Apple to Unveil 4 AI-Powered iPadOS 27 Features at WWDC

Q: Will iPadOS 27’s powerful AI turn older iPads obsolete, forcing users into costly upgrades for essential features?

Not entirely, but for many older iPads the practical answer is yes: the headline AI features in iPadOS 27 are likely to be limited to newer hardware, and some older models may miss the update altogether. The key issue is not just software support but chip requirements. Apple’s recent AI strategy relies heavily on on-device processing, and the searched material indicates Apple Intelligence-class features generally require an M1 chip or newer, or the A17 Pro in the latest iPad mini. That means even some iPads that can still run basic versions of iPadOS may not get the full AI package, including the upgraded Spotlight, natural-language Shortcuts, grammar tools, and other advanced Siri-style functions. There is also evidence that some older models, including the iPad (8th generation), iPad Air 3, and iPad mini 5, may not support iPadOS 27 at all. Those devices would continue to work on older software, but users would lose access to the new AI tools and future platform improvements. That does not make older iPads useless. They should still handle web browsing, media, note-taking, and many apps. But for users who see AI search, writing assistance, and automation as essential for school or work, the gap will matter. In that sense, Apple is not forcing every user to upgrade, but it is clearly making newer chips the price of entry for its most important new features.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Jun 5

Four AI-driven iPadOS 27 additions are expected at Apple’s WWDC keynote: Safari tab grouping, a revamped Spotlight tied to Siri, natural-language Shortcuts creation, and a systemwide grammar checker.
Safari’s optional Organize Tabs feature would automatically sort open pages by topic, while the Spotlight overhaul would let users search files, launch actions, ask Siri questions, and tap Apple’s AI web search from one interface.
Shortcuts is also rumored to build automations from typed or spoken requests, lowering the barrier to creating workflows and even generating new actions to match a user’s intent.
The grammar checker would extend Apple’s writing tools across the system with suggested revisions, accept-all or ignore controls, and navigation between flagged passages, underscoring Apple’s push to make iPadOS more AI-centric.