These Three Unannounced iOS 27 Features Are Still Coming
The fact that Apple is holding back on these features suggests a deliberate strategy to manage expectations and control the narrative around its AI capabilities. The absence of Siri Extensions, for instance, may be a precautionary measure to avoid controversy surrounding the dominance of ChatGPT in the iOS ecosystem. Meanwhile, the customizable Camera app and Modular watch face could be part of Apple's efforts to revamp its device interfaces and keep pace with the evolution of camera technology.
The implications of this move are twofold: it allows Apple to refine these features behind the scenes, and it also enables the company to make a splashy announcement when the time is right. As Apple continues to develop these features, it will be interesting to see how they shape the iOS experience and whether they will be enough to keep Apple's devices competitive in a rapidly changing market.
Key Takeaways
Apple's internal builds of iOS 27 already feature a dedicated settings panel and an App Store section for Siri Extensions.
The customizable Camera app promises to give users more control over their iPhone camera, with a range of options available as widgets along the top of the interface.
The new Modular watch face for Apple Watch is expected to offer a simplified take on the Modular Ultra design, currently exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra.
About the Source
This analysis is based on reporting by MAC Rumors. Here is a short excerpt for context:
Apple developed more for its next-generation software updates than it revealed at WWDC last week, with three features already present in internal builds being deliberately withheld from the public announcement, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Writing in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman says all three missing features are active in internal versions of Apple's operating systems on employee devices today, and each is expected to surface publicly at a later date. Customizable Camera App A customizable Camera app for the iPhone, first reported by Gurman in May, also failed to appear at WWDC. The feature would let users rearrange camera controls as widgets along the top of the interface, choosing from options like flash, exposure, timer, depth of field, photo styles, and resolution. iPhone 18 Pro, which is expected to bring the most significant camera hardware upgrade in several years. Siri Extensions The most notable omission is Extensions, a framework that would allow third-party AI chatbots beyond ChatGPT to integrate with Siri, Apple Intelligence, and features like Writing Tools and Image Playground. Gurman says underlying support for Extensions is already present and visible in the first iOS 27 developer beta, with both a dedicated settings panel and an App Store section built and waiting to be switched on. Apple has reportedly already held discussions with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google about the framework, including details about an entitlement those companies would need to apply for. Gurman says he has "no doubt" the feature will arrive eventually. Siri overhaul. Thirdly, the threat of litigation from OpenAI may have persuaded Apple to avoid publicly stripping ChatGPT of its exclusive status at its developer conference. Finally, adding a range of external AI options would have further complicated Apple's messaging at a time when it already needed to explain its use of Google's AI models in Siri AI. macOS Golden Gate betas can already see a chatbot picker allowing users to switch between Siri and ChatGPT; Gurman says that list is expected to grow via the new developer framework and App Store section. The feature has reportedly been in active use inside Apple for months. Modular Watch Face A new Modular watch face for Apple Watch was among the items Gurman had flagged as expected at WWDC but did not appear. Gurman's earlier claim that watchOS 27 would introduce new faces centered on a simplified take on the Modular Ultra design currently exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra. Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27 Tags: Bloomberg, Mark Gurman, Siri AI This article, "These Three Unannounced iOS 27 Features Are Still Coming" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forumsRead the original at MAC Rumors
