Apple released the third developer betas of the entire OS 27 family on July 6: iOS, iPadOS, macOS Golden Gate, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. On iPhone, the build number is 24A5380h. The update is mostly bug fixes, with a small set of feature changes. Here is what’s new.
Siri Voice Customization
The Pace and Expressivity sliders for Siri’s voice are now functional. Pace controls how fast Siri speaks; Expressivity controls how much inflection it uses. Because it relies on Apple’s most advanced on-device model, which needs at least 12GB of RAM, the feature is limited to the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, plus M4 iPads and M3 Macs with 12GB. The base iPhone 17, at 8GB, doesn’t qualify.
Updated Apple Intelligence Models
Some users updating from beta 2 will see their Apple Intelligence assets redownload after installation, and the new Siri stays unavailable until the download completes. This indicates that beta 3 ships updated on-device models rather than only enabling existing ones, which also explains why voice customization works in this build. After updating, the system also runs its indexing again from the start, with the notice in Settings now reading “Optimizing Search and Siri”.
Siri on Apple Watch
watchOS 27 beta 3 brings the new Siri to Apple Watch for the first time, along with the standalone Siri app.
Interface Changes on iPhone
Swiping down to Notification Center now shows a cutout of the wallpaper’s subject floating above the Home Screen or the current app, with a parallax animation. It isn’t clear whether this is an intended feature or a bug. The Reminders app has a new icon: the solid to-do bullets are replaced with hollow Liquid Glass rings.
New macOS Wallpapers
macOS Golden Gate beta 3 adds two wallpapers: Golden Gate Sunset, showing waves near the bridge, and Golden Gate Night, showing traffic crossing it at night. Both animate when unlocking the Mac and can also be used as screen savers, and both look great. They join the abstract wallpaper introduced in the first beta.
visionOS 27 and tvOS 27
Both platforms received beta 3 alongside the others. Apart from the Siri updates shared across the family, no platform-specific new features have been found so far.
Known Issues
In our use, the system can freeze on a screen from time to time, and apps occasionally lag and quit on their own. The AI features are also unstable, and it’s unclear whether the cause is the system itself or Apple’s servers. This is beta software, though, so a degree of instability is to be expected, and these issues should be ironed out as Apple refines later builds.
Compatibility
iOS 27 supports iPhone 11 and later, plus the second-generation iPhone SE and newer. Apple Intelligence, including the new Siri, requires recent hardware. Siri voice customization requires an iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air.
Should You Update?
Beta 3 is expected to become the first public beta this month, ahead of a September release. This build has shown some stuttering in use, along with the freezing issues noted above. The problems are real, but this is a beta after all, and some allowance is fair; we expect Apple to optimize in the builds ahead. The new features are interesting, but think carefully before upgrading. Found something new in beta 3? Let us know in the comments.
