up to be "far more significant" than the upcoming iOS 27 release, which is expected to roll out this coming September. Apple has reportedly only just started developing individual features for its next major update to follow, but there's reason to believe that it will turn out to be more pivotal than iOS 27.
The main reason is that iOS 28 will be the first software to power Apple's highly anticipated 20th-anniversary iPhone. Apple is said to be making the device as "all-glass" as possible, featuring a quad-curved display and potentially no cutouts (i.e. no Dynamic Island), which could amount to an uninterrupted viewing experience. The device's launch next September is expected to enjoy the same sort of fanfare that accompanied the tenth-anniversary iPhone X when it launched in 2017 without a Home button.
That's not to say iOS 27 will offer nothing novel or innovative. This year's update is set to deliver a revamped Siri with on-screen awareness, a dedicated Siri app for ChatGPT-style back-and-forth conversations that sync across devices via iCloud, and a "Search or Ask" feature that drops down from the Dynamic Island.
That said, iOS 27 has already been likened to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, suggesting it will be heavy on bug fixes and will focus on improved under-the-hood stability. If those reports are accurate, then an iOS 28 rumor that steals the spotlight a year early isn't all that surprising.
Until then, be sure to join us for WWDC 2026, which begins with Apple's keynote on Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, where the company is expected to unveil not only iOS 27, but also iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. The keynote will be streamed live on Apple.com, the Apple TV app, and YouTube, and we'll have all the need-to-know coverage ready for you right here on MacRumors.com. Stay tuned.
