“Apple Intelligence 2.0” isn’t Apple’s official name, but it’s a useful shorthand for where the company is going. Apple calls it the next generation of Apple Intelligence, with Siri AI as the most visible piece.

That’s a risky place to put the spotlight because Siri has baggage. For years, it’s been the assistant people use for timers, weather, and arguments with a glowing orb that somehow heard every word except the important one.

The ideal version is Siri finding the flight code from an email while the airline hold music slowly removes the will to live.

That’s the version Apple is now trying to sell: AI that doesn’t live in a separate prompt window, but inside the normal behavior of the iPhone.

Why Siri still carries the whole thing

Siri AI is the obvious star because Siri has spent years as Apple’s most public AI problem. The new version is supposed to understand context, see what’s on screen, answer tougher questions, and act across apps. Apple says Siri AI can use personal context to search across messages, emails, photos, and more, while also answering onscreen questions and taking broader systemwide actions.

That is a huge reset, meant to make Siri look like it didn’t sleep through the entire chatbot boom. The funny thing is that this sounds impressive partly because the baseline has been so low. Apple is finally describing the Siri people thought they were getting years ago.

That doesn’t make the update fake or unimportant. It makes the stakes stranger. Apple is rebuilding trust in a feature many users have already trained themselves to ignore.

A better Siri doesn’t need to become a charming digital friend. It needs to stop making simple things feel like a scavenger hunt.

What the new features are really doing

The new Apple Intelligence features can look scattered at first. Some live in Siri. Others show up in the camera, text fields, calls, photos, and everyday apps. Taken together, they point at one goal: make the phone feel less fragmented.

Writing help should appear where people are already typing. Visual search should work through the camera. Call Context should surface the right detail during a call, because modern life still requires that specific punishment.

Apple specifically says Call Context can surface a confirmation code or reservation number during a business call, including finding an airline confirmation code from Mail.

Photo tools should make editing feel less like a separate errand. Messages and Mail should get smarter without turning every reply into a corporate memo with better punctuation. The camera should understand more of what it sees without demanding that users learn another AI ritual.

The best version of Apple Intelligence shouldn’t feel like “using AI.” It should feel like the phone understands the task better and removes some of the manual nonsense around it.

Much of the AI race has trained people to think of AI as a separate destination, and Apple is trying to make it feel like something already under the glass.

How Apple ended up here

Apple Intelligence started in 2024 with a smaller first wave of tools. It brought writing help, notification summaries, photo cleanup, and a nicer Siri shell.

Those tools were useful, though they were not the full version of the idea Apple was selling. The larger promise was always a more personal Siri that could understand what users were doing and act across apps. That’s the stuff that would make it feel less like a voice interface with nicer lighting.

Because those more ambitious Siri features weren’t part of the first wave, the first version of Apple Intelligence felt oddly incomplete. This update is Apple trying to close that gap.

Apple can talk about privacy, polish, and ecosystem control, but useful AI also needs raw model strength. Apparently, that meant letting Google into the machinery.

Why the boring plumbing decides everything

That hidden machinery may decide whether Apple Intelligence works at all. Siri AI can only become useful if apps expose enough information and actions for the system to understand.

That’s where things like App Intents and semantic indexing stop being developer jargon and start becoming the product. Apple says App Intents lets developers connect app content and capabilities to Siri AI features like personal context understanding, app actions, and onscreen awareness.

Most users will never think about any of this. Nobody buys an iPhone because the app plumbing looks healthy. If Siri can’t find the right thing, act on the right screen, or understand what an app can do, the magic trick collapses back into voice-command theater.

This is the least glamorous part of Apple Intelligence, and probably the most important. A smarter model can answer better questions, but an assistant that can’t interact with the apps people actually use is still trapped behind glass.

Where the promise gets messy

Apple’s careful approach creates its own problems. Siri needs enough personal context to help without making the phone feel like it’s reading over someone’s shoulder with a clipboard. It also needs enough app access to act without becoming unpredictable.

Then there’s the uneven rollout, which will depend on the device, region, language, and whether apps support the deeper hooks.

