New Apple OS Betas
Apple Deploys Second Beta Across Platforms, Highlighting Siri AI and Apple Intelligence.
Key Points
VisionOS 27 adds an Icelandic Thórsmörk environment featuring dramatic mountains, valleys, and glaciers with the northern lights, and it can turn panorama photos into spatial environments.
VisionOS 27 introduces a Siri orb that can be placed anywhere within the wearer's virtual space.
iOS 27 beta 2 relocates Visual Intelligence to the Camera app and adds a new Siri mode for on-device interactions.
iOS 27 beta 2 expands Apple Intelligence to include features across Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords.
Apple released the second developer betas for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27 on June 22, 2026 — exactly two weeks after WWDC26 AppleInsider. The update, version 24A5370, puts Siri AI front and center across platforms and refines last year's Liquid Glass design with a new transparency slider iClarified.
watchOS 27 beta 2 had not appeared at rollout time 9to5Mac. Public betas for all platforms except visionOS are expected in July, with a full public release slated for September OS X Daily.
iOS 27 Puts Siri AI and Visual Intelligence in the Camera
The biggest UI change in iOS 27 beta 2 is the move of Visual Intelligence into the Camera app iClarified. Apple added a dedicated Siri mode in the camera carousel, making AI discovery passive rather than something users have to hunt for. Craig Federighi called iOS 27 a "performance-first" update, saying Apple is making its platforms "faster, more reliable, and more delightful than ever" AppleInsider.
Apple Intelligence now reaches into Photos, Safari, Shortcuts, Wallet, and Passwords iClarified. Write with Siri is also new, letting users generate and edit text across the system. Developers noted that Beta 2 fixes frame-rate stutters in Liquid Glass animations, and the transparency slider in Settings > Appearance gives users a way to dial back the frosted-glass effects Redmond Pie.
visionOS 27 Turns Panoramas Into Spatial Worlds
visionOS 27 beta 2 is the most dramatic update in the wave. Apple added the ability to turn panorama photos into full 360-degree spatial environments 9to5Mac. A new Icelandic Thórsmörk environment — featuring mountains, valleys, glaciers, and the northern lights — becomes the 10th virtual space available on Vision Pro 9to5Mac.
The update also adds curved app windows, reworked controls, and 360-degree Web Environment support in Safari 9to5Mac. Siri on visionOS now gets its own floating orb that wearers can place anywhere in their virtual space. Siri AI on visionOS can also answer questions about what the wearer is currently looking at, a feature not available on any other Apple platform.
Siri AI Is Missing in Europe and China at Launch
Not everyone will get the full Siri AI experience. About 35% of iPhone shipments in the EU and China will not have access at launch due to regulatory delays, according to estimates cited by AppleInsider. The EU's Digital Markets Act compliance is the main blocker, pointing to a growing split where Apple features differ by country.
Apple's on-device AI requires at least 12GB of RAM, limiting the deepest features to iPhone 16 Pro and later AppleInsider. Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan set a $380 price target on AAPL, calling Apple's AFM 3 model architecture a key driver for an upgrade cycle. Still, AAPL dipped 3% after the WWDC keynote on concerns about those regional rollout gaps.
Beta Testers Warned: Use a Secondary Device
Apple and developers are urging caution. Beta software can have bugs, crashes, and missing features that affect daily use OS X Daily. Anyone wanting to test iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, or visionOS 27 should install only on a secondary device — not their primary phone or computer.
The first public betas are expected next month for all platforms except visionOS, which has no public beta program for Vision Pro 9to5Mac. The final releases for all platforms are expected in September 2026 alongside new hardware.
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