Apple Intelligence image models to boast ‘major' visual upgrades in iOS 27: report

Apple's image generation features are getting a much-needed facelift. According to Bloomberg's Power On newsletter, the company is planning a big boost in visual quality for the models behind Genmoji and Image Playground, coming in iOS 27.

Right now, Apple's image generation isn't exactly impressive. The current models produce results that fall short compared to what you'd get from standalone AI image tools. Apple seems to know this.

The upgrade matters because Apple Intelligence is supposed to be a key selling point for newer iPhones. If the image quality stays mediocre, it's hard to justify the feature as a reason to upgrade or stay in the Apple ecosystem.

For anyone using AI image tools in their work, this is a reminder that first-generation features from big tech companies often lag behind dedicated tools. Apple's playing catch-up here, which is unusual for them.

The timing with iOS 27 suggests we're looking at a 2027 release, assuming Apple sticks to its usual annual cycle. That's a long wait for what should have been better from the start.

The real question is whether Apple will match the quality of tools like Midjourney or DALL-E, or just improve enough to be less embarrassing. The newsletter didn't specify how big this boost will actually be.