Apple says Siri AI will arrive as a beta later this year for supported devices set to English, will not initially be available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS, and will not be available in China while Apple works through regulatory requirements.

Privacy is Apple’s advantage here, but it’s also a constraint. Too little access, and Siri remains a polite search box with a voice. Too much access, and the iPhone starts to feel like a personal assistant that has been rifling through the drawers.

What this means for normal iPhone users

For normal iPhone users, Apple Intelligence comes down to friction. Someone should be able to ask Siri to find the flight code from an email while they’re on a call, instead of playing clipboard gymnastics across three apps.

That’s a small example, but small examples are where this kind of AI has to prove itself. The real test is whether Siri can understand the thing happening in front of the user, find the right personal detail, use the right app, and avoid turning the whole process into another chore.

Apple Intelligence shouldn’t ask users to become prompt engineers. It should make the iPhone feel less like a pile of apps pretending to be one device.

That’s the real promise of Apple Intelligence 2.0, even if Apple would never call it that. Siri is getting a second chance, but the future of Apple AI may depend less on a shiny chatbot moment than on whether it can finally handle ordinary phone work without making a meal of it.

After all these years, Siri may finally be getting the job it’s been pretending to have.

Every time Apple released a new iOS update, people swore their iPhones suddenly felt slower. This rumor has followed Apple for years and while the company always denied it, the suspicion never really went away. With its latest iOS 27 update, I believe Apple has finally put this rumor to rest. 

I installed the beta on my iPhone Air, but the bigger story is what’s happening on the older models. Reports from people running iOS 27 on even older iPhones say their phones feel faster, not slower.

That’s the opposite of what the planned obsolescence crowd has been claiming all these years, and it’s happening in a developer beta, which is usually the buggiest, least-optimized version you can get.

So what changed this time around?

According to Apple, the speed gains come from rebuilding how the system handles things like CPU scheduling, memory, and background tasks. In plain terms, your iPhone is now smarter about where it spends its energy, so older chips don’t get bogged down doing work they don’t need to.

Apple is throwing out some crazy numbers. It claims app launches are up to 30% faster, AirDrop is 80% faster, Photos load about 70% faster, and a few other improvements across the board. I usually take these figures with a pinch of salt, since there’s no way to quantitatively test them. But with the results I am seeing on my iPhone Air, I will say that something genuinely feels different. 

I am especially impressed by the new AirDrop. You can actually feel the improvement in transfer speeds. Smaller files transfer in a jiffy, and even larger video files take almost half as long to transfer as they did on iOS 26.

But the best part is that Apple didn’t lock these improvements behind the newest iPhones. Every device that can run iOS 26 can run iOS 27, going all the way back to the iPhone 11. Yes, older devices might miss out on the new AI features, but they all get the speed and stability improvements that will prolong the life of these devices. 

Does this mean the rumors were always wrong?

I wouldn’t say so. Older iPhones do slow down over time, but it’s not some evil master plan. New features require more powerful chips, apps get heavier, and battery health naturally declines, which can throttle performance. Apple itself admitted to slowing down the performance of older iPhones to eke out more battery. The company even had to pay more than $600 million to settle lawsuits. 

iOS 27 update has changed this narrative. Instead of adding flashy new features that need the latest hardware to run well, Apple spent this year making the experience better for everyone, including people holding on to older phones. For this reason, the iOS 27 is the most important update Apple has released in years.

It ensures that my iPhone will last me for a long time, and that I’m not on some invisible countdown to my next upgrade. I have always argued for a maintenance update every few year if not every other year. If Apple keeps on delivering such updates, these planned obsolescence rumors will quietly fade away.

During the recent WWDC event, Apple talked about all the ways Siri has improved. It has become smarter, more conversational, and even more handy across different apps. But the company is trying to make sure that it does not become an actual companion. In an interview with Mostly Human, Apple software chief Craig Federighi and marketing chief Greg Joswiak discussed the company’s AI approach, including where Siri fits in a world already packed with chatbots.

Giving Siri boundaries

When asked whether users could create an AI boyfriend or girlfriend with Siri, Federighi gave a firm no. While this might seem like a harmless, fun question at first, the response is quite important, especially in this current space around AI. Plenty of AI products are leaning into companionship, emotional dependency, and long conversations designed to keep users coming back. But Apple is trying to draw a cleaner line around Siri.

