Apple has not even officially released iOS 27 to the public yet, but the tech world is already buzzing about what comes next. iOS 28 — Apple’s next-generation mobile operating system — is already in active development, and according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, it is shaping up to be “far more significant” than iOS 27. That is not a small claim. So what exactly is iOS 28, when is the iOS 28 release date, what are the iOS 28 features, and which iPhones will support iOS 28?
In this article, we break down everything we know about iOS 28 — from its internal codename and leaked features to the 20th anniversary iPhone it is being built for and the Apple smart glasses it will need to support. Whether you are an iPhone user planning your next upgrade or a tech enthusiast tracking Apple’s roadmap, this is your complete iOS 28 guide.
| iOS 28 — Quick Facts | |
| Full Name | iOS 28 |
| Codename | Bell (macOS 28 = Poppy; combined nickname = Boppy) |
| Expected Announcement | WWDC June 2027 |
| Expected Release Date | September 2027 |
| Minimum Chip (expected) | Apple A15 Bionic (iPhone 13 and newer) |
| Key Hardware Partner | 20th Anniversary iPhone (2027) |
| Significance | “Far more significant” than iOS 27 — Mark Gurman, Bloomberg |
What Is iOS 28?
iOS 28 is Apple’s upcoming mobile operating system, the successor to iOS 27. It is expected to be unveiled at WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) in June 2027 and released publicly in September 2027 alongside Apple’s new iPhone lineup for that year.
What makes iOS 28 different from a typical annual iOS update is the hardware it is being built around. Apple is in the middle of an ambitious three-year plan to reinvent the iPhone, and 2027 is the final and most dramatic chapter of that plan. The 20th anniversary iPhone — expected to feature a wraparound curved glass design with no bezels and under-display Face ID — will launch alongside iOS 28. This is the kind of radical hardware that demands radical software to match.
The iOS 28 codename is “Bell.” Its desktop counterpart, macOS 28, is internally codenamed “Poppy.” Apple employees have combined the two into the nickname “Boppy” — continuing a tradition from the previous cycle where iOS 27 (“Rave”) and macOS 27 (“Fizz”) became “Rizz.” While the codenames are fun, they also signal something important: iOS 28 development is already well underway, with engineering teams actively building individual features and apps.
iOS 28 Release Date: When Will iOS 28 Launch?
Apple follows one of the most predictable software release cycles in the tech industry. Based on that pattern, here is what to expect for the iOS 28 release date timeline:
| Milestone | Expected Date |
| WWDC 2027 Keynote (First Reveal) | June 2027 |
| Developer Beta Release | June 2027 (day of keynote) |
| Public Beta Release | July 2027 |
| Official iOS 28 Release Date | September 2027 |
The iOS 28 release date in September 2027 will almost certainly coincide with the launch of Apple’s new iPhone lineup, specifically the 20th anniversary iPhone. Apple has maintained this September release cadence for over a decade, and there is no reason to believe iOS 28 will break that tradition.
It is worth noting that iOS 28 is still over a year away. Engineering teams are currently in the early stages — building individual features and components — but Apple has not yet assembled these into a cohesive operating system. Major design decisions for iOS 28 could still shift significantly before WWDC 2027.
Why Bloomberg Says iOS 28 Will Be “Far More Significant” Than iOS 27
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman — the most reliable Apple insider in tech journalism — dropped a significant line in his Power On newsletter on May 31, 2026: iOS 28 will be “far more significant” than iOS 27. He did not elaborate with specific feature lists, but connecting the dots between Apple’s hardware roadmap and internal leaks makes the reasoning clear.
Apple is executing a three-year reinvention plan for the iPhone, reportedly led by hardware engineering chief John Ternus (who also takes over as Apple CEO from Tim Cook in September 2026). The roadmap looks like this:
- 2025 (Completed): Redesigned iPhone 17 Pro models and the all-new iPhone Air — a thinner, lighter form factor
- 2026: Apple’s first foldable iPhone — a dual-screen device requiring entirely new software paradigms
- 2027: The 20th anniversary iPhone — a radical, bezel-free, all-glass design with under-display cameras and Face ID
The 2027 iPhone is Apple’s equivalent of the original iPhone X moment from 2017. When the iPhone X launched, iOS 11 had to be completely rebuilt to accommodate gesture navigation, the notch, and Face ID. iOS 28 faces the same challenge — but at a larger scale. An all-glass, bezel-free iPhone with under-display components is hardware that the current iOS interface simply was not designed to support.
Beyond the iPhone itself, Apple’s first smart glasses are also targeting a late 2027 launch. These glasses will feature cameras, microphones, speakers, and deep Apple Intelligence integration. iOS 28 will need to serve as the bridge between the iPhone and this entirely new device category — something no previous iOS version has had to do at this level of complexity.
