[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Apple has officially announced the schedule for its annual developer conference, WWDC26. This year’s event is expected to put expanded artificial intelligence (AI) features centered on iPhone operating system iOS 27 in the spotlight. AI is expected to be deeply integrated across existing iPhone usage, from personalised AI wallpaper creation to natural-language Shortcuts and enhanced writing tools.

On May 18 (local time), IT outlet 9to5Mac reported that Apple sent media invitations and said WWDC26 would open on June 8.

The event starts with a keynote at 10 a.m. PDT on June 8. Apple is set to unveil next-generation operating system updates including iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27 and visionOS 27.

This year’s slogan is 'Coming bright up'. The keynote will be livestreamed on Apple’s official website, the Apple TV app and YouTube channel, and replays will be available afterward.

AI upgrades, in particular, are cited as a key change in iOS 27 at WWDC26. Bloomberg and 9to5Mac reported that Apple is testing a feature that lets users create lock screen and home screen backgrounds using AI.

The feature is expected to run on Image Playground, an existing generative image tool, and be added as a new option within the default wallpaper selection menu. Users would enter the desired style and image, and AI would generate a customised background.

Writing support is also expected to be significantly strengthened. iOS 27 may include more sophisticated grammar checking than at present. The industry has also raised the possibility that it could apply sentence editing and phrasing recommendations at a level similar to Grammarly, a grammar correction service.

Apple is also revising its approach to existing Writing Tools. It is said to be reviewing ways to strengthen integration with Siri and the keyboard so users can use the features more easily.

For example, it could place a 'Write with Siri' toggle above the keyboard, or show a 'Help me write' button when users summon Siri while entering text. This is interpreted as an attempt to address criticism that existing AI features have been hard to access in actual usage flows.

The Shortcuts app, an automation feature, is also expected to shift toward AI. Apple is said to be preparing a feature in which AI automatically creates a shortcut when users describe the task they want in natural language. For example, if a user types a sentence such as "When I leave work, turn on the lights at home and play music," the related automation would be created immediately. The aim is to reduce complex setup and make automation easy for general users.

The change also aligns with Apple’s strategy to blend generative AI into the operating system and existing services rather than into a separate app. It is seen as closer to integrating AI into existing user experiences such as wallpapers, the keyboard, Siri and Shortcuts, rather than adding a new app.

A developer-focused technical session, Platforms State of the Union, will follow at 1 p.m. PDT on the day of the event. Apple plans to explain new APIs, development tools and platform features in more detail in the session.

During the event, online sessions, group labs and Q&A programmes will also be run. Apple engineers and designers will participate to guide developers on how to respond to next-generation operating systems and how to use new features.

Apple also announced finalists for the 2026 Apple Design Awards. The company explained it as "an event to celebrate innovation and technical achievement in app and game design."

The industry views WWDC26 as a stage not only for unveiling operating system updates but also for gauging what direction Apple will show in the generative AI competition. A key point to watch is how naturally it integrates AI features into the iPhone user experience.