Siri AI is not the same assistant anymore. It doesn’t struggle with basic follow-ups. At WWDC 2026, Apple introduced Siri AI, a rebuilt version of the assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. The assistant can understand personal context, answer questions about what is on your screen, search across messages, emails, photos, and other apps, and use broader web knowledge for up-to-date answers. There is also a new dedicated Siri app, letting users return to previous conversations across Apple devices.

On iPhone, Siri AI can be opened through the side button, “Hey Siri,” or by swiping down from the Dynamic Island. On Mac and iPad, Apple is folding Siri AI into Spotlight and context menus, which could make it more useful for files, images, text, and documents.

Useful first, needy never

Joswiak also said Apple does not want users to become “prompt experts” just to benefit from AI, which is very on-brand for Apple. It has always tried to make things more seamless and approachable, and Siri might be benefiting too. If the company gets this right, Apple users might turn to the assistant for more weirdly specific questions. The only catch now is availability. Apple says Siri AI features are available for developer testing now across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and visionOS 27, with a user beta coming later this year for supported devices set to English. China is not included for now, and iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users in the EU will also have to wait.

As the rise of AI-generated music on streaming services continues, concerns are growing regarding how AI companies use copyrighted material to train their models, as well as how potential manipulations in streaming systems could lead to fraud.

However, many music streaming services have yet to launch AI music detection tools. So, the streamer Deezer has taken matters into its own hands.

In the ongoing effort to tackle this issue, Deezer introduced a tool that scans playlists from various streaming platforms to identify AI-generated tracks. Announced on Thursday, this free online AI music detector supports 27 languages and gives users from 20 of the most popular platforms the chance to see if their playlists include any AI-generated songs.

The launch further positions Deezer as one of the music industry’s most aggressive opponents of AI music, which could be a selling point for its service among consumers. While rivals like Apple Music and Spotify have opted for a tagging approach, Deezer actively removes AI tracks from recommendations and excludes them from editorial playlists. It also recently began offering its AI detection technology to rival platforms.

To use the new tool, go to Deezer’s AI music detector website, select your streaming service, and allow Deezer to access your playlists. Once you import your playlists, the service scans for AI content, notifies you of any findings, and even offers the option to share the results. The tool is compatible with Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and YouTube Music, among other platforms. 

“By detecting and tagging AI-generated music over the past year and a half, Deezer has been at the forefront of transparency in music streaming. No other company has followed our lead yet, so we decided to make it possible for everyone to check if their playlists include synthetic music, no matter which streaming platform they use,” CEO Alexis Lanternier said in a statement.

Notably, the company revealed in today’s announcement that it is carefully considering future steps, such as updating supplier policies or removing content. This would follow in Bandcamp’s footsteps, which banned AI music earlier this year. 

The launch of the new tool comes on the heels of Deezer revealing that a staggering 44% of all new music uploaded to its platform is AI-generated.

The company is currently being flooded with nearly 75,000 AI-generated tracks daily, which totals over two million each month. Despite this influx, the listening rate for AI-generated music remains relatively low, accounting for just 1-3% of total streams. Around 85% of these streams are flagged as fraudulent and are demonetized by the platform.

If you have already fallen for the strange mysteries and supernatural chaos of Widow’s Bay, there is good news. Apple TV has officially renewed the horror-comedy for a second season just ahead of the season one finale, which lands on June 17. However, Apple has not announced a release date yet.

The early renewal signals strong confidence in a show that has quickly become one of the streamer’s biggest new hits. The renewal comes alongside a new multiyear overall deal with creator, showrunner, and executive producer Katie Dippold.

What to expect from Widow’s Bay season 2?

The show follows Mayor Tom Loftis, played by Emmy winner Matthew Rhys, a well-meaning but deeply cowardly man trying to turn a cursed island into a tourist destination. Against all odds, he succeeds. Then the island reminds everyone why the locals were afraid of it in the first place.

