iOS 28 is expected to be Apple’s next major iPhone software update, with an unveiling likely at WWDC in June 2027 before a public release in September 2027.
Although iOS 27 has only just been released, the first details about its successor have already emerged. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple’s 2027 software releases are shaping up to be considerably more significant than the version 27 updates, suggesting iOS 28 could bring some of the biggest changes to the iPhone in years.
Apple is reportedly developing iOS 28 under the internal codename “Bell.” Specific features remain largely under wraps, but the timing of the update is particularly interesting because it is expected to arrive alongside Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhone generation.
When will iOS 28 be announced?
Apple is expected to preview iOS 28 at WWDC 2027 in June, following the company’s established annual software schedule. Apple normally gives developers and users their first look at the next version of iOS during its Worldwide Developers Conference before releasing an initial developer beta shortly after the keynote.
A public beta would likely follow during the summer, giving users an opportunity to test iOS 28 before its full release. Apple has not announced dates for WWDC 2027, so an exact unveiling date is not yet known.
When will iOS 28 be released?
iOS 28 is expected to be released publicly in September 2027. Apple has established a predictable pattern of releasing its major iPhone software updates shortly before its latest iPhones reach customers.
For comparison, iOS 27 was released on September 14, 2026, following its unveiling at WWDC26 in June.
Unless Apple changes its usual schedule, iOS 28 should therefore move through developer and public beta testing between June and September 2027 before becoming available as a free software update.
What new features will iOS 28 have?
There are currently few confirmed details about individual iOS 28 features, and that is likely to remain the case until development progresses further. However, early reporting suggests the update itself could be unusually important.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s version 28 operating systems are already shaping up to be “far more significant” than the version 27 releases. Gurman has also reported that iOS 28 carries the internal codename Bell.
The significance of iOS 28 could partly be tied to Apple’s hardware plans for 2027. Apple is widely expected to mark the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone with a substantially redesigned model, and iOS 28 will be the software generation designed to accompany it.
iOS 28 and the 20th-anniversary iPhone
Apple’s original iPhone went on sale in 2007, making 2027 the product’s 20th anniversary. Reports have pointed to Apple developing an ambitious new iPhone design for the anniversary, potentially featuring a display that extends much further across the front of the device with fewer visible interruptions.
If Apple introduces significant new display hardware or changes the way users interact with the iPhone, iOS 28 could include interface changes designed specifically around that hardware. Exactly what those changes will look like remains unknown.
This would not be unprecedented. Apple has previously adapted iOS around major changes to iPhone hardware, including the introduction of gesture navigation and the Home indicator with iPhone X, the Dynamic Island with iPhone 14 Pro, and new software experiences designed around later hardware features.
Apple Intelligence and Siri in iOS 28
Artificial intelligence is also likely to remain a major part of Apple’s software development. iOS 27 introduced Apple’s latest generation of Siri AI and additional Apple Intelligence capabilities, and Apple is unlikely to stop expanding those systems after a single major release.
That makes further improvements to Siri, Apple Intelligence and intelligence features across Apple’s apps reasonable expectations for iOS 28, although specific new capabilities have not yet been reliably reported.
Apple’s newly expanded Health experience also shows how the company is increasingly applying Apple Intelligence to individual apps and services. Similar deeper integrations could become an important part of future iOS releases rather than AI existing as a collection of standalone features.
Which iPhones will support iOS 28?
Apple has not announced the iOS 28 compatibility list, and it is too early to reliably determine which older iPhones may be dropped.
iOS 27 currently supports iPhone 11 and later. Whether the iPhone 11 generation will receive another major update with iOS 28 will not be known until Apple announces its official compatibility requirements, likely alongside the software at WWDC27.
As with iOS 27, some iOS 28 features may also require newer hardware even when the operating system itself supports an older iPhone. Apple Intelligence already provides an example of this distinction, with more demanding intelligence features requiring more recent chips.
What we know about iOS 28 so far
At this early stage, the clearest picture is one of timing rather than individual features. iOS 28 is expected to be unveiled at WWDC in June 2027, spend the summer in beta testing and launch publicly around September 2027. Internally, Apple is reportedly calling the software Bell, and early reporting suggests the wider version 28 software generation will represent a more substantial update than version 27.
More concrete iOS 28 features should begin to emerge as development progresses toward WWDC27. This article will be updated as new information, credible reports and official details become available.