Apple has officially scheduled its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026 for the week of June 8, with the main keynote expected at Apple Park. While WWDC traditionally focuses on software, this year’s event is generating significant buzz around Apple’s long-awaited advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly a major upgrade to Siri and the next generation of Apple Intelligence.
The company has already teased “incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements,” thus setting the stage for what could be one of the most important WWDC events in recent years as Apple plays catch-up in the generative AI race to OpenAI, Google and Anthropic.
iOS 27 and other OS updates
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27, along with new versions of macOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.
iOS 27 is being described by analysts as a relatively lean “Snow Leopard-style” update, prioritising performance improvements, bug fixes, code cleanup, and overall stability rather than flashy new user-facing features. A key highlight is likely to be deeper integration with enhanced Apple Intelligence capabilities, which are expected to be based on Google’s Gemini AI models.
On the macOS front, macOS 27 is expected to drop support for Intel-based Macs entirely, limiting compatibility to Apple Silicon devices (M1 and newer). The Rosetta 2 translation layer is likely to continue for running older Intel apps. There are also reports that macOS 27 may discontinue support for Time Capsule and AirPort Disks used for Time Machine backups.
AI-powered Siri: The big highlight
The biggest spotlight at WWDC 2026 is expected to fall on a completely revamped Siri. Apple is reportedly preparing to transform Siri into a more conversational, intelligent chatbot-style assistant — similar to ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, or Anthropic’s Claude.
The new Siri is expected to feature on-screen awareness, better personal context understanding, deeper app integration, and the ability to handle complex, multi-step tasks. A dedicated Siri app and improved interface are also rumoured. This long-delayed overhaul aims to finally deliver on the promises made when Apple Intelligence was first introduced.
Possible Gemini partnership announcement with Google
In a significant development, Apple is reportedly exploring a deep partnership with Google to power its next-generation AI models. Sources indicate that the company may leverage Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology as the foundation for future Apple Foundation Models.
This multi-year collaboration, reportedly worth around $1 billion annually, would allow Siri and Apple Intelligence features to run a mix of on-device processing and secure Private Cloud Compute, while benefiting from Gemini’s advanced capabilities.
Apple is also expected to open Siri to third-party AI chatbots via an “Extensions” system, allowing users to choose between Gemini, Claude, Grok, or others.
What else to expect
Beyond iOS 27 and Siri, Apple is likely to showcase refinements to Apple Intelligence, improved developer tools, and updates across its ecosystem. No major new hardware announcements are expected, as WWDC remains primarily a software-focused event.