iOS 27 has reached public beta, and the main change is obvious — the iPhone has become noticeably faster. Apple counted more than 30 scenarios in which the system runs faster after the update. The official list of improvements from Apple itself looks even more impressive.
Apple has seriously improved iPhone performance in iOS 27
What’s New in iOS 27
When the company presented iOS 27 last month, it emphasized that it combed through the entire system for the sake of speed and reliability. In Apple’s own words, the improvements affected key platform capabilities so that everyday tasks feel faster, smoother, and more pleasant. It sounds like typical marketing, but this time the words are backed by a very specific list of dozens of items.
Changes affected all built-in apps and tools
Speed improvements are spread literally across the entire system. Photos, Camera, and Safari have become faster, Mail loads quicker, and Music starts almost without delay. Apple highlighted some numbers separately, and they really are impressive.
What Got Faster After Installing iOS 27
Here is the full list of speed improvements published by Apple itself. I’ll highlight three records right away: loading new photos in the Photos app became up to 70% faster, apps launch up to 30% faster, and file transfers via AirDrop sped up by up to 80%.
Full list of what Apple improved in iOS 27
- Faster loading of new photos in the Photos app (up to 70%)
- Faster full-screen view from the Photos widget
- Faster rendering of the Collections tab in Photos
- Faster iCloud Photos upload initiation
- Faster Camera launch in Low Power Mode
- Faster loading of recent photos in Messages
- Faster loading of the start page in Safari
- Faster web app performance in Safari
- Faster JavaScript processing in Safari
- Faster email opening in Mail
- Faster HomeKit accessory connections
- Faster smart home device updates
- Faster Now Playing screen in Music
- Faster playback start in Apple Music
- Faster board preview loading in Freeform
- Faster data updates in the Health app
- Faster workout start in the Fitness app
- Faster lock screen switching
- Faster app launches (up to 30%)
- Faster AirPlay connection to Apple TV and HomePod
- Faster network file access
- Faster and more stable NFC reading
- Faster Voice Control response
- Faster toggling of Assistive Access and Guided Access modes
- Faster PDF saving
- Faster text recognition in photos and documents
- Faster Rapid Return to Service
- Faster opening of emoji and sticker keyboards
- Faster indexing of shortcuts and actions in Spotlight
- Faster handwriting recognition across different languages
- Faster file transfers via AirDrop (up to 80%)
- Faster recipient discovery in AirDrop
- Faster opening of shared content on iCloud.com
Which iPhones Were Used to Test iOS 27 Speed
iOS 27 supports models going back to iPhone 11. Moreover, Apple conducted some of its benchmarks specifically on this lineup, not just on the latest flagships. So the numbers don’t refer to some abstract top-tier hardware, but to real devices still in the hands of millions of people.
Some tests were conducted on the oldest supported iPhone 11
A good example is that app launch speed improvement. The 30% figure was obtained on an iPhone 11 Pro Max: one device was running iOS 26.4.2, the other iOS 27, and the difference was measured directly between the two devices. This means even owners of older iPhones will feel the speed boost, not just those who picked up the latest model.
Is It Worth Updating to iOS 27
All of this looks truly impressive, especially for those still using relatively old models. Apple has fixed enough bugs and improved performance to the point where most users will notice the difference right after installation. Not some fractions of a second on paper, but tangible responsiveness in everyday tasks.
What’s particularly noteworthy is that Apple delivered all these performance gains alongside a complete ground-up rebuild of Siri. Usually, major new features eat into resources, but here the system actually became lighter.
iOS 27 is currently available in beta for developers and public testers, and Apple will roll out the final release for everyone this fall.
