If you’ve been feeling like Apple software has been a little… messy lately, you’re not alone. Between the huge Liquid Glass redesign and a pile of new features crammed into almost every update, a lot of users have been calling out bugs, glitches, and performance issues across iOS, macOS, watchOS, and even visionOS.
Now it looks like Apple has heard the complaints. According to Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter, the company is planning something big for next year, but not in the usual way. Instead of adding a mountain of new features, Apple is reportedly shifting its focus to something people have been begging for: quality.
iOS 27 Could Be Apple’s “Snow Leopard Moment”
Gurman reports that iOS 27 and macOS 27 are shaping up to be more about stability and performance than shock-value features. Think back to macOS Snow Leopard, which is still praised today because Apple used that release to clean house. Faster performance, fewer bugs, more polish. Nothing flashy, just a solid foundation.
That’s what iOS 27 is aiming for.
Engineering teams are reportedly combing through the OS to remove bloat, fix long-standing bugs, tighten performance, and set things up for future hardware. And yes, that includes the much-rumored foldable iPhone.
It feels like a smart move. Apple has been shipping big redesigns and AI features at a rapid pace and, honestly, the quality hasn’t kept up. A reset year is something a lot of people have wanted for a long time.
But It Won’t Be Completely Featureless
Apple is not repeating the “zero new features” promise from the original Snow Leopard release. According to Gurman, there will still be some new things, mostly centered around AI so Apple doesn’t fall behind.
Two major AI features are expected:
1. An AI health agent
Likely tied to a new Apple Health+ subscription. Think of it as a more proactive AI-driven health assistant that learns your habits and gives personalized guidance.
2. Apple’s first AI-powered search project
This one could be huge. Apple has been quietly working on its own take on AI search, and iOS 27 may be the first time we see it.
Other Things Expected in iOS 27
Gurman also mentions a few extra upgrades that Apple is working on:
- Enterprise-focused improvements
Apple always boosts business features behind the scenes, but next year might see a bigger push. - Special features for emerging markets
Apple has been paying more attention to countries like India, Brazil, and others where market share is growing fast. - Polish for the Liquid Glass design
Because Apple never introduces a big design change without refining it over a couple of years.
A Refresh That’s Looking Long Overdue
Honestly, this is the update Apple needed. iOS has become heavy, and macOS has felt rough around the edges. A year dedicated to speed, polish, and reliability could restore some of that classic “it just works” energy that Apple used to be known for.
We’ll know more at WWDC26, but for now, it feels like Apple is taking a much-needed breather. And that’s a good thing.
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