Put it all together: a radical new iPhone design, a new device category (smart glasses), and a post-Cook era of leadership all converging in 2027. That is why iOS 28 is not just another annual update — it is a platform reset.
iOS 28 Features: What Has Been Leaked So Far?
Specific iOS 28 features have not been officially confirmed by Apple. However, early leaks from a December 2025 discovery give us a reliable window into the company’s plans. Macworld found feature flags for iOS 28 hidden inside a leaked internal build of iOS 26. Feature flags are identifiers Apple uses to enable or disable experimental functionality during development — they are one of the most reliable early signals of what is coming.
1. New Apple Watch Sleep Tracking Metrics
One of the confirmed feature flags points to new sleep tracking capabilities for Apple Watch, including a dedicated measurement for total time spent in bed — separate from actual sleep time. This sounds like a small addition, but it is significant for anyone tracking sleep quality, as time-in-bed vs time-asleep is a key metric used by sleep professionals. This suggests iOS 28 / watchOS 28 will push Apple Health further into the clinical and wellness-professional space.
2. Health App Coming to Mac for the First Time
Perhaps the most exciting leaked iOS 28 feature is the expansion of the Health app to Mac. Currently, Apple Health is exclusive to iPhone and iPad. With macOS 28 (codenamed Poppy), the Health app is expected to make its Mac debut — a move that would bring years of health data, trends, and Apple Intelligence-powered insights to the big screen for the first time.
This is a significant ecosystem play. Many people do their most focused work — including health and fitness planning — on a Mac. Bringing Health to Mac would complete Apple’s cross-device health platform and set the stage for deeper AI-driven recommendations through Apple Intelligence.
3. Apple Health+ — AI-Powered Health Subscription
Feature flags also point toward a rumoured service called Apple Health+ — an AI-powered subscription that would use your personal health data to deliver personalized recommendations, insights, and potentially even guidance from medical professionals. Think of it as Apple Fitness+ but for holistic health management. While this has not been confirmed, the presence of related feature flags in an iOS 26 internal build suggests it has been in planning for some time.
4. 20th Anniversary iPhone Hardware Support
iOS 28 will need to introduce significant interface and interaction changes to support the 20th anniversary iPhone’s wraparound curved glass design. Specific under-display camera software, updated gesture navigation for a fully bezel-free display, and new Dynamic Island replacements or evolutions are all expected to be part of iOS 28. Interestingly, researchers digging through the iOS 27 developer beta have already found references to “foldState,” “angleDegrees,” and other identifiers that suggest Apple is already building the foundations for new form factors.
5. Apple Smart Glasses Companion Features
With Apple’s smart glasses targeting a late 2027 launch alongside the iOS 28 release window, the new operating system will almost certainly include dedicated smart glasses companion features. This could include new Visual Intelligence modes, real-time translation overlays, a shared Siri AI experience across iPhone and glasses, and new notification mirroring or handoff capabilities between devices.
6. Deeper Apple Intelligence Integration Across All Apps
iOS 27’s primary job is to establish Siri AI as a capable, system-wide assistant. iOS 28’s job will be to deepen that integration. Expect Apple Intelligence features to expand into more first-party and third-party apps, with more complex multi-step automation, better on-screen awareness, and increasingly personalised AI responses driven by deeper understanding of user behaviour and health data.
7. Foldable iPhone Software Maturity
Apple’s first foldable iPhone launches in 2026 with iOS 27 as its operating system. By the time iOS 28 arrives in 2027, that device will have been in consumers’ hands for a year. iOS 28 is expected to bring software maturity to the foldable iPhone experience — refining multi-window modes, split-screen interactions, and the transition animations between folded and unfolded states that iOS 27 will introduce in a more experimental form.
iOS 28 vs iOS 27: What Is the Difference?
The contrast between iOS 27 and iOS 28 follows a pattern Apple has repeated throughout its history: one generation focuses on stability and foundations, the next pushes boundaries.
| Feature | iOS 27 | iOS 28 |
| Focus | Stability, performance, Siri rebuild | New hardware support, major features |
| Design Changes | Refinements to Liquid Glass (opacity slider) | Major UI changes for bezel-free iPhone |
| Siri | Siri AI launched (Google Gemini-powered) | Deeper Siri AI integration across apps |
| New Hardware | Foldable iPhone foundations | 20th anniversary iPhone + smart glasses |
| Apple Intelligence | Expanded across core apps | Deeper AI, Apple Health+ possible |
| Health | Perimenopause tracking added | Health app on Mac, new sleep metrics |
| Overall Character | “Snow Leopard” — clean up and speed | “Innovation” — new form factors and features |
iOS 27 has been widely compared to macOS Snow Leopard — the 2009 release that Apple famously described as containing “no new features,” focusing entirely on performance, reliability, and under-the-hood improvements. It cleaned up the code, delivered the long-awaited Siri overhaul, and laid the groundwork for what comes next.