Creator Dippold offered a perfectly cryptic tease for what comes next in Widow’s Bay: “Season two is about how everything is great on the island, and there’s nothing to worry about.”

Blending genuine horror with sharp character comedy, the show has earned Certified Fresh status on Rotten Tomatoes and is considered one of the best shows on Apple TV. The renewal arrives before the season one finale, giving fans confidence that the story will continue beyond its current cliffhangers.

What’s next for Apple TV?

We also have plenty of new stuff to look forward to. Ted Lasso season 4 arrives on August 5, and Slow Horses returns for its season 6 on September 16, 2026, as confirmed by Apple today.

Apple TV is also home to Pluribus, currently its most-watched drama, and the global phenomenon Severance. With a lineup this strong, Widow’s Bay is exactly the kind of original that keeps people subscribing.

At WWDC 2026, Apple announced watchOS 27, bringing Siri AI, a new Siri app, a dynamic app grid, better Smart Stack suggestions, expanded fitness features, and new health tracking tools to the Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch works best when it helps you get small things done quickly without reaching for your iPhone. watchOS 27 leans into that idea with updates that make it easier to start workouts, find apps, open Wallet passes, and check important information from your wrist. Here’s what’s new.

Siri AI is the main upgrade

One of the biggest additions in watchOS 27 is Siri AI, Apple’s next-generation assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. The upgraded Siri can understand personal context, answer more complex questions, and take action across apps.

On the Apple Watch, these improvements are especially useful because the smaller screen makes typing and navigating apps more cumbersome. Siri AI lets users ask more natural questions, get workout suggestions, access wellness-related information, and carry on back and forth conversations directly from their wrist.

Siri can also pull from personal information when needed. For example, it can help find a saved driver’s license number, a door code stored in Notes, or details from other personal content.

watchOS 27 also adds a dedicated Siri app. Users can continue conversations, start new chats, revisit previous interactions, and pick up conversations started on iPhone. Important conversations can also be pinned for quick access. The assistant can also complete tasks inside apps, such as sharing flight details, playing a trainer-recommended song, changing an Activity ring goal, sending an email, resuming a podcast, or adding music to a workout playlist.

Siri AI is not available in the first beta release, though it is expected to arrive in a subsequent beta update. Additionally, Apple Intelligence features will not initially be available on watchOS in the European Union due to the Digital Markets Act, and Siri AI will not be available in China at launch while Apple works through regulatory requirements.

The app grid and Smart Stack are getting smarter

The Apple Watch app grid now has a dynamic layout that highlights Siri-suggested apps, frequently used apps, and recently opened apps. For users with many installed apps, this update makes it easier to find and open the apps they use most often or are likely to need at that particular moment. That said, accessing the entire app grid is now a two-step process instead of a single press of the Digital Crown.

Smart Stack is also more context-aware. It can surface widgets based on relevant situations, such as birthday reminders, parked-car locations, sleep-alarm suggestions before select holidays, and transit card information. There is also a new tap gesture for Smart Stack. Users can tap their index finger and thumb together twice to open Smart Stack, continue to double-tap to scroll, and use a single tap to open the selected widget.

Workout Buddy gets more useful

Workout Buddy has received several upgrades in watchOS 27. The feature now uses fitness history to deliver more personalized motivation during workouts. Instead of generic encouragement, Workout Buddy provides updates tied to pace, distance, workout duration, and other performance metrics.

Apple is also making the feature more flexible during workouts. Workout Buddy keeps working without users needing to carry their iPhone in a pocket or hand during exercise. However, the feature still requires a paired Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone and Bluetooth headphones or speakers. Users also have the option to use Workout Buddy in Spanish

Indoor run and walk tracking is more accurate

Tracking indoor runs and walks on treadmills is generally more challenging than outdoor tracking as GPS data is unavailable. That is why the new update includes improved motion-tracking algorithms, which help the watch estimate treadmill distance more accurately using wrist movement data.

Health tracking expands with menopause support

Cycle Tracking has been part of the Apple Watch and Health app for several years, allowing users to log menstrual cycles, track symptoms, and receive predictions about upcoming periods and fertile windows. The feature is designed to help users better understand changes in their reproductive health over time.

