5 things to expect at WWDC 2026 — from Siri 2.0 to Tim Cook's Apple farewell | Tech Radar

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5 things to expect at WWDC 2026 — from Siri 2.0 to Tim Cook's Apple farewell

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Siri and Apple Intelligence are set to take center stage at WWDC. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The main focus of WWDC will be on Siri and other major AI updates

i OS 27 could introduce changes designed for the i Phone Fold

Apple may preview a new Apple TV 4K and Home Pod mini

When Tim Cook delivered his first WWDC opening speech back in 2012, Siri kicked things off with a joke: "How many developers does it take to change a light bulb? None, that’s a hardware problem."

If Apple opens this year's keynote with Siri again, let's hope it has some fresh material because the Apple Intelligence features it originally promised for i OS 26.4 are now expected to arrive with i OS 27, making this WWDC a crucial moment for Apple's AI ambitions.

Of course, given the broader transition underway at Apple, the stakes are even higher for this year's WWDC to truly deliver. With John Ternus set to take over on September 1, which is also around the same time Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable i Phone, i OS 27 will need to do more than simply add AI features.

As usual, we're also expecting various updates to be announced for i Pad OS 27, mac OS 27, tv OS 27, watch OS 27, and vision OS 27. And while WWDC is traditionally a software-focused event, there are rumors of a new Apple TV 4K and Home Pod mini, both of which could receive an early preview ahead of a potential launch later this year.

There's also the possibility (like we joked about on the Tech Radar podcast below) that Cook pulls a scene straight from The Wolf of Wall Street and announces he's not leaving after all. That would certainly be one more thing...

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Will this be the Siri glow up we've been waiting for? (Image credit: Getty Images / Nur Photo)

Apple's WWDC 2026 invite strongly hints at major Siri AI upgrades, which is no big surprise given that many of us have been waiting months for the more personal, AI-powered Siri first showcased last year.

At this point, it's almost a given that Siri will get the glow-up we've been waiting for, making it smarter and more useful across a range of applications. Based on reports from Bloomberg's Apple tipster Mark Gurman, we're also expecting Siri to get chatbot-like capabilities and a dedicated app with i OS 27. It's rumored to largely live within the Dynamic Island at the top of your i Phone.

If those speculations prove accurate, that would put Siri front and center of everything you do on your device, making this the biggest announcement we're expecting to hear next week, especially since Apple seemingly threw in the towel on Apple Intelligence by inking a deal with Google to let Siri run on Gemini.

In fact, this upcoming WWDC may be Apple's last chance to fix Siri and deliver the AI we were promised — no pressure then, Cook.

New AI-powered image editing tools are rumored to be on the way. (Image credit: Apple)

Aside from the rumored upgrades Apple Intelligence will bring to Siri, like the ability to keep track of tasks, see what you're looking at on your phone, and work across all your apps, there's also been talk of several other new AI features planned to be added across Apple's operating systems.

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Gurman, again, has been the main source for these tips, most recently suggesting that the image-generating capabilities of Apple Intelligence will be "getting a big boost this year". That suggests a big update is planned for the Photos app, which could also include new AI-powered image editing features.

Earlier this year, Gurman also noted that Apple's Writing Tools feature could get an AI boost to help users with spelling and grammar, as well as with building Shortcuts with AI by letting users more easily create automations across their i Phone, i Pad, and Mac using conversational prompts.

Numerous Apple apps are reportedly primed for big changes with the arrival of i OS 27. From the Camera and Weather apps to Safari and Wallet, Gurman has suggested there could be several major upgrades.

Underpinning many of the changes will be the new AI feature, Visual Intelligence, which will be deployed across core i OS apps to enable more 'agentic' automations on your phone.

Of course, there's also the possibility that we get our first glimpse of how i OS 27 might support an i Phone Fold, which was speculated to launch in September but might be delayed until next year if the latest round of reports are true. It's expected to run on i OS 27, despite some considering it to support i Pad OS 27.

There could also be some good news for those with non-Apple devices, as Gurman has reported that i OS 27 might relax its streaming protocols to be more open to third-party apps. That could mean that you might have the option to set, say, Google Cast as your default setting for broadcasting video and audio.

Liquid Glass could get a useful change that lets you adjust the opacity. (Image credit: Apple)

Considering that i OS 27 is rumored to be a much more scaled-back overhaul than what we got last year, many of us — just like Mac Rumors has reported — are expecting an update more along the lines of the Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which, if you recall, was solely focused on improving performance.

If that's true, it could mean we hear less about new features and more about underlying quality improvements that support the integration of Apple Intelligence across Apple's ecosystem.

One of the more minor improvements we're expecting is to Liquid Glass, which could get a new system-wide slider to adjust the opacity strength, although we likely won't see any major design changes.

Gurman has also hinted at new Air Pods features, suggesting that Apple will "revamp" the controls and settings of its wireless earbuds to be "more functional, better organized and more streamlined" — but don't expect a new dedicated app like the Apple Watch has (it's more likely Siri will get a standalone app instead).

Stop me if you've heard this before... (Image credit: Tech Radar)

Even though WWDC is primarily a software-focused event, there's the possibility that we could see a preview of the rumored new Apple TV 4K and Home Pod mini before they potentially launch later this year.

Less likely, but still possible, is the chance that we get an update about Apple's upcoming desktop lineup, including the M5 Mac mini, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio and M5 i Macs, which have been delayed due to production challenges and global supply chain shortages.

Which rumored WWDC 2026 announcement are you most hopeful to see? Let us know by voting in the poll below or leaving a comment. We'll be covering the keynote in a live blog, so make sure to check back in with us for more.

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Amelia became the Senior Editor for Home Entertainment at Tech Radar in the UK in April 2023. With a background of more than eight years in tech and finance publishing, she's now leading our coverage to bring you a fresh perspective on everything to do with TV and audio. When she's not tinkering with the latest gadgets and gizmos in the ever-evolving world of home entertainment, you’ll find her watching movies, taking pictures and travelling.

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