WWDC 2026 is still at least seven months away, but the first major report about Apple’s upcoming developer conference has already surfaced. In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reveals that Apple is preparing a “Snow Leopard-style” update across its operating systems.
Following the major design overhaul introduced with iOS 26 and the new Liquid Glass UI, Apple reportedly aims to shift focus toward refining performance and stability. The company is expected to polish its codebase, remove legacy lines of code, and ensure a more consistent and reliable user experience as it lays the foundation for upcoming devices like the iPhone Fold and iPhone 20.
For context, the “Snow Leopard” reference harks back to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, unveiled at WWDC 2009. That release prioritized performance and bug fixes over flashy new features, significantly improving upon Mac OS X Leopard. Apple has occasionally revisited this approach to refine its software, such as with 2017’s macOS High Sierra, which built on the groundwork of macOS Sierra.
Still, it remains to be seen whether Apple will take a similar direction again to strengthen platform reliability. In 2023, the company was rumored to be pursuing a smoother, bug-free experience with iOS 18, though those plans never fully materialized. While iOS 26 has improved many aspects, users continue to report bugs.
iOS 27 to advance Apple Intelligence
Beyond system optimization, Gurman notes that iOS 27 will significantly enhance Apple’s AI ambitions. The update is expected to introduce new Apple Intelligence features centered on health and productivity. This includes a health-focused AI assistant integrated with Apple’s upcoming Health+ subscription and an expansion of Apple’s AI-powered web search — designed to compete with tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Gurman also reveals that Apple is internally testing a chatbot app, though the company does not yet intend to release a standalone ChatGPT-style product. Instead, this internal testing could lay the groundwork for future developments in that space. Additionally, Apple’s potential partnership with Google to integrate Gemini technology into its Foundation Models could further boost the performance and efficiency of Apple Intelligence.
These initiatives are expected to take shape once Apple rolls out iOS 26.4, which will pave the way for testing new AI-driven capabilities ahead of iOS 27’s unveiling next summer.
techdae will continue tracking Apple’s software development efforts and report new details as they emerge.