With watchOS 27, Apple is expanding Cycle Tracking with new perimenopause and menopause support. The Health app can now notify users when logged cycle patterns may indicate possible perimenopause and provides symptom tracking tools along with educational resources.

Find My gets a unified app

The new Find My update brings all location-tracking features under a single roof. Instead of using separate apps to locate people, Apple devices, and AirTag-equipped items, watchOS 27 combines Find Devices, Find People, and Find Items into one unified Find My app with a more map-focused interface. This is a nice quality-of-life change for the app since it now requires fewer taps to keep track of everyone and all your things.

Wallet adds support for custom passes

Wallet is also more useful for everyday cards that do not already have official Apple Wallet support. Users can create custom passes on their iOS 27 devices and sync them to the Apple Watch. For example, it can be used for memberships and cards that use QR codes or barcodes, such as library cards and gym memberships. These passes can be stored in Wallet and pinned to Smart Stack for quicker access.

Call Context surfaces important information during calls

Calls with businesses often require confirmation numbers, booking details, or information buried in Mail or Messages. watchOS 27 has added Call Context to handle that. The feature surfaces relevant information while users are on a call with a business. For example, a flight confirmation code stored in Mail can appear automatically during a call with an airline.

Liquid Glass and other small fixes

The Apple Watch display is small, so readability matters more here than on most other Apple devices. The new software refines Apple’s Liquid Glass design language with more consistent refraction effects and improved contrast, which should improve readability across notifications, widgets, controls, and apps.

Several smaller improvements are included as well. Music playback is now faster, step counts in the Fitness app are synced more accurately with data from the Health app, and the watch can suggest battery-saving adjustments to help extend battery life. Apple has also made it easier to mute notifications, allowing users to select a notification and access the mute option from the bottom-right corner of the screen. Sleep tracking is also said to be more accurate, although Apple has not yet shared specific details about the improvements.

Apple is also expanding child safety features. Through Child Accounts and Apple Watch For Your Kids, parents can set up an Apple Watch for a child who does not have an iPhone, allowing the device to be used for communication and safety features.

Which Apple Watch models support watchOS 27?

watchOS 27 requires an iPhone 11 or later, or an iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later, running iOS 27.

The compatible Apple Watch models are:

• Apple Watch SE 3
• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Series 10
• Apple Watch Series 11
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• Apple Watch Ultra 3

The cutoff is stricter than usual. Apple Watch Series 8, the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) will not receive watchOS 27, even though they were supported by the previous major update. This means Apple is drawing the line at watches equipped with the S9 chip or newer.

When can you download watchOS 27?

watchOS 27 will be released publically for elligible watches this fall. The company has already made watchOS 27 available for developer testing. Siri AI will arrive in a future watchOS 27 beta before its broader rollout later this year. A public beta is expected ahead of the final release.

Installing developer software on a primary device carries risks. Apple Watch software is particularly difficult to roll back compared with iPhone or iPad software, so most users are better off waiting for the public beta or the final release.

As Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC 2026, approaches, the excitement is building around what Apple has in store for us this year. From Siri’s overhaul to new Apple Intelligence updates, there’s a lot to look forward to.

The annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off Monday at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. For those eager to tune in, the event will be streamed live via the Apple Developer app, Apple’s website, and the Apple Developer YouTube channel.

Siri’s big AI makeover 

The most anticipated announcement is a major AI upgrade to Siri, transforming it into a more conversational assistant capable of understanding context, handling multi-step tasks, and interacting more naturally across apps and services. The revamped Siri will leverage Google’s Gemini technology to enhance its capabilities.

Additionally, recent leaks from Bloomberg have unveiled a standalone Siri app that aims to compete with advanced AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Apple may also introduce a feature reminiscent of messaging apps, enabling users to set timers for automatically deleting conversations after 30 days, a year, or keeping them indefinitely.

AI agent app store

According to The Information, Apple plans to introduce an AI agent integration with the app store. While details are scarce, agents allow users to delegate tasks such as booking reservations, managing everyday tasks, editing documents, or controlling smart home devices.

