You can always read a review:
> The promise of iOS 27 is that it’ll not only unlock new capabilities but also make your existing workflows smoother and quicker.
https://sixcolors.com/post/2026/09/ios-27-review-little-thin...
An update that improves performance on even the oldest supported device is a win.
That's a nice overview, but it seems to compare iOS 27 to iOS 26. Isn't iOS 26 known to be terrible, though? I'd like a comparison to a "known-good" iOS version. Basically I skipped iOS 26 (so I have zero experience with it) and am now wondering whether iOS 27 is any good
> The good news is there are some places where things are just better across the board. In general, iOS 27 feels peppy. I know, we always talk about snappiness, but given the time Apple has spent on improving performance and removing bugs with this release, it’s reassuring to see that it’s borne out by my experience. Apps launch quickly, photos sync faster via iCloud, AirDrop transfers are especially rapid, browsing my NAS via the Files app was downright speedy compared to earlier versions.
[dead]
That's dramatically overstating it. iOS 26 was just... alright. It wasn't great. It also wasn't the devil incarnate in a phone. iOS 27 has been legimately good since the early public betas.
I skipped macOS 26 (except on my work laptop, where it’s crap), but I don’t think iOS 26 is significantly worse overall than iOS 18.
Why would I read reviews for "the promise"? So after reading the review, how much has performance improved over 18?