WWDC 2026 Keynote Today: Gemini-Powered Siri and watchOS 27 Officially Previewed for Apple Watch

Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote kicks off today — June 8 at 10:00 AM Pacific — with the biggest software reveal of the year. The headline: a rebuilt Siri powered by Google Gemini, plus watchOS 27 featuring refined health tracking for Apple Watch.

Gemini-Powered Siri

• $1 billion/year partnership: Apple has licensed a custom 1.2 trillion parameter Gemini model from Google, the largest AI deal in Apple's history
• Full chatbot capability: The rebuilt Siri supports persistent conversation history, contextual memory across apps, multi-step reasoning, web search, and image analysis
• Privacy-first architecture: All Gemini queries are processed through Apple's Private Cloud Compute — no user data is shared with Google
• Wearable impact: Siri on Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 3 will gain dramatically improved natural language understanding and contextual awareness

watchOS 27 Highlights

• Improved heart rate tracking: Better accuracy during workouts and rest, leveraging new algorithms
• Modular Ultra-style face: A new watch face variant of the Ultra-exclusive Modular Ultra, now available on non-Ultra Apple Watch models
• Health refinements: Focus on stability, performance, and AI-powered health insights rather than major new features
• Blood pressure prep: Software foundations for the blood pressure monitoring feature expected on Apple Watch Series 12 this fall

What This Means for Buyers

If you own an Apple Watch Series 11 or Ultra 3, watchOS 27 is a free upgrade arriving in September. The Gemini-powered Siri could make your existing watch significantly more useful. If you're waiting for new hardware, the Series 12 and Ultra 4 arrive this fall with blood pressure monitoring. Compare current options in our smartwatch guide.