Camera and Photos apps

A new “Visual Intelligence” section is anticipated to be introduced within the Camera app, taking the place of the previous Visual Intelligence feature found in the Camera Control button. This upgrade will introduce a dedicated Siri mode that exists next to options like Photo, Video, Portrait, and Panorama. The Visual Intelligence feature leverages Google Image Search to accurately identify objects captured by the user.

In addition, the Photos app is set to receive exciting enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence. These may include intelligent scene recommendations for optimizing photos, automatic object removal for cleaner images, and an innovative AI photo editing feature that allows users to request edits simply by using natural language, new productivity functionalities in visionOS.

Image Playground updates

Apple is set to upgrade the Image Playground app, introducing higher-quality image generation, more artistic styles, better character consistency, and richer editing controls. The interface for creating new images will be simplified, offering fewer controls and a “describe a change” option for editing.

Additionally, we might see a suggested Genmoji feature that proposes custom emojis based on users’ media and text interactions. Users may also be able to generate AI wallpapers that reflect various themes and moods.

Apple Wallet

Notable updates are rumored to be coming to the Wallet app, particularly a new bill-splitting feature that will simplify sharing expenses among friends or family. Users will be able to photograph a receipt and generate payment requests to different parties effortlessly.

Alongside this, the Wallet app will also include a “Create a Pass” option that enables users to generate digital passes from physical items such as movie tickets, concert passes, or gym membership cards.

MacOS, iPadOS, visionOS, watchOS, and tvOS updates

Apple is expected to enhance its AI-powered Siri experience across its devices, as well as likely incorporate more AI features and stability updates.

Apple’s rumored MacBook Ultra is shaping up to be one of the most significant Mac redesigns in years, and a fresh industry report suggests it could land sooner than anyone expected. Research firm Omdia has released a new study on OLED adoption in laptops, and buried inside it are some very specific details about Apple‘s next MacBook.

What screen sizes will the MacBook Ultra come in?

According to the report, Samsung Display will begin supplying OLED panels for Apple’s new MacBook series as early as July 2026, with the devices expected to launch in Q3 2026. That almost certainly means a September debut, likely alongside the iPhone 18 series and the foldable iPhone Ultra.

The Omdia report points to two screen sizes for the MacBook Ultra: 14.3 inches and 16.3 inches. The current MacBook Pro comes in 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch configurations, so the slight size bump likely comes from slimmer bezels and a redesigned chassis.

What makes the OLED display so different?

Apple is not using the same OLED technology found in most laptops or even its own iPhone displays. According to Omdia’s Jerry Kang, the MacBook Ultra will use a hybrid OLED architecture based on oxide TFT and RGB tandem OLED technology.

This combination has never been used in a laptop before, but it’s similar to the display technology already found in the iPad Pro. It is specifically designed to consume less power than both LTPO and single-layer RGB OLEDs. That matters because the MacBook Ultra is also rumored to be significantly thinner than the current MacBook Pro.

Apple would need a major efficiency jump to maintain the battery life its laptops are known for. This new display tech is reportedly how it plans to pull that off. The MacBook Ultra is also expected to be a new tier in Apple’s lineup, sitting above the current MacBook Pro rather than replacing it.

By the end of 2026, Apple could have its MacBook lineup running from the entry-level Neo all the way up to the Ultra, covering more ground than ever before.

The Apple Watch already has one of the best displays on any smartwatch, but the company is reportedly working on something that could make it meaningfully better. 

According to industry sources cited by The Elec, LG Display is currently developing and validating a new display backplane technology. It is called high-mobility oxide, or HMO, and the company is making it on its sixth-generation OLED production lines. 

How does HMO matter for Apple Watch battery life?

Every OLED display needs a backplane, which is the layer of transistors that controls each pixel. 

The current gold standard for Apple Watch panels is LTPO, which improves battery life by allowing the screen to dynamically drop its refresh rate to 1Hz when not being used actively.  

HMO, on the other hand, takes a different approach. It maximizes the inherent low-power advantages of oxide transistor technology without the complex manufacturing steps involved in making LTPO.

The new technology doesn’t require laser crystallization or ion implantation, which, in theory, should result in a display that draws even less power while costing less to produce. In simple words, the Apple Watch models using the technology could last substantially longer than the ones that rely on LTPO technology. 

