Apple's annual accessibility preview revealed a major upgrade to Voice Control on iPhone and iPad, integrating Apple Intelligence for natural language commands. Users can now describe on-screen elements conversationally, like "tap the purple folder" in Files, replacing rigid label-based controls. This enhancement, part of iOS 27, transforms accessibility tools into a showcase for the broader Siri revamp.

This natural language capability directly mirrors the on-screen awareness promised for the new Siri at WWDC 2024. That personalized assistant, capable of acting across apps like commenting on Instagram or managing reservations, was delayed from its initial iPhone 16 launch timeline. The Voice Control demo effectively demonstrates the underlying agentic AI framework meant for Siri.

The more contextual Siri, a tentpole for iOS 27, is now slated for a public release this September. It will require newer hardware: an iPhone 15 Pro or later, iPads with A17 Pro or M1 chips, or Macs with M1 chips and up. Its development is powered by Google's Gemini, confirming a deep partnership to deliver these advanced AI features.