Apple WWDC 2026: 10 Announcements You May Have Missed

Apple revealed yesterday the next generation of Apple Intelligence, a revamped Siri AI assistant, and many other platform improvements. It wasn’t possible to cram all announcements into a keynote that was just over an hour long, however.

Fortunately, Apple’s press releases and the first developer betas for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27 revealed more information about the company’s upcoming software updates. I compiled below 10 important pieces of information coming from WWDC 2026 that deserve your attention.

1. Apple’s most advanced on-device model will have strict hardware requirements

The most powerful on-device AI model coming with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 won’t be able to run locally on all iPhones, iPads, and Macs that support Apple Intelligence. The minimum requirements include 12GB of RAM, plus an A19 Pro chip on iPhones, an M4 chip on iPads, and an M3 chip on Macs.

As a result, only the iPhone 17 Pros and iPhone Air (and not the base iPhone 17, which just has 8GB of memory), iPads with M4 and later with 12GB or more of memory, and M3-powered Macs and later with 12GB or more of memory will be able to run Apple’s most advanced on-device model locally. Other models will still get access to many of the latest Apple Intelligence features, but they will run through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure.

Similarly, the ability to customize the pace and expressivity of Siri’s voice will only be available on the iPhone 17 Pro and Max, iPhone Air, iPad models with M4 and later and at least 12GB of memory, Mac models with M3 and later with at least 12GB of unified memory, and the M5 Apple Vision Pro.

2. iOS 27 adds independent volume settings for ringtones, system sounds, and alarms

iOS 27 will finally allow iPhone users to set custom volume levels for ringtones, system sounds, and alarms and timers. In Sounds & Haptics settings, a “Match Ringtone volume” toggle and independent volume sliders will be available for the latter two categories of alerts.

3. iOS 27 revamps AirPods settings and adds new custom EQ

iOS 27 will continue to display AirPods settings at the top of the Settings app when AirPods are connected. However, the various settings are now better organized, and there’s a custom EQ to further personalize how AirPods sound.

Apple also mentioned that thanks to expanded Apple GymKit functionality, AirPods Pro 3 users will be able to sync their heart rate data through iPhone while enjoying “incredible” audio quality.

4. iCloud Shared albums now welcome Windows and Android users

Apple announced yesterday that Android and Windows users will finally be able to add photos to iCloud Shared Albums, with full-resolution support. On Apple devices, syncing photos via iCloud will also happen much faster.

5. CarPlay apps are getting video support

In a developer video spotted by MacRumors, Apple explained how developers can upgrade CarPlay apps will be able to play videos in supported vehicles when parked. This mirrors a recent announcement from Google, which is bringing support for playing YouTube videos on Android Auto on parked cars.

6. iOS 27 widgets are adding a full-page layout

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed yesterday that iOS 27 includes several hidden references to folding hardware, as well as new features for larger displays. One of them is the ability to display widgets for some apps like Weather, Music, and News in a full-page format.

7. macOS 27 adds the ability to resize the iPhone Mirroring window

The iPhone mirroring feature on macOS 27 will let users resize iPhone apps, which may also switch to their iPad layout. It doesn’t seem to work across all apps at the moment, however.

Correction! Looks like it DOES switch to iPad UI in most apps. Settings does it, and my own app does after recompiling for iOS 27 with no changes. Not sure why Music isn't but thank goodness cause I was really worried for a sec lol https://t.co/Z3bRYvl5Iv pic.twitter.com/C6CY4Ukia3

— Dylan (@DylanMcD8) June 9, 2026

8. macOS 27 won’t support Intel-based Macs

We already knew that macOS 26 would be the last version of the OS to support Intel-based Macs, but this is still worth a reminder. macOS 27 will only support Apple Silicon Macs, starting with the M1 MacBook Air, MacBook, and Mac Mini released in the Fall of 2020.

9. watchOS 27 will drop support for 3 generations of Apple Watches

The upcoming watchOS 27 will leave 3 generations of Apple Watches behind when it ships in the Fall. The new update will only support the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and the Apple Watch SE 3. Yes, even the original Apple Watch Ultra released back in 2022 won’t be supported.

As for new features, watchOS 27 will introduce a new dynamic app grid showing icons for five Siri-suggested apps. Users will also be able to open a widget in the Smart Stack with a new tap gesture. Moreover, a new Find My app will consolidate Find Devices, Find Items, and Find People.

10. tvOS 27 will drop support for Apple TV HD and 1st gen Apple TV 4K

Apple neglected tvOS during its WWDC keynote yesterday, but the upcoming tvOS 27 won’t be available on the Apple TV HD from 2015 and the first-gen Apple TV 4K from 2017. The update will introduce a redesigned Podcasts app, a more responsive Control Center, and faster AirPlay connections to HomePods. Apple also mentioned a new Smart Downloads option for Apple TV content.