iOS 28 is the “what comes next.” Apple has consistently followed stability updates with feature-rich releases — iOS 12 was the performance update, iOS 13 brought Dark Mode and a redesigned Photos app. iOS 28 is set to be iOS 13 to iOS 27’s iOS 12, but far more ambitious given the hardware it is designed for.
iOS 28 Compatible iPhones: Which Devices Will Support iOS 28?
Apple has not officially announced iOS 28 compatible iPhones yet — that announcement will come at WWDC 2027. However, based on Apple’s historical pattern of dropping one chip generation per year, we can make a reliable prediction.
| iOS Version | Dropped Chip | Oldest Compatible Model |
| iOS 26 (2025) | A12 Bionic (dropped iPhone XS, XR) | iPhone 11 (A13 Bionic) |
| iOS 27 (2026) | A13 Bionic (dropping iPhone 11 series) | iPhone 12 (A14 Bionic) |
| iOS 28 (2027) | A14 Bionic (expected to drop iPhone 12 series) | iPhone 13 (A15 Bionic) — expected |
If Apple follows this pattern, iOS 28 will require at least an A15 Bionic chip, making the iPhone 13 (2021) the oldest compatible model. This aligns neatly with Apple Intelligence requirements — the AI features in iOS 26 and iOS 27 already require at least an A17 Pro or M1 chip for full functionality. By iOS 28, Apple Intelligence will be even more central to the OS, and it is likely that Apple will use this update to make A15 the minimum baseline for the full experience.
The expected iOS 28 compatible iPhone list includes:
- iPhone 13 / iPhone 13 mini / iPhone 13 Pro / iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 / iPhone 14 Plus / iPhone 14 Pro / iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 / iPhone 15 Plus / iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16 / iPhone 16 Plus / iPhone 16 Pro / iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 17 / iPhone 17 Air / iPhone 17 Pro / iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone 18 series (2026, including the foldable iPhone)
- iPhone 19 series / 20th Anniversary iPhone (2027)
Note: This list is based on Apple’s historical compatibility pattern and is not official. Apple will confirm supported devices at WWDC 2027.
What iOS 28 Means for Apple’s Entire Ecosystem
iOS 28 is not arriving in isolation. It is the centrepiece of a massive 2027 product wave that Apple has been building toward for three years. Here is what the full picture looks like:
The 20th Anniversary iPhone
The 20th anniversary iPhone is expected to be Apple’s most dramatic hardware redesign since the original iPhone X in 2017. A wraparound curved glass design that eliminates bezels entirely, under-display Face ID sensors, under-display front cameras, and potentially a new interaction model that moves away from the Dynamic Island — this is the device iOS 28 is being built for. Just as iOS 11 had to be completely reworked for the iPhone X, iOS 28 will need to introduce a new visual and interaction language for a phone with no visible sensors, no bezels, and a fully curved front surface.
Apple Smart Glasses
Apple’s first smart glasses are targeting a late 2027 launch — the same window as iOS 28. According to Gurman, the glasses will feature cameras, speakers, microphones, and deep Apple Intelligence integration. iOS 28 will need to define how the iPhone and smart glasses work together: how notifications are mirrored, how Siri AI operates across both devices, how Visual Intelligence functions change when you have cameras on your face rather than in your hand, and how health data from glasses-based sensors integrates with Apple Health.
Apple Health Expands to Mac
The leaked Health app for Mac is part of a broader Apple Health ecosystem expansion. With health data accessible across iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and now Mac, Apple is building one of the most comprehensive personal health platforms in the world. Combined with the rumoured Apple Health+ subscription service, iOS 28 could mark the moment Apple Health becomes as central to the Apple experience as iCloud or the App Store.
The Post-Tim Cook Era
iOS 28 will be the first major iOS release under new Apple CEO John Ternus, who takes over from Tim Cook on September 1, 2026. Ternus comes from hardware engineering, and his influence on iOS 28 may be felt in how tightly the software and hardware ambitions are integrated. This is a leadership transition that tech analysts are watching closely — and iOS 28 will be Ternus’s first real statement as Apple’s leader.