Apple is evaluating HMO as a potential successor to its LTPO technology for Apple Watch displays. If everything pans out well, we might see the same technology on future iPhone displays. 

When could HMO reach an actual Apple Watch?

The challenge comes down to how quickly the transistors inside the display can switch on and off. 

Today’s mass-produced oxide panels aren’t fast enough for the kind of high-resolution, high-refresh-rate displays Apple demands, and LG Display needs to close that gap significantly before HMO is ready for production at scale. Getting there consistently across a full-sized panel, without sacrificing reliability, is the challenging part.

The report suggests that LG Display could supply the technology for smartwatch applications as early as next year, putting an optimistic timeline for an Apple Watch with an HMO display at 2027 or later. However, I won’t be surprised if it is delayed to 2028.

Keep in mind that everything here comes from industry sources cited by The Elec, and nothing has been confirmed by either Apple or LG Display.

Apple is reportedly preparing to turn the iPhone into an even bigger financial hub with a new built-in bill splitting feature designed for group dinners, travel expenses, and shared payments. According to a report from Mark Gurman, the company plans to announce the feature at WWDC next week as part of iOS 27.

The new tool would allow users to photograph a restaurant receipt, automatically calculate individual shares including tax and tips, assign items to specific people, and send payment requests directly through Apple Cash. The feature is expected to work inside both the Wallet app and Messages, with payment approvals also supported through the Apple Watch.

Apple is quietly expanding its financial ecosystem again

The bill-splitting tool represents another major step in Apple’s long-running effort to deepen the iPhone’s role in personal finance. Since launching Apple Pay in 2014, Apple has steadily expanded into financial services with products like Apple Card, Apple Cash, savings accounts, and Tap to Pay for businesses.

This latest addition appears aimed directly at younger users who increasingly manage shared expenses digitally instead of using cash or traditional banking tools.

The system reportedly works by scanning a receipt using the iPhone camera, identifying individual items, calculating tax and tip allocations, and then generating payment requests automatically. Users can then settle balances through Apple Cash without needing separate third-party apps.

Apple is also reportedly working on custom digital pass creation inside Wallet, allowing users to generate their own event passes, gym cards, and digital credentials directly on-device.

Apple’s move also puts it in direct competition with established expense-sharing and peer-to-peer payment platforms. Splitwise, one of the most widely used bill-splitting apps globally, has surpassed 10 million monthly active users and has helped users manage more than $90 billion in shared expenses since 2011.

Meanwhile, Venmo continues to process more than $275 billion in annual payment volume, while Cash App reports roughly 57 million monthly active users. By integrating bill splitting directly into Wallet, Messages, Apple Cash, and Apple Watch, Apple is attempting to remove the need for separate apps altogether and keep more financial activity inside its ecosystem.

Apple’s biggest advantage, however, may be integration. Unlike standalone apps, the new feature would be deeply built into iOS, Messages, Wallet, Apple Watch, and Apple Cash simultaneously.

Why this Matters

Apple appears increasingly focused on making the iPhone central to everyday financial activity. Bill splitting may sound small compared to AI announcements or hardware launches, but these kinds of ecosystem features often strengthen long-term user retention more effectively than flashy upgrades.

The move could also pressure third-party expense-sharing apps that currently rely on convenience as their biggest selling point. If Apple can make splitting payments frictionless across iPhones, many casual users may stop downloading separate apps entirely.

At the same time, Apple’s financial expansion has faced challenges. The Apple Card partnership with Goldman Sachs has struggled financially, and Apple previously shut down its buy-now-pay-later offering less than a year after launch.

What happens next

Apple is expected to officially reveal the new bill-splitting feature during WWDC alongside broader iOS 27 announcements focused heavily on AI, Siri upgrades, and Apple Intelligence. The update is also expected to include AI-powered photo editing tools, a redesigned Siri experience, and deeper Wallet integration across Apple devices.

If the feature works smoothly, Apple may end up doing what it often does best: turning a separate app category into a built-in iPhone feature that millions of users adopt simply because it is already there.