Key Trends to Watch in iOS 28
AI Everywhere
If iOS 27 is the year Siri AI finally becomes credible, iOS 28 will be the year AI becomes unavoidable on iPhone. Apple Intelligence will permeate every corner of the operating system — from how you interact with a bezel-free display to how your smart glasses interpret the world around you. Expect AI to be deeply embedded in Health, Photos, Safari, Messages, and productivity apps in ways that feel genuinely useful rather than experimental.
Hardware-Software Fusion
Apple’s biggest competitive advantage has always been that it controls both the hardware and the software. iOS 28 represents the fullest expression of that advantage yet — an operating system designed from the ground up for hardware that does not yet exist, built to feel native and inevitable the moment you pick up a 20th anniversary iPhone.
Privacy-First AI
Despite the Google Gemini partnership powering Siri AI in iOS 27, Apple has been insistent that “privacy in AI is non-negotiable.” iOS 28 will need to maintain that stance while delivering AI features that are genuinely powerful. The Health+ service in particular — if it launches — will need to handle deeply sensitive personal health data, making privacy architecture one of the most important design decisions in iOS 28’s development.
Frequently Asked Questions About iOS 28
Q1. What is the iOS 28 release date?
The iOS 28 release date is expected to be September 2027, following Apple’s consistent annual pattern of releasing new iOS versions in September alongside new iPhone hardware. It will first be announced at WWDC in June 2027, with developer and public betas available from June and July 2027 respectively.
Q2. What is the iOS 28 codename?
Apple has internally codenamed iOS 28 as “Bell.” Its companion operating system macOS 28 is codenamed “Poppy.” Apple employees have combined the two into the informal nickname “Boppy,” following the tradition of combining iOS and macOS codenames within the company.
Q3. What are the new iOS 28 features?
Confirmed iOS 28 features leaked so far include new Apple Watch sleep tracking metrics, a Health app coming to Mac for the first time, and potential Apple Health+ subscription service. Additional expected features include new UI support for the bezel-free 20th anniversary iPhone, smart glasses companion features, and deeper Apple Intelligence integration across all apps.
Q4. Which iPhones will be compatible with iOS 28?
Based on Apple’s historical chip-drop pattern, iOS 28 is expected to support iPhones with an A15 Bionic chip or newer, making the iPhone 13 (2021) the oldest compatible model. Apple will officially confirm iOS 28 compatible devices at WWDC 2027.
Q5. How is iOS 28 different from iOS 27?
iOS 27 is a stability-focused update — a “Snow Leopard” style release focused on Siri AI improvements, performance gains, and system cleanup. iOS 28 is the innovation phase that follows, designed to support entirely new hardware categories including the 20th anniversary iPhone and Apple’s first smart glasses. Gurman describes iOS 28 as “far more significant” than iOS 27.
Q6. What is the 20th anniversary iPhone?
The 20th anniversary iPhone is a special flagship model expected in September 2027, marking 20 years since the original iPhone’s launch in 2007. It is rumoured to feature a wraparound curved glass design with no bezels, under-display Face ID, under-display front cameras, and an entirely reimagined exterior — the most dramatic iPhone redesign since the iPhone X in 2017. iOS 28 is being built to support this device.
Q7. Will iOS 28 support Apple smart glasses?
Yes, Apple’s first smart glasses are targeting a late 2027 launch — the same timeframe as iOS 28. The glasses will feature cameras, microphones, speakers, and Apple Intelligence integration, and iOS 28 will need to serve as the software bridge between the iPhone and these new wearable devices.
Q8. Is iOS 28 confirmed by Apple?
Apple has not officially announced or confirmed iOS 28. The information we have comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (who revealed it is in development and described it as “far more significant” than iOS 27) and from feature flags found inside a leaked internal iOS 26 build. Official details will come at WWDC 2027.
Final Verdict: Should You Be Excited About iOS 28?
Absolutely — and here is why. The last time Apple built an operating system around hardware this ambitious was iOS 11 and the iPhone X in 2017. That combination defined the iPhone for the next decade. iOS 28 and the 20th anniversary iPhone are being set up to do the same thing for the 2030s.
A bezel-free all-glass iPhone, Apple’s first smart glasses, the Health app landing on Mac, and Siri AI deepening its roots across the entire ecosystem — iOS 28 is not just a software update. It is Apple’s platform vision for the next generation of personal computing, and it is being built with that ambition from day one.
The iOS 28 release date is September 2027, which means we still have over a year to wait. But given what is already being built behind the scenes, that wait is going to feel increasingly short as 2027 approaches. Keep this page bookmarked — we will update it with every new iOS 28 leak, feature reveal, and official announcement as they come.
Excited about iOS 28? Tell us which feature you are most looking forward to in